Bartow's "Snake Dance" exhibit

Drawing Myself Straight

By Vincent FergusonIt’s his recovery from Bartows recent illness that he found the inspiration for the current show Snake Dance–at the Froelick Gallery in the Pearl District, Portland, OR, ongoing through September 26th–with a climax being an artist’s walk through on September 19th, and collaborating performance with Portland Taiko on September 19th & 20th. Portland Taiko will perform while wearing wooden masks created and made by Bartow.

But the inspiration for the Snake Dance show also comes from the native Hopi Dance. Bartow counts himself as a descendant from the Mad River Band of the Wiyot Tribe in the Humboldt Bay area in Northern California before his family, a couple generations back, moved to the Oregon Coast where Bartow currently calls home. Analogously, Bartow refers to the snakes in the Snake Dance as human problems, and dancing with them allows us to embrace those problems, putting us on the path toward recovery. Bartow first embraced his health problems, and then used his talents to create art allowing his recovery to happen naturally.Comment:  I'm not sure being descended from a different tribe gives Bartow any right to interpret the Hopi's sacred Snake Dance. But I'm not sure the Hopi would disagree with his interpretation of their dance either.

Below:  Bartow's drawing "What the Snake Told the Magician."