A major retrospective of the late Ho-Chunk artist and longtime UW–Madison faculty member Truman Lowe is scheduled to open on Oct. 24 at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
However, due to the ongoing U.S. federal government shutdown, the Smithsonian museums — including the National Museum of the American Indian — are temporarily closed. As a result, the exhibition’s opening date may be delayed.
Titled, “Water’s Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe,” the exhibition runs through Jan. 2027 and is the first comprehensive retrospective of Lowe’s work. It features nearly 50 sculptures, drawings, and paintings that span his career, including rarely seen monumental works and significant pieces from public and private collections — 28 of which come from the National Museum of the American Indian’s collection.
A companion catalogue will accompany the exhibition, offering essays and reflections on the artist’s life and influence.
Lowe earned his MFA from UW–Madison in 1973 and later joined the School of Education’s Art Department, where he taught sculpture, chaired the department, and helped coordinate the university’s Native American Studies program. From 2000 to 2008, he also served as curator of contemporary art at the National Museum of the American Indian.
Lowe’s minimalist sculptures, made from natural materials such as willow branches, feathers, and reeds, evoke the rivers and woodlands of Wisconsin where he was raised, as well as the canoes that navigate those landscapes. Through both sculpture and drawing, his work explores themes of memory, culture, and the human connection to place.
Lowe, who passed away in 2019, left a lasting legacy as both an artist and teacher. His impact continues through the Truman T. Lowe Scholarship Fund, established by his wife, Nancy Lowe, to support future UW–Madison art students.
Learn more about the exhibition.