Henry C. Balink: Native American Portraits

Henry C. Balink (1882-1963) is among the foremost painters of Native American portraits of the Southwest in the twentieth century. Curated by Christine Brindza, Glasser Curator of Art of the American West, this exhibition debuts the Henry C. Balink collection, recently donated to the Museum by Howard and Marilyn Steele, which is considered the largest repository of Balink’s art in the world. Following in the footsteps of the Taos Society of Artists established during the first part of the twentieth century, Balink was enchanted by the imagery of the Southwest. After visiting Taos and Santa Fe several times, he moved there permanently in the 1920s, concentrating mostly on Native American people and culture in his paintings, drawings, and etchings. Throughout this exhibition, visitors are invited to discover the nuances in color and detail in the various portraits and scenes that the artist utilized throughout his career.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website