“Heartwork: Artistry by Modern First American Women”
Chickasaw Country to Debut New Art Installation on July 1
“Heartwork: Artistry by Modern First American Women”
Showcases Four Female Artists from Different Tribes
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK-- (June 1, 2022) -- “Heartwork Artistry by Modern First American Women” will open July 1 at Oklahoma City’s Exhibit C Gallery. The exhibit, which will continue through October 31, 2022, showcases four First American female artists from various tribes.
The artists, all Sooner State natives, include Natalie Miller, Amber L. DuBoise-Shepherd, Joyce Nevequaya-Harris and Danielle Fixico.
“These four women are incredibly talented,” said Paige Williams Shepherd, director of corporate development and tourism for the Chickasaw Nation, “This particular exhibit highlights the strengths and talents of First American female artists, which is evidenced through their work and artistic expression.”
Chickasaw and Muscogee artist Danielle Fixico hails from eastern Oklahoma and is currently a second year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) candidate in painting at the University of Oklahoma where she also earned her B.A. in Native American Studies. Danielle's paintings are a combination of symbols and materials from her southeastern heritage with her work aiming to raise awareness on women’s issues in First American communities.
Joyce Nevaquaya-Harris, a descendant of the Chickasaw and Crow Nations, Joyce comes from the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma. As a young girl she was surrounded by art and artists including her father, the late Doc Tate Nevaquaya, a self-taught artist and native flute revivalist. Joyce often thinks of her dad when immersed in her art and is drawn to the use of color often painting subjects and designs on a single canvas.
Best known for her work with acrylics, Natalie Miller’s vibrant use of color on canvas explores linear abstractions, bold color combinations and a playful colliding of geometric forms. An alumna of Oklahoma Chrisitan University, Natalie’s innate ability to manage color tone stems from more than a decade of working professionally in graphic and textile design. Her visual journey connects her past with her present drawing from both early and contemporary textiles, such as ribbon skirts, and is inspired by her natural attraction to saturated colors.
Depicting experiences from her daily life, Amber L. DuBoise-Shepherd's drawings and paintings are her interpretation of the world around her as seen through the lens of her strong First American heritage and traditions. With a blend of different First American cultures, including Navajo, Sac and Fox and Prairie Band Potawatomi, her parents taught Amber and her siblings the family’s tribal cultures and spiritual ways which she now draws from in her art using oils as well as pen and ink to bridge traditional First American subjects with contemporary styles. Amber is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and has been accepted into the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition where she was Spotlight Arist in 2021.
“Heartwork Artistry by Modern First American Women” opens July 1 at Exhibit C Gallery, the Bricktown district’s newest art and retail space where visitors can explore a diversity of arts and culture from First American artists along with Chickasaw cultural educational items. The gallery, located at 1 E. Sheridan in Oklahoma City and open daily from 9am-6pm, unveils new exhibits each quarter. For more information, call 405.767.8900 or visit online at exhibitcgallery.com