Contemporary artist, Tracy Thomas, Mohawk Wolf Clan has been doing art since he was in the Onondaga Nation elementary school. He won his first award in third grade and has won many awards since then. His artwork covers a wide range of American Indian subjects from the Haudenosaunee culture to that of Western Indians. Although mainly a portrait artist, Tracy's talent extends to anything cultural that speaks to him. He also has done some contemporary non-cultural work. Tracy was born without any fingers, so he uses both hands to create his art - a minor inconvenience as far as he's concerned.

Tracy's work has been influenced by his growing up in a traditional family. "My Grandfather was a chief, my uncle is a chief, and so I grew up in the Haudenosaunee traditional longhouse way of life. Those teachings are in me and helped me develop a style. I'm trying to educate the outside world that we do have a culture, that we are still here and we like to share our beautiful culture with everybody."

Tracy documents moments and events, which are personal and meaningful to him or that might impact other people's lives. These events have happened or are about to happen, based on Haudenosaunee prophecy or realities. Tracy often includes a message in his art, such as the harmful effects of environmental pollution or his reactions to 9/11. Often his art is accompanied by an article further explaining his thoughts on the subject. "I've written about our Peacemaker and our people - how we strive for peace for everyone all over the world and not just for ourselves. So a lot of my work is message art, because art is a very useful tool and people are visual. Once you see something, it sticks in your mind, and you remember, Oh, I saw that - that meant something to me."

Many of Tracy's drawings are portraits he draws to honor and pay tribute to Haudenosaunee Elders and other American Indians, such as Oren Lyons, Chester Mahooty and Geronimo. One of his drawings depicts a traditional circle of Elders who had been meeting for over thirty years to talk about the prophecies of the indigenous peoples. Tracy sees these Elders as "the Four directions" people, representing wisdom, vision, trust and honesty. They are all passed away now, but the drawing still carries their message.

Tracy curates art shows, coordinates events, illustrates books and shares his own work at the Onondaga Nation. Tracy also features his work at pow-wows and festivals, which he enjoys because he can "meet people and talk about our culture. You get to share different things and see a lot of other people's works, too." Tracy is a personable individual who enjoys speaking with anyone who wants to know more about his artwork or the Haudenosaunee culture.

ARTIST BIO

"Art is a gift from the Creator. There is no better artist than the Creator. For instance, it's just so amazing when I look at Nature and I see all the beautiful colors that are there. I think the majority of the Haudenosaunee think that way. Once we know that we have this gift, we develop it. Later we develop it into our own style since everybody has their own individual talent."

"Another reason I believe my art is a gift is that because I have no fingers, I can't draw with either hand. I have to draw with both of them together. I am not out there to amaze people that I can draw. I just like to do it and I know that I can do it, and so, for me, it would be a waste of this talent not to do it. The Creator puts us on this earth for a purpose and art is one of the purposes I have here. And so, in order for me to convey the message from the Creator to share this art with other people, I do it with my hands and not my teeth or feet, because the Creator gave me these hands for a reason. When people who see my work tell me that even with two hands and ten fingers they are unable to draw, I always tell them "You don't know that. There's some talent hidden in you no matter what. You just have to find it."

STYLE

Tracy considers himself to be a portrait artist, and uses colored pencil, pen ink, felt tip pens, and acrylic paint to make his subjects appear amazingly lifelike. His favorite style is called pointillism, which he learned while studying fine arts at Syracuse University. This is a technique in which tiny dots of different colors are laid down next to each other on a canvas or sheet of paper, to create a blended effect. Tracy likes the pointillism style because it reminds him of beadwork and looks so neat and organized. He has adapted the technique to work with his unique cultural approach to art. Tracy is currently the only Haudenosaunee artist that works in pointillism.

NOTABLE EXHIBITIONS/ARTWORK

Book/Journal/Television Illustrations
1978 "Basic Call to Consciousness", Akwesasne Notes International Journal for Native Peoples, circulation worldwide
1978 10th Anniversary front cover and 1980 front cover summer issue, Akwesasne Notes International Journal for Native Peoples, circulation worldwide
1981 Oren Lyon's "Dog Story"- book, slide and film strip for public schools, Native American Center for the Living Arts - Turtle, Niagara Falls, New York
1982 Front cover, Chief John Big Tree (portrait) Indian Education Program Title IV-A, Public School Paper, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
1982 English Newsletter, University College, Syracuse, New York
1997/98 4 Pictures of Founding of the (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy, Sweden National Television, Sweden
2007 5 Illustrations for "Lacrosse Legends of the First Americans" book by Thomas Vennum; John Hopkins University Press

Calendars
1979 International Calendar, one selection, Akwesasne Notes International Journal for Native Peoples, circulation worldwide
1994 Native American Artists Calendar (one selection), Heritage Printing, Green Bay, Wisconsin
1997 - 1998 Calendar featuring 12 of Tracy Thomas' works, 100 Calendars produced, First Calendar produced by the artist

Exhibitor
1982 Contemporary Art of the Onondaga Reservation", Tyler Art Gallery, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, New York.
1988 One Man Show, Syracuse Savings Bank, Camillus, New York
1993 "Art that Tells the Story." Syracuse Civic Center, Syracuse, New York
1993/94 "Around the Central Fire", Syracuse Civic Central, Syracuse New York
1995 Earth Visions: Arts of the Woodlands Peoples Arts Center, Old Forge, New York
1996 Speaking the Words, Sharing the Vision 1996. A Festival of Iroquois Arts, Hartwick College, Oneonta, New York
1997 "Beginnings" Native Artists Exhibit Buffalo Arts Studio, Buffalo, NY. Carson Waterman, Peter Jameson, Tom Huff, Tracy Thomas
1997 Faces Real and Imagined. Syracuse Cultural Resources Contest, 2 selections, Syracuse New York
2003 "Three Brothers Exhibition" Oren Lyons, Rick Hill and Tracy Thomas. Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York;
2004 at Felpon Gallery, Onondaga Community College, Syracuse New York; and
2006/07 at Folk Art Gallery, Syracuse, New York
2006 Native American Month Exhibition, Upstate Medical Center Library featuring the work of Oren Lyons, Beverly Powless, and Tracy Thomas, Syracuse, New York

Co-Curator/Event Organizer
1994 The Contemporary Arts of the Haudenosaunee Art Exhibit and Sale, JCL Frame Art Gallery, Syracuse, New York.
1997 4th Annual Native American Arts and Crafts Show, Onondaga Nation, New York
1997 "From the Earth" First Native American Arts & Crafts. Onondaga Nation, NY

Logos
1992/93 Logo, poster and button Amnesty International Worldwide for the Year of Indigenous Peoples.
1997 Haudenosaunee Team, North American Indigenous games Victoria, British Columbia for August 3-10, 1997
2006 Haudenosaunee Team, Native American Indigenous Games Denver, Colorado

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS/ARTWORK

In January 2008, Tracy's fine artwork was chosen as the logo and national poster for The Longest Walk, a national event with historic importance which will take place in July of 2008

Tracy has recently created the logo for the Team Haudenosaunee which will compete at the Native American Indigenous Games in July of 2008 in Cowichan, British Columbia

AWARDS

Indian Village, New York State Fair, Syracuse, New York:
1972 First Place and Third Place (2 pieces)
1974 Third Place
1985 First Place and Grand Prize (2 pieces)
1993 Second Place

Lafayette Arts Festival, Lafayette, New York
1973 Third Place Best Indian Art
1975 First Place Best Printing

Syracuse Herald Journal Newspaper, Syracuse Penwomen
1983 First Place
1985 Second Honorable mention
1989 First Place
1991 First Honorable Mention
1992 First place
1993 Honorable Mention

Other Awards
1991 First Selection, WCNY Art Invitational, WCNY the 24 Collection, Everson Museum, Syracuse, New York
1994 First Place, Cinque-Maloney Art Award. Central Adirondack, 42nd Art Show, Art Center, Old Forge, New York