Jim Denomie

Practically hidden away across from the Law Warschaw Gallery at Macalester College, you'll find three paintings by this Minnesota artist known for his depictions of Native Americans. Denomie, a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe in Wisconsin, is inspired by the clash of cultures and historical events. In these 2012-13 paintings, he employs dark humor and a bright color palette to illustrate some dour happenings. "Death by Misadventure" paints a grim yet honest scene of a wild-haired, Custer-looking dude holding up an American flag, speeding away in a go-cart as he's pursued by two Native Americans on horseback. They're chasing him out of town, but with the White House in the background it's obvious he'll be back. (7 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-1:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Av., St. Paul. macalester.edu/gallery)

ALICIA ELER