Woody Crumbo Serigraph “Deer Dancer” — Original Screenprint (1952)

An original serigraph by Woody Crumbo (1912–1989), titled Deer Dancer (1952). The work depicts a ceremonial dancer wearing a dramatic deer headdress with antlers, accented by elaborate feathered and beaded regalia. Rendered in earthy ochres, grays, reds, and turquoise, Crumbo’s stylized forms capture both movement and spiritual intensity. The artist’s name “Crumbo” is printed within the screen at the lower right.

Crumbo’s dancer imagery remains among his most admired works, reflecting his background as both a Native dancer and an artist. Through silkscreen, he recorded and celebrated ceremonial traditions with bold modernist aesthetics. Deer Dancer exemplifies this synthesis and is part of his iconic 1952 series of dancer serigraphs, which also includes Eagle Dancer, Buffalo Dancer, and Scalp Dancer.

Condition:

Good overall condition. No damage noted; colors remain vivid and sharp. Presented matted and framed behind glass; frame shows light wear consistent with age.

Dimensions:

Overall (frame): 17 x 15 inches
Visible image: 11 x 9 inches

Artist Biography: Woody Crumbo (1912–1989)

Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Crumbo was a Potawatomi artist, dancer, and cultural ambassador whose career spanned painting, printmaking, music, and museum curation. Raised among Potawatomi, Creek, and Sioux families, he studied at the University of Oklahoma under Oscar Jacobson, later directing the art program at Bacone College and serving as curator at both the Gilcrease Museum and the El Paso Museum of Art.

Crumbo pioneered silkscreen printing for Native artists, creating luminous images that introduced Native ceremonial and wildlife subjects to wider audiences. His works are represented in the Smithsonian, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Gilcrease Museum. The 1952 Deer Dancer remains one of his most enduring ceremonial images, affirming his place as a leading figure in 20th-century Native American art.