Wildlife Artist Dawn Senior-Trask of Moonhorse Art Studio
1-307-327-5381

bronze plaques

The Arapaho Dancer - Native American-inspired bronze plaque

Dawn Senior-Trask, of Moonhorse Art Studio, has a unique way of looking at the memories and culture of the West. Her artwork, especially her bronze plaques, are a unique way of looking at the memories and culture of the West -- memories and reflections of the lifestyles this western artist has experienced during the many years she has lived in a log cabin near Saratoga, Wyoming.

As evidenced in her bronze plaques, Dawn is greatly influenced by Native American myths. She lived among the Navaho and Hopi on the Arizona deserts for five years as a teenager, and has also spent time on the Rosebud and Wind River Reservations with the Lakota, and Arapaho tribes. Native American legends and Native American myths are a great inspiration on her artwork, especially her oil paintings.

Contact us to order this Native American-inspired bronze plaque.

The Arapaho Dancer - Native American-inspired bronze plaque

Dawn's Native American-inspired bronze panel illustrates the impact of Native American legend and Native American myth on her artwork.

Size:
Price Unmounted: $628
Price Mounted: $660
Price Mounted & Framed: $695
Shipping:

* Bronze plaques are not kept in stock, but are cast as they are ordered.  Because of the long-wax process that involves many steps, the wait for bronze plaques may be several months. Please contact us for more information.

More information about this bronze plaque below.

One summer, artist Dawn Senior-Trask went with friends, her brother and 9-year-old nephew to the Arapaho Language Camp. Here, in the shade of cottonwoods on the banks of the Little Wind River, everyone camped in teepees for a week, and the elders of the tribe worked with children of all ages, teaching them the Arapaho language and many traditional stories, songs, crafts and skills.

Late one afternoon, a pickup truck pulled up, crowded with men and a large drum. “The singers!” shouted the kids, who ran to gather around the men as they placed the drum under a tree on the edge of the clearing and took their places around it. The singers gave drumsticks to several boys so they could learn the songs. A thrilling rhythm of drumbeats and chant reverberated through the trees.

Contact us to order this Native American-inspired bronze plaque.

The elders and children circled together in a round dance. The songs and dances changed, gathered excitement, power and speed. Dawn’s attention focused on a boy, age 10 or 11, with long braids. (She knows his name, but out of respect for traditional privacy values, doesn’t mention it.) While the drumbeats thundered, accompanied by the high, quick lightning of the singers, the boy whirled and spun and dropped to his knees to spring back up. He crouch-stepped and spun, spun, trying to execute the most intricate steps he could think of. But, he tried so hard that he sometimes stumbled or gave an impression of sloppiness. He didn’t appear to notice how the elders danced, like eagles conquering subtle winds, like hunters stalking prey without snapping a twig, proudly moving with taut, precise purpose. The boy whirled so fast, he could only have seen the blurred ground under his feet. When a rattling drumbeat ended the song, his limbs buckled as he laughingly dove for the ground under a cottonwood and sat wiping the sweat off his face with his arm..

A few weeks later, when Dawn went with friends to the last powwow of the season, she was delighted to see the boy again, this time in full regalia, dancing under the stars. Somehow, in just a few weeks, he had honed his skill, and while he danced with undiminished flare and enthusiasm, he’d gained more precision and grace. Dawn memorized the colors and details of his outfit, and later sketched him in her journal.

If you would like more information on our artwork or would like to place an order, email Moonhorse Art Studio or call us 307.327.5381. We look forward to hearing from you!