Larry Littlebird
Santo Domingo-Laguna painter and filmmaker (1941–2025)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lawrence A. Bird or Larry Littlebird (June 6, 1941 – September 15, 2025)[1] was an American Kewa Pueblo/Laguna Pueblo painter, filmmaker, actor and writer from Santo Domingo, New Mexico.[2][3] He utilized ink and tempera in his works, which often display a loose, abstracted style. Littlebird exhibited his artwork across the country[4][5] and had works in the public collections of several institutions including the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.[6]
June 6, 1941
Larry Littlebird | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lawrence A. Bird June 6, 1941 |
| Died | September 15, 2025 (aged 84) |
| Citizenship | Kewa Pueblo, Laguna Pueblo, American |
Littlebird first attended the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) for design in 1963.[7] He worked for a time at the Museum of New Mexico[2] and was the recipient of an Interior Design (magazine) Award for Painting.[3] In 1971, a critic called Littlebird's painting "Son Returning Home" "one of the finest combinations of contemporary art and Indian heritage," saying the painting displayed "great grace and power."[8]
Littlebird returned to the IAIA in the 1980s as an instructor. He later began working in the performing arts as a filmmaker, producer, writer and actor, and was one of the first Native American artists to create films about Native people.[7]
