Warm Springs artist Roberta J. Kirk wearing and carrying some of her award-winning beadwork
Photo Courtesy Roberta J. Kirk
Roberta Joy Kirk, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, has been honored as a recipient of the 2020 Governor’s Arts Award. She’s a traditional artist and educator who lives and works on the reservation. Kirk learned to sew and bead when she was a young girl after her family lost priceless Indigenous family heirlooms in a house fire. She makes dresses, pants and ceremonial clothing — many intricately beaded — for family and others. She has also taught her art through classes and mentoring over the years. The other honorees of the Governor’s Arts Award are musician Darrell Grant, writer and typographer John Laursen, Toni Pimble of the Eugene Ballet, and the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus.
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