SARAH ROWE

Sarah Rowe is a multimedia artist based in Omaha, NE. Her work opens cross cultural dialogues by utilizing methods of painting, casting, fiber arts, performance, and Native American ceremony in unconventional ways. Rowe’s work is participatory, a call to action, and re-imagines traditional Native American symbology to fit the narrative of today’s global landscape. Drawing from skewed imagery in historic texts, in conjunction with images from Lakota winter counts, Rowe projects her vision of contemporary Indigenous experience into the mix with an offbeat enchantment. Rowe’s imagined landscapes are bold and vibrant, containing a shape-shifting bestiary of tales both familiar and strange.

A recent project on a very large scale, Starseeds, is a mural that spans 15 silos in South Omaha. Rowe holds a BA in Studio Art from Webster University, studying in St. Louis, MO, and Vienna, Austria. Rowe is of Lakota and Ponca descent.

Artist statement: My work draws from the energy of Heyoka, the sacred clown of the Lakota. I believe humor and play help form connections across different backgrounds and perspectives, creating a more inviting world. Art creates a space of collective healing, and I share that space through collaborations with arts organizations, schools, shelters, rehabilitation centers, and nonprofits across the country. Storytelling and processes based on play and experimentation are key to developing engaging work and dynamic conversation.