The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 13, 2025
Was Told 12 Times
2022
(Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations, b. 1954)
Sheet: 55.9 x 38.1 cm (22 x 15 in.)
Severance and Greta Millikin Trust 2023.8.4
Location: Not on view
Did You Know?
Edgar Heap of Birds has described the number of prints in this and his other series as being multiples of four in order to honor the Cheyenne ceremonial number.Description
Edgar Heap of Birds is widely recognized as one of the most influential Native American artists working today. Part of the New York art scene of the 1970s, he relocated to tribal land in Oklahoma in 1981 and has worked there since. This series reflects the artist’s interest in using language to reconsider the place of Native identity within contemporary America. Each print features a phrase that reflects the contradiction of dancing—an act that is integral to tribal ritual but also used to symbolize Indigenous people in popular culture.- 2022–23Edgar Heap of Birds [1954-], sold to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OHMarch 6, 2023-The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- {{cite web|title=Was Told 12 Times|url=false|author=Edgar Heap of Birds|year=2022|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2023.8.4