'Lodges' by Hannah Lunak featured at Northern

Press release

The Montana State University-Northern Office of Diversity Awareness and Multicultural Program is opening this school years' artist of the month series with the artwork of Hannah Lunak.

This year, she is a senior in Havre High School. Although Lunak has been drawing and painting as long as she can remember, it was during her middle school years in the fine arts class at Havre Middle School that she really got deeply engaged as an artist. Lunak said she likes to draw, paint, take photographs, and also engrave in wood. However, in all her facets, she tends to be a perfectionist.

"I feel my pieces aren't ever done; nothing is ever done," Lunak said.

"The number one rule in art is that there are no rules," she added. "I don't necessarily follow conventions in regards to colors, for example."

Another characteristic in Lunak's art work is that she likes to mix the acrylic and water techniques in one piece.

"Water mixed with acrylic makes colors less blunt," she said.

She said she also doesn't like to use black to outline because she thinks that structure is not important. Lunak is also an ambidextrous artist since she can paint with her left hand and draw with her right hand.

Lunak's background is Irish and Blackfeet. The piece featured is "Lodges" (24" x 36"), which is distinguished by warm tones of red and orange as well as black and white. She said this painting, like many others, doesn't have a particular meaning for her because she paints "for my soul." In her opinion, it is up to every person who sees their creations to come up with their own meanings, Lunak said.

"Art can have any meaning one wants. Every person can come up with their own idea or ideas," she said. For example, with "Lodges," some people have told me that they would see it as sunset; some others as if there is some fire behind the teepees referring to the smoke represented because of the dark clouds."

"Different vivid colors represent that beauty of Native American culture," she added."

Some of her most memorable pieces are a head dress painting that was a combination between the Crow and the Sioux culture. Lunak said that she used the traditional colors of the Piikani, like the turquoise, yellow, and oranges but on unexpected places, like the colors in the feathers that will not match conventions. Another memorable piece is a portrait of her grandfather in charcoal, as well as a cowboy hat in pencil, and a religious piece titled "The Eye of God," which is a watercolor. Since seventh grade, Lunak has accumulated about thirty pieces of artwork, but since she has given some away, not all of them are in her possession. Many of them are related to Native American life in one way or another.

Norhern's 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 mcc@msun.edu or call 265-3589.