Born in 1984, April Holder of Shawnee, Oklahoma, was raised in an environment of creativity where she learned an appreciation for art in all forms from modern painting to traditional song. The influence of her mother’s beadwork, her uncle’s draftsmanship and the many traditional talents of her grandmother, aunts and uncles helped to shape Holder’s unique view of the world. She attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she earned her Bachelor’s of Fine Art in 2008. Holder has exhibited in many distinguished art shows throughout the United States, such as the Red Cloud Heritage Center Show and the Yellow Stone Museum’s 50th anniversary exhibit, FACE TO FACE; she has recently created work for the IMAGO MUNDI collection in Treviso, Italy. Holder has won several awards for her work, most recently receiving the award for best representation of a native woman at the Red Cloud Heritage Center.