Meet Kellen.

Kellen Trenal creates (he)artwork. Thousands of hours are dedicated to the continued development of his craft. His work is best understood as a meditation, recording thousands of hours of dedicated time to developing his craft. With the use of modern materials, Kellen continues a great legacy of ancestral traditions passed down through the generations.

Featured Press

Let'Er Buck: Happy Canyon Princess

For this 2017 Happy Canyon Princess, the annual Pendleton Round-Up offers her a chance to carry on her family's tradition. Watch as beadwork artist Kellen Lewis uses his creativity to keep tradition alive.

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Stitched In Sovereignty

Stitched in Sovereignty: Contemporary Beadwork from Indigenous North America, curated by Dr. Chelsea Herr, highlights how Indigenous peoples maintain control of their own cultures, social and governing systems, belief and knowledge systems, and relationships with other sovereign groups. Featured artists in the exhibition are Molly Murphy Adams (Lakota descent), Katherine Boyer (Métis), Brit Ellis (Onondaga), Shelby Rowe (Chickasaw), and Kellen Trenal Lewis (Nez Perce).

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Embracing Identity Through Art

Alumnus Kellen Lewis’ heritage is important to him. So important that he’s turned a traditional Native American art form, beadwork, into a meditation on contemporary pop culture. The '09 grad shares how ND taught him "how to be."

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Curator's Sneak Peek of Stitched in Sovereignty

By: Couse Sharp

The exhibition Stitched in Sovereignty at the Couse-Sharp Historic Site in Taos, New Mexico, highlights how Indigenous peoples maintain control of their own cultures

How Notre Dame Empowered Me

By: Notre Dame Admissions

Kellen Lewis ('09) reflects on how the University of Notre Dame prepared him for an unexpected career and how his education empowered him to pursue his many passions.

IndigeSpirit Highlight: Kellen Lewis

By:Kauffman & Associates, Inc.

IndigeSpirit series seeks to lift up our families and communities by shining a light on the strength, persistence, and ancient values that underpin our resilience, to not only survive, but to thrive.