Kris Shaw work on display for Black History Month

From Montana State University-Northern

For February, Black History Month, the Office of Diversity Awareness and Multicultural Programs at Montana State University-Northern has invited local artist Kris Shaw with her piece “Yellow Hat.”

Her work is a water color in terracotta tones in an image size of 13-inch by 19 1/2-inch and 19 1/2-inch by 26-inch matted. Shaw describes this piece as an androgynous African-American individual, who “might represent a girl or a boy.

“That is the beauty of art, everyone can decide on his or her own meaning,” Shaw said.

Some viewers have commented that the piece depicts a beautiful tribal woman.

Shaw said, “it is a matter of looking into the eyes, and see if one can find a deeper meaning. That is the connection that people might get through art.”

She also interprets her creation as someone who “sticks their neck out” to help others.

Shaw added that the process of creating this piece was peculiar as she gradually was discovering how the final work was going to look like not having a pre-conception.

Most recently Shaw has been experimenting with ledger art and for those purposes, she has been using old music sheets of melodies she learned to play years ago (she plays violin and mandolin in addition to singing).

The MSU-N Office of Diversity Awareness and Multicultural Programs invites local and regional artists to exhibit their pieces, preferably those that have some link to multicultural themes.

For more information, contact [email protected] or call 406-265-3589.