Meet Stella Nall | Multimedia Artist + Poet

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stella Nall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stella, what are you inspired by?
My art is inspired by connection: connection to others, to Earth, to my own identity and to the history of my ancestors. I often incorporate humor into my work because I think laughter is a great way to bring people together. As an artist I am driven by three primary forces: to process my experiences, to connect with others, and to advocate for change.

I am a mixed race Indigenous woman, registered as a First Descendant of the Apsáalooke Tribe. Much of my recent work focuses on current issues pertaining to Indigenous identity, visibility and representation in the arts and otherwise. Some of the imagery that I use is drawn from tradition, and some I developed to speak to my own experiences and the topics that I am discussing. Media is an important aspect of the work I do which centers around Indigeneity. My first exposure to art and making as a child was through my mother’s beadwork, and the stitches, color palette and patterns which she uses, and those of our tribe, often inspire my work today. I combine beadwork with other two dimensional forms of art-making such as printmaking, painting and illustration with the intention of challenging the existing stereotypes and expectations that the viewer may hold regarding what Indigenous art from the United States should look like. I hope to expand the amount of people who are interested in engaging with our traditional art forms by tying them to techniques that they may already be familiar with.

I have also been creating work with the intention of deconstructing some of our policies in hopes of restructuring them to be more inclusive. One of the enrollment policies that I am most interested in changing is the blood quantum, as it has significantly impacted my life. My mother has lineage from multiple tribes and my father is non-Native, so my brother and I are the first generation of my family to be registered as descendants rather than enrolled in our tribe because of this policy. As a descendant I am not allowed to vote on any tribal issues, so I feel that the best way I can share my voice regarding these matters is through my art.

In addition to the work I do on Indigeneity, topics which I have recently focused on include mental illness, emotional processing, love, community, and the environment.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I work primarily in painting, illustration, printmaking, beadwork, ceramics, wood carving, poetry, music, murals, and installation projects which invite public participation. Whenever possible, I use recycled or reclaimed materials to create, with the intention of working sustainably. I graduated from the University of Montana in 2020 with a BFA in printmaking, and have been working as a full time artist since then. I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to do this! I believe the community where I live has encouraged the development of my career, it has been a supportive environment with opportunities to exhibit my work and to create public art projects. However, getting to where I am now has at times been a difficult journey.

I struggle with PTSD and significant bouts of anxiety and depression. I do my best to combat this with therapy, medication, and exercise, but at times it still affects my functioning and ability to create meaningful work. When I initially started working as an artist, I overextended myself and failed to prioritize my mental health. For most of my life, creating art has been one of my primary coping mechanisms, but when it became the source of my income, and when all of the pieces I created were made with the intention to be viewed by others, I started to view it as a stressor. The first time I tried to work full time as an artist, I did not maintain a healthy balance between my work and the rest of my life, and my mental illness became debilitating. I was forced to take a step back and restructure my practice. I learned that too much of something – even something you love – can be unhealthy, and that I need to keep balance between my artwork and my life.

I now schedule my studio time between 9 to 5 each day, and take weekends away from working. I also started setting aside a little time each day to create art with the sole purpose of enjoying the process of making, and processing my emotions. This often comes in the form of large scale abstract paintings, which I started to call “process pieces” . Many of the thematic concerns which I address in my primary work as an artist are emotionally difficult to engage with, so when I work on these abstract pieces concurrently with my other projects, it keeps me from getting too overwhelmed about the issues I think about in the studio and maintain my mental health.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Wahoo, welcome to Missoula, MT!

Favorite coffee and breakfast places:
Clyde Coffee
Butterfly Herbs
Break Espresso
Golden Yolk Griddle

Favorite restaurants for lunch or dinner:
Pagoda
Masala
Michi Ramen Bar
Sakatome
Vietnam Noodle

Art visits:
Radius Gallery
Missoula Art Museum
The Zootown Arts Community Center
Wildfire Ceramic Studio
The Clay Studio of Missoula

Great hikes:
The Rattlesnake
Pattee Canyon
Blue Mountain
The River Trail

Thrifting / Antique Shopping
The Antique Mall
Circle Square
Betty’s Divine
Betty Venom
The Loose Moose

Cute other shops to check out:
The General Public
Showroom

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shout out to Stoney Samsoe (director) and the residency program Open A.I.R., Radius Gallery, The Zootown Community Arts Center, and the University of Montana School of Visual and Media Arts. They have all been incredibly instrumental in the development of my work and the support of my career as an artist.

Website: stellanall.com

Instagram: stella.nall