Arthur Short Bull is a brilliant watercolorist whose vision strives to capture the spirit of his Oglala heritage.  He has spent the last 17 years attempting self-sufficiency as an artist and gallery owner.  “What I hope to achieve through my work is to help others see and experience the spirit that exists in all things,” states Short Bull.

Being raised in a traditional family on the Pine Ridge reservation gives Short Bull special insight into the history, culture and spirituality of the Lakotas. Arthur’s great-grandfather was Grant Short Bull, uncle to famed artist and historian, Amos Bad Heart Bull and younger brother of He Dog. In 1930, the last of the old men who rode with Crazy Horse, He Dog and Grant Short Bull were two of Mari Sandoz’s sources for her book, “Crazy Horse ... Strange Man of the Oglalas.”

A recipient of the 2006 First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Program Fellowship, Arthur’s project involved utilizing his Wounded Knee series of paintings and poems as a vehicle to promote Lakota culture and history.  He continues to develop this series as an educational tool to reach out to the Native community, primarily the youth, to increase their knowledge of Native history, especially in regards to Wounded Knee. He also was a 2009 First Peoples Fund Business in Leadership Fellowship recipient.

Long recognized for an ongoing series on Wounded Knee and images of the Ghost Dance, Arthur presents new work on this theme as well as images inspired by the Siouan mystery clan societies and shamans. New work appears in another ongoing theme, “Wind Women.” Short Bull’s new projects include Lakota Dreams -- Black Elk’s Vision as well as an ongoing series honoring Tasunka Witko (Crazy Horse).