Frank Day (artist)
Encyclopedia
Frank Day (February 24, 1902–August 13, 1976) was a Native American artist from California
.
. His grandfather was Big Bill Day and his father was Twoboe. His father was a leader in the Bald Rock Konkow Maidu
. Growing up, he attended Berry Creek Public Schools, then Greenville Indian School, and Bacone College
in Muscogee, Oklahoma. He primarily lived in Sacramento, California
. After his father died in 1922, Day "became something of a vagabond."
.
Frank Day primarily painted in oils. His work is in such public collections as the Bureau of Indian Affairs
; California State University, Sacramento
; the Indian Arts and Crafts Board; and University of California, Davis
.
In 1999, a retrospective of his art was exhibited at National Museum of the American Indian
, George Gustav Heye Center, New York, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
, Laboratory of Anthropology in Santa Fe, The Heard Museum
in Phoenix. The California Indian Days Art Exhibit created the Frank Day Memorial Award in his honor.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Early life
Frank Day was born on February 24, 1902 in Berry Creek, CaliforniaBerry Creek, California
Berry Creek is a census-designated place about northeast of Oroville, California in hilly terrain at above mean sea level. The community is located along Oroville-Quincy Highway on the shore of Madrone Lake. The US Geological Survey shows coordinates of for the town. The community is home to...
. His grandfather was Big Bill Day and his father was Twoboe. His father was a leader in the Bald Rock Konkow Maidu
Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California
The Berry Creek Rancheria of Tyme Maidu Indians are a Native American people inhabiting a northeastern part California, south of Lassen Peak.They are a federally recognized Maidu tribe, headquartered in Oroville in Butte County. Their reservation is , located south of Oroville, and within a mile of...
. Growing up, he attended Berry Creek Public Schools, then Greenville Indian School, and Bacone College
Bacone College
Bacone College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Founded in 1880 as the Indian University by Almon C. Bacone, Bacone College is the oldest continuously operated institution of higher education in Oklahoma...
in Muscogee, Oklahoma. He primarily lived in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. After his father died in 1922, Day "became something of a vagabond."
Art career
Frank Day worked a range of jobs, including day laborer, sign painter, preacher, ranch hand, singer, cultural historian, linguist, author, and lecturer. After a serious car accident in 1960, he became a fulltime painter as he recovered. Anthroplogist Donald P. Jewell encouraged Day to paint imagery from Maidu traditional narrativesMaidu traditional narratives
Maidu traditional narratives include myths, legends, tales, and oral histories preserved by the Maidu, Konkow, and Nisenan people of eastern Sacramento Valley and foothills in northeastern California....
.
Frank Day primarily painted in oils. His work is in such public collections as the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
; California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento, popularly known as Sacramento State, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system...
; the Indian Arts and Crafts Board; and University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
.
Death and legacy
Day died August 13, 1976 in Sacremento, California.In 1999, a retrospective of his art was exhibited at National Museum of the American Indian
National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution that is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the native Americans of the Western Hemisphere...
, George Gustav Heye Center, New York, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology is a museum of Native American art and culture located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is one of eight museums in the state operated by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and is accredited by the American Association of Museums...
, Laboratory of Anthropology in Santa Fe, The Heard Museum
Heard Museum
The Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art is a museum located in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. There is also the Heard Museum North Scottsdale branch in Scottsdale and the Heard Museum West branch in Surprise....
in Phoenix. The California Indian Days Art Exhibit created the Frank Day Memorial Award in his honor.
See also
- Bald Rock Dome
- Konkow languageKonkow languageThe Konkow language is a part of the Maiduan language group. The word koyoo means, "meadow", with the additional 'm' being the adjective form of the word...
- MaiduMaiduThe Maidu are a group of Native Americans who live in Northern California. They reside in the central Sierra Nevada, in the drainage area of the Feather and American Rivers...