Penni Anne Cross lived on the
Crow Indian Reservation in Montana for many years. Her closeness with
the families there, led to her adoption as a daughter of one of the
families, and eventually into formally being accepted into the Crow
Nation as a member. Her experiences, while living and working among
the Indians, inspired her to specialize in painting Crow Indian
subjects. Through her delicate paintings, Penni interprets their
special character and customs. She captures their pensive beauty in
vibrant portraits which have received national recognition and have
established her as a premier Indian artist.
When questioned about her tendency to paint only the women and young Indian girls, Penni responds with the following statements; "Basically, the Native American Indian society is purely matriarchal in structure, nature, and essence. The lives of the Indian, in general, are governed by the women. To capture and create through artistic form the Indian woman's strength, beauty, and peace has not only been a warm and rewarding experience but it has also served to remind me of the total fulfillment I can realize in having been created to become the blessing of a woman. It has been a privilege and infinite honor to know the Indian women who have inhabited my daily life, but even more so, because of their willingness to allow me to capture and share the world that I see and feel in them. For this, I am a better person having known, loved, and lived with them."