JoAnne Bird

Since 1968, JoAnne Bird’s artwork has been evolving into what she considers to be Impressionism. Her current style of work is created through a controlled use of paint throwing and the use of a pallet knife, a technique that has earned her much success and popularity. JoAnne’s paintings depict her Native American spiritual heritage, which is drawn from the earliest known legends of Native Americans. She feels her paintings bring out the old in a modern way. 

JoAnne, a member of the Dakota Sioux Tribe, was raised on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Indian Reservation in eastern South Dakota. In addition to her art, JoAnne, her husband and their three daughters perform contemporary yet traditional Native American music in an attempt to preserve the Indian culture. 

After high school, JoAnne received art training from Dakota State University, Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota and the Santa Fe Institute of Arts. After having worked several years in the commercial art field, JoAnne decided to devote herself full-time to her professional art career. In addition to painting, JoAnne is an accomplished bronze sculptor. Her work may be found throughout the United States as well as Europe. In 1992, JoAnne was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame as “Artist of the Year.”