“As We Gather: Plants and Foods of our Land”
Chickasaw Country to Exhibit “As We Gather: Plants and Foods of our Land”
“As We Gather: Plants and Foods of our Land” will be Highlighted at Exhibit C Gallery Beginning March 1
OKLAHOMA CITY (January 18, 2022) —Beginning this March, the exhibit, “As We Gather: Plants and Foods of our Land,” will explore the unique heritage of five First American artists at Oklahoma City’s Exhibit C Gallery.
Exhibiting work influenced by the artists’ personal histories, the exhibition will feature Brent Greenwood, Johnnie Lee Diacon, Norma Howard, Risi Thelander and Rose Drake.
Paige Williams Shepherd, Chickasaw Nation’s director of corporate development and tourism states, “This exhibit highlights how the different experiences of many First Americans has influenced each member, art and artistry.”
“As We Gather: Plants and Foods of our Land” will display dynamic and vibrant works of art from several different mediums at Exhibit C Gallery from March 1 through June 30, 2022. Media assets are available here. For more information about the artists or other art at Exhibit C Gallery, visit www.exhibitcgallery.com.
Brent Greenwood gets his art inspiration from a variety of art and artists throughout the years. Those influences have helped shape his perspective as a Chickasaw/Ponca artist today. Greenwood is concerned with the connectedness at the core of his creative endeavors. As he works on his Chickasaw-inspired art, he enjoys letting the southeastern Mississippian elements of design and subject matter guide him. The drum and the spirit of his culture are as much a part of that as is the art.
Johnnie Lee Diacon was adopted at an early age after the passing of his mother. His adopted father, a sign painter and graphic artist, introduced art to young Johnnie. Next came traditional First American paintings, which he learned about through the art displayed at his eye doctor. Familiarizing himself with flat-style paintings, Johnnie practiced this genre throughout his education and career. His style has since been rendered in acrylic on stretched canvas. And following a 14-year hiatus from art to grieve and process the loss of his children, Johnnie returned to painting with his most recent accomplishment - a 4” x 24” mural of the Trail of Tears. His work was unveiled in 2021 at the Museum of Native American History in Bentonville, Arkansas
Norma Howard is a member of the Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes. Howard is a watercolor artist with a truly engaging style. She starts with an underpainting and builds layer upon layer of color to create depth that brings realism to her work. Deeply rooted in her native customs and community, Norma’s art portrays her unique style inspired by her ancestors. She portrays her art with details of the past and present. Furthermore, Norma’s self-taught style has earned her awards for her uniquely developed basket weave stroke.
Risi Thelander is a Cherokee basket weaver who began her craft after the loss of her young son and used this medium of art as a catalyst to honor his memory. Her journey began with the creation of a ten-color tribute basket, which received an honorable mention in the 2010 Cherokee Homecoming Art Show. Her unique style requires a mix of traditional basket weaving and vibrant colors with a mission to keep the tradition of First American basket weaving alive for future generations. Risi shares her talent with children and adults, teaching them the art of her people.
Rose Drake is an award-winning, self-taught Cherokee basket weaver and has dedicated herself to researching historic and prehistoric baskets of the Southeastern tribes. Her research has been a journey, taking her across the United States and to England. The oldest basket remnants that Drake has examined are the Salt’s Cave fragments from Mammoth Cave National Park. Inspired by the opportunity to assess this relic, Drake created baskets that are currently on display at the Spiro Mound Museum in Spiro, Oklahoma and Mammoth Cave National Park in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. These baskets are used as firsthand educational tools for the public.