Fritz Scholder (1937-2005) was one-quarter Luiseño Indian and was conflicted about his Native heritage. He often claimed he was not Indian, having been “raised white.” He insisted on being called an “artist” and said, “I’ve never called myself an Indian artist. Everyone else has.”
Dancers at Zuni, 1987, lithograph, 22 x 30 in. Collection of Alan K. Pace.He eventually adjusted his outlook and began to paint Native Americans with no romance, smashing stereotypes along the way. He said, “I have painted the Indian real, not red!”
Scholder received his master’s degree at the University of Arizona in 1964 and joined the faculty of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he began his Indian paintings.
He recalled that time in his life in a 1996 interview for the Academy of Achievement whose purpose is to bring “students face-to-face with the extraordinary leaders, the visionaries and the pioneers who have helped shape our world.” He continued, “I was mislabeled an Indian artist because I had done a series on the American Indian when I came to Santa Fe. It was a very natural thing, because all painters who go to Santa Fe become immediately seduced by this very strange and foreign little town. Who still thinks about how much Indian blood someone has? Well, I never thought about it, because I grew up in public schools and I’m not an Indian. I’m very proud of being one-quarter Luiseño, which is California Mission, but you can’t be anything if you’re a quarter. Plus, I just never had that background. But I found out what Indians think in Santa Fe. For the first time I met real Indians, and they have a whole different mindset.”
Indian With Feather Fan (State II), 1975, lithograph on German etching paper, 22 x 30 in. Collection of Alan K. Pace.
Indian Portrait in Roma, 1978, etching and aquatint on copper plate, 62 x 44 in. Collection of Alan K. Pace.
The Sigler Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona, will present the exhibition Vivid Portraits and Violent Color: The Art of Fritz Scholder (1937-2005), beginning on June 13. It runs through February 28, 2027.
The works in the exhibition are on loan from Alan K. Pace. “I am so pleased that my collection of Fritz Scholder’s art will be shown at the wonderful Sigler Western Museum this year,” Pace says of the show. “Better yet, the museum has agreed to accept my gift of these works to become part of their permanent collection. My hope is that it will add to Wickenburg’s reputation as a great place to live and visit.”
Skull Smoking a Cigarette, 1998, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 14 in. Collection of Alan K. Pace. Image size: 18 x 14 in.
Happy Skies to You II, 1978, lithograph on Arches paper, 30 x 22 in. Collection of Alan K. Pace.
The museum notes, “Fritz Scholder’s art, defined by vivid portraits and bold, unapologetic color, helped propel Native American art into the realm of modern and contemporary art. A Luiseño artist, Scholder challenged long-held stereotypes and romanticized imagery of Native Americans through works marked by honesty, intensity, and emotional depth…Rather than traditional depictions, Scholder’s portraits present a striking psychological realism. With distorted features, expressive brushwork, and somber tones, his figures convey pain, alienation and frustration, encouraging viewers to confront complex narratives surrounding identity and representation.”
Dancers at Zuni,1978, is a lithograph he produced at the Tamarind Institute. It depicts a katsina dance at Zuni Pueblo. The line of Zuni Long Hair Katsinas passes in front of the pueblo. The Long Hair Katsina sings sweet songs and brings rain and flowers. Scholder has used exaggerated colors of rust and orange with black shadows.
Indian Cowboy (State II), 1974, 24 x 17 in. Collection of Alan K. Pace.
When Tamarind Institute moved from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1970, it invited Scholder as the first artist to collaborate on a project. Indians Forever, a portfolio of eight lithographs, was published the following year. He worked with Tamarind for more than four years, producing 80 lithographs.
He recalled, “The lithographs have become an important part of the work. As a painter-printmaker and fetish maker, I revel at being able to produce statements in various forms. In today’s world, love, art, and magic are greatly needed.” —
Vivid Portraits and Violent Color: The Art of Fritz Scholder (1937-2005)
June 13, 2026-February 28, 2027
Sigler Western Museum
21 N. Frontier Street, Wickenburg, AZ 85390
(928) 684-2272, www.westernmuseum.org
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