Stanford Lecturer to Speak at 36th Annual Oscar Howe Memorial Lecture on Sept. 18
The lecture, titled “The Teachings of Shell Face: Oral Tradition in Oscar Howe’s Art,” will take place Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Colton Recital Hall at the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts at USD in Vermillion, South Dakota.
Red Shirt’s lecture explores the intersections of historiography, Native American oral traditions and narrative storytelling within Howe’s paintings. Drawing on oral histories passed down by Howe’s grandmother, Shell Face, Red Shirt will illuminate how Indigenous knowledge shaped Howe’s artistic vision and helped redefine Native American modernism.
Red Shirt’s connection to these stories is personal, as she is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Her academic work bridges historiography, Native American oral traditions and narrative storytelling, illuminating how Indigenous knowledge and language shape cultural expression.
Red Shirt is the author of “Bead on an Anthill: A Lakota Childhood” and “George Sword’s Warrior Narratives: Compositional Processes in Lakota Oral Tradition.” She has also received both the Labriola Center American Indian National Book Award and the Electa Quinney Award.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to host Delphine as lecturer and curator for the yearlong exhibition in the Oscar Howe Gallery,” said Amy Fill, director of art galleries.
The evening will begin with a public reception from 6 to 7 p.m. in the John A. Day Gallery. Before the lecture, prayer and song will be led by Damon P. Leader Charge (Sicangu Oglala Lakota), director of Tribal Outreach at USD.
For more information about the Oscar Howe Memorial Lecture or to receive a link to the livestream, please contact [email protected].
Accessibility: The venue is ADA accessible. For accommodations, please contact [email protected] by Sept. 15, 2025.
About the Current Exhibition
The lecture coincides with a special exhibition curated by Red Shirt, now on view in the Oscar Howe Gallery located in Old Main on the USD campus. The exhibition highlights Howe’s innovative blending of Dakota oral histories, symbolism and abstraction, offering visitors an intimate look at the narrative threads woven into his groundbreaking artistic practice.
About the Oscar Howe Memorial Lecture
Established in 1989, the Oscar Howe Memorial Lecture honors the life and work of Oscar Howe (1915–1983), a Yanktonai Dakota artist whose modernist vision transformed Native American art. Howe taught at USD from 1957 to 1980, mentoring generations of artists and influencing contemporary dialogues on Indigenous art. Each year, the lecture series invites scholars, artists and cultural leaders to reflect on Howe’s artistic contributions and enduring impact. Sponsors include the Native American Cultural Center, Native Student Services, the Institute of American Indian Studies, the University Art Galleries and the College of Fine Arts at USD.
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