(1943-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Yaqui Amado Maurilio Peña, Jr. was born in Laredo, Texas in 1943. He studied art and education at Texas A & I (now Texas A & M Kingsville), where he received his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees. Art is his first love, and he has been a successful professional artist for more [...]
(1911-1992) Tribal Affiliation: Cheyenne Archie Blackowl was a Cheyenne painter from Oklahoma who played a pivotal role in mid-20th century Native American art. Born in Custer County of Oklahoma, Archie Blackowl ,whose Cheyenne name Mis Ta Moo To Va meant Flying Hawk in English, was a direct descendent of Roman Nose, the celebrated war chief [...]
(1931-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Cherokee Bert Seabourn knew he wanted to be an artist when he was in the first grade. In the eighth grade, he sold his first cartoon to King Features Syndicate. While in high school, he would hop a freight train or hitchhike from Purcell to Oklahoma City to visit the Oklahoma Museum [...]
(1902-1963) Reynolds was born in Oklahoma Territory and attended the University of Oklahoma and Tulsa University. He worked as a bookkeeper, eventually become chief clerk to the Treasurer of Skelly Oil Company, and later became secretary and treasurer of an engineering firm. Reynolds started painting on his own in 1925. He studied briefly at the [...]
(1957-Present) Tribal Affiliation: Hopi As a Hopi artist of the Water Clan, David says he "would like to be thought of as a painter of mythical or spiritual subjects." His magnificent paintings are distinguished by his use of jewel-like colors and Hopi symbolism. David Dawangyumptewa’s path to becoming an artist included stints as a stonemason, [...]
(1970-Present) Pueblo: Taos Pueblo Debbie developed an early interest in photography when her father gave her a Minolta camera when she was a teenager. She never dreamed that her hobby would turn into her life’s passion. Her primary subject is her home of Taos Pueblo. Her aim is to showcase the subtitles and contrasts of [...]
(July 3, 1932- March 5, 1996) Tribal affiliation: Comanche "He touched the world through his music, paintings, dance performances, lectures and prayers." —Comanche Nation (Doc) Joyce Lee Tate Nevaquaya was named for the doctor who delivered him. He was orphaned at the age of 13 and raised by his grandparents and older brother; he spent [...]
(1950-) Tribal Affiliation: Seminole Gary Montgomery was looking towards a career in baseball, until he broke his arm in high school. He subsequently changed his focus towards art, turning toward the naturalistic and representational paintings of "Romantic Realism". Montgomery says, "I paint the omens, legends and truths of the Native American in an environment of [...]
(1879 - 1934) Gerald Ira Diamond Cassidy was born in Covington, Kentucky, he had a successful dual career as both a painter and print maker of Southwest Pueblo Indians. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and his early art talent allowed him to be accepted for study with Frank Duveneck at the Cincinnati Art Academy. [...]
(1914-2012) Tribal affiliation: Navajo Haskay Yahne Yah - The Wandering Boy Harrison Begay to his knowledge was born in 1914 approximately fourteen miles west of present-day Greasewood, Arizona on the Diné (Navajo) Reservation at a place known as Whitecone. His date of birth is often cited as a few years later, however, there are no [...]
(1941 - 1967) Tribal Affiliation: Creek Seminole Jerome Tiger’s legacy has been a body of exquisite art work, which for its time, revolutionized American Indian art. The success and genius of Tiger's art can be attributed to what was called the Tiger style--a unique combination of spiritual vision, humane understanding, and technical virtuosity. Although his [...]
(?-Present) Karl W. Hoffman was born in Frankfort, Germany, and raised on Cape Cod, with a longing to go west. After breaking his neck horseback riding, Karl had to give up a promising career in professional skiing. While recuperating, he took up silver smithing as an apprentice to Bernard Kelly and then studied the construction [...]
(1946 – Present) Michael Atkinson is a contemporary landscape artist with strong ties to the wide open spaces of Texas and the American southwest. From his Smoky Ridge studio in Texas, Atkinson seeks to “capture the emotion, be it subtle or exaggerated,” of an image. This pursuit of an image has been in evolution since [...]
