 – North Dakota artists Rick and Connie Whittier, known nationally for their hand-carved and painted spearfish decoys, will be featured in a landmark exhibition titled “State Fairs:…){kind=link}
LIDGERWOOD, ND (PNAN) – North Dakota artists Rick and Connie Whittier, known nationally for their hand-carved and painted spearfish decoys, will be featured in a landmark exhibition titled “State Fairs: Growing American Craft” at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s branch location for contemporary craft in Washington, D.C. The exhibition will be on view August 22, 2025 through September 7, 2026.
Coinciding with the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States, the exhibition surveys American state fairs’ extraordinary and unconventional crafts from the nineteenth century to the present. The Whittiers were selected to represent North Dakota for their masterful artistry and deep-rooted connection to regional traditions of fishing and woodcarving.
The exhibition will feature a sweeping installation of 108 spearfish decoys created by the Whittiers, including small, medium, and large carvings of 12 fish species native to North Dakota and surrounding waters. Their intricate representations include bluegill, pumpkinseed, walleye, northern pike, paddlefish, white sturgeon, rainbow trout, and more—each rendered with extraordinary detail and craftsmanship.
“Rick, along with his wife Connie who works alongside him, are among the nation’s most talented, prodigious, and recognized figures in one of the oldest folk traditions in the country – spearfish decoy carving and painting with roots at least 3,000 years old,” said North Dakota State Folklorist Troyd Geist. “With their work sought after for individual collections around the world and featured in esteemed organizations like the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and, now, the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery – we are deeply grateful for their dedication and contributions to our state, country, and this long-held tradition.”
The Whittiers will visit Washington, D.C. in 2026 to lead public presentations and hands-on workshops, sharing their process and passion with museum visitors from around the world. This opportunity places the Whittiers’ work—and North Dakota folk art—on the national stage in one of the country’s most prominent art institutions.