Rick Bartow

Wiyot · artists

Rick Bartow (1946–2016) was a member of the Mad River Band of the Wiyot Tribe from Newport, Oregon. A Vietnam War veteran who struggled with PTSD, Bartow channeled his experiences into powerful, expressionist art that blended Native spirituality with raw emotional intensity. His paintings, prints, and sculptures often featured transformation imagery — humans becoming animals, spirits emerging from earth. His monumental 21-foot cedar sculpture "We Were Always Here" stands at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Bartow showed in galleries worldwide and was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Smithsonian. His art is a testament to healing, resilience, and the transformative power of creativity.