October 29, 1938 – December 7, 2015
HARVEY RATTEY – is a Native American enrolled tribal member of the Little Shell Band of the Chippewa. He and his three sisters and a brother were raised on a cattle ranch bordering the Assiniboin reservation near Harlem, MT. During the past 35 years, his love of the cowboy and of wildlife has inspired him to sculpt both subjects with “wild and wooly” action and empathy. However, his greatest interest lies in portraying the Indian people he has known and their way of life spanning the time of the last nomadic Indians to contemporary Indian people in the mainstream of modern society.
Harvey has chosen to portray his ancestors and the people he knows in a representational art form foregoing the growing trend toward abstraction. “The images of my people,” he says with conviction “are clear and realistic mental scenes. I feel it’s important to depict these images authentically in my work. My sculptures capture the essence of moments from history for viewers to enjoy and ponder.” He resides in Glendive, MT with his wife Pamela Harr also a sculptor and their 6 children.
AWARDS INCLUDE:
Selection by U.S. Pentagon – work to represent the U.S. as gifts to foreign dignitaries 1987 – 2003
U.S. White House, Washington, D.C. – Permanent Collection – 2002
Best of Show – Artists of the Plains – Sioux Falls, SD 1989 – 2002
Best of Show – Red Cloud Indian School Heritage Center, Inc. Pine Ridge, SD 1985
Special Merit Award, 14th Trail of Tears Art Show, Tahlequah, OK 1985
Best of Show – Flight of the Eagles, Helena, MT 1984
Gold Medal – Western Artists of America 1982 – 1983
Best of Show, Gold, Silver & Bronze medals at Reno, NV
Bronze Award – Western Artists of America show 1981
Silver Medal – Western Artists of America 1980
Gold Medal – Western Artists of America 1979
Bronze Award – Death Valley 49’er Inside Invitational show 1977
National Wild Turkey Federation Sculptor of the year 1992
Blue Chip Award, US Chamber of Commerce (excellence in business) 1993
Best of Show & People’s Choice – United Tribes, Bismarck, ND 1997
MUSEUM SHOWS:
Red Cloud Indian Museum – Permanent Collection 1991
Museum of Native American Cultures, Spokane, WA 1978 – 1989
Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman, MT 1979 – 1985
Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ 1980
Badlands Museum, Medora, ND – Permanent Collection 1979 and 2003
Museum of the Plains Indians, Browning, MT- Permanent Collection
Joslyn Art Museum – Omaha, NE 1990
MonDak Heritage center, Sidney, MT – Permanent Collection 1997
Augustana College, Center for Western Studies – Sioux Falls, SD – Permanent Collection 2003
Western Heritage Center, Cody, WY 1981
The Journey Museum, Rapid City, SD 1999
MAJOR WESTERN ART SHOWS:
Montana Society Congressional Reception, Washington, DC 1987
London England 1985
Wildlife & Western Art Exhibit, Minneapolis, MN 1983 – 1984
International Art Expo, New York City 1984
Western Art Show, Yokohama, Japan 1983
Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, Charleston, SC 1983
Favell Museum Show, Klamath Falls, OR 1981 – 1982
Western Art Show, Ellensburg, WA 1977 – 1989
Death Valley Invitational Show 1976 – 1978
Western Art Show, Rapid City, SD 1982 -1989
Western Artists of America, Cody, WY 1983
Western Artists of America, Reno, NV 1979 – 1982
Nebraskaland Days, North Platte, NE 1975 – 1994
C.M. Russell Show, Great Falls, MT 1972 – 2002
Museum of Native American Cultures Show, Spokane, WA 1977 -1989
Koln West Germany 1980 and Denver Audubon Society Show 1979
Waterfowl Festival, Easton, MD 1979
Hess’s Gallery of Fine Arts, Allentown, PA 1982
Twinlight Trail Gallery, London, England 1986
The Heritage Center, Red Cloud Indian Art Show, Pine Ridge, SD 1991
Red Earth Indian Expo, Oklahoma City, OK 1990
National Wild Turkey Federation 1990 – 2002
Northern Plains Tribal Arts Show, Sioux Falls, SD 1989 – 2002
United Tribes Indian Art Expo, Bismarck, ND 1995 – 2000
Black Hills Tribal Arts Expo, Rapid City, SD 2002
Custer Art Center, Miles City, MT 2002
Augastana Historical Center, Sioux Falls, SD 2001 -2003
FORMAL EDUCATION:
Hines-Zemsky workshop with Robert Bateman 1984
Zahourek, Anatomiken workshop 1986
Edward Fraughton workshop 1987, 1988, and 1990
MEMBERSHIP:
National Wild Turkey Federation
International Sculpture Center
Indian Arts & Crafts Association
American Brittany Association
Western Artists of America
American Angus Association
PRIVATE COLLECTION:
Ross Perot, TX
Senator Conrad Burns, MT
Augustana Historical Center, Sioux Falls, SD
Smithsonian’s Local Legacies Project, Institute of American Indian Studies
Congressman Ron Marlenee, Washington, D.C.
Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
Bozeman Montana Airport Terminal, Life-sized Bobcat monument
U.S. White House permanent ornament collection
