Claire Heldman (b.1966)
Sun, Night Skies (2008–2020)
Materials & Dimensions: Acrylic on canvas, vintage paint chips (Sun), 48" x 60”
Location at Summa Health: Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower, Akron Campus, sixth floor, east end
Generously donated to the Summa Collection by the artist.
About the Art and Artist
Claire Heldman’s Sun and Night Skies are the first two works in a series exploring the celestial environment through the lens of Native American experience. These large-scale canvases immerse viewers in the vastness of the sky, reflecting Heldman’s ability to translate abstraction into deeply personal and cultural narratives.
Sun was inspired by the artist’s restoration of a Tlingit totem pole in a private collection in northeastern Ohio. In this project, Heldman carefully preserved fragments of the original paint, later embedding them into the luminous surface of Sun. These inclusions evoke the sun’s dynamic energy with its flaring gases and shifting light, while also carrying forward the history and spirit of the totem. The gestural brushwork enhances the painting’s sense of motion, mirroring the ever-changing nature of the sun.
In contrast, Night Skies invites us to gaze upward into the vast expanse of a star-filled sky. The composition, developed over several years, reflects the artist’s search for the precise feeling of lying beneath an endless celestial dome. Using circular brushstrokes to suggest the slow pivot of the night sky, Heldman creates a mesmerizing sense of movement. The inclusion of vintage paint fragments ties this work to Sun, while delicate flicks of silver paint evoke stars, galaxies, and cosmic dust. Both impressionistic and abstract, Night Skies recalls historical depictions of the cosmos, from van Gogh’s Starry Night to the breathtaking imagery of the Webb Telescope, reminding us that the universe can be captured in myriad ways.
Originally, Heldman’s third painting, Moon (2021), completed this celestial series. Though now in a private collection, it once appeared between Sun and Night Skies, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these natural elements. Within Native American traditions, the sun, moon, and stars have long guided agricultural cycles, social customs, and spiritual beliefs. By uniting these celestial forces in contemporary abstraction, Heldman honors the enduring wisdom of her Lakota heritage.
A lifelong resident of Cuyahoga Falls, Heldman, known in Lakota as Oyate Wankan Wiá ("The People See Her Woman"), has been creating art since adolescence.
Influenced by her mother, a skilled bead worker and jeweler, Heldman incorporates natural materials such as horsehair, leather, sinew, and driftwood into her work, blending them with more traditional painting techniques. Her creative process is deeply spiritual, often beginning with prayer and meditation as a means of honoring the materials and their origins.
Heldman’s early career included curatorial work at the Native American Educational and Cultural Center at Crazy Horse Mountain in the Black Hills, deepening her lifelong commitment to preserving and sharing indigenous traditions. Her work, recognized by the Ohio Arts Council in 2004, bridges Native American heritage with contemporary abstraction, fostering a dialogue between ancestral wisdom and modern artistic expression.
Where You Can See More of This Artist’s Work
Heldman’s art has been exhibited nationally for over 30 years, with notable showings in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, and at the Governor’s Residence in Bexley. Her first major exhibition took place at the Canton Museum of Art, and most recently, the University of Akron’s Cummings Center for the History of Psychology featured her work in Lakota Wiá, a tribute to her mother. This exhibition brought together the celestial triptych alongside artifacts celebrating the strength and continuity of Native American culture.