(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 of Art. Seabourn joined the Navy during the Korean War. The Navy put him to work as an illustrator, although he lacked art training,

As Seabourn began to explore his Indian heritage & incorporate it in his art, he became best known for combining images of birds & animals with the face of an old wise medicine man, the keeper of the culture for all Indian tribes. Through his paintings, Seabourn endeavors to show the feelings and the compassion for a way of life which once was, but will never be again.

He studied art at Oklahoma City University, the University of Oklahoma and with the Famous Artists Correspondence Art School. After working at a variety of jobs, including journalist, publicity and advertising director, commercial artist, draftsman, free-lance artist & sculptor, Seabourn became a full-time painter working in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pen & ink, & prints. Seabourn has exhibited extensively winning numerous awards. He currently resides in Oklahoma City, OK.

(?-Present)                                                   
Tribal Affiliation: Cherokee

Her passion for art began at an early age.  Throughout her life she has explored many types of creative expression, but since her introduction in 2013 she has committed her time exclusively to creating works of pottery.

Using techniques inspired by the tradition of her Cherokee ancestors, she honors those that came before her in the tribe.  Karin’s growth in her chosen medium has evolved into a style that employs a mixture of tradition blended with a contemporary feel.  She humbly appreciates the incredible support she continues to receive from her friends in the Native American art community.

Karin entered her first art show in 2014, the “Trail of Tears Art Show” hosted by the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah, OK.  She was very surprised to receive three awards.  The validation these accolades provide served to increase her desire to continue to gain knowledge and refine her skills. Karin has won numerous awards since, including a 2016 Judge’s Award at the Heard Indian Show and Market in Phoenix

(?-Present)
Tribal Affiliation: Cherokee

Lisa Rutherford (Cherokee Nation) lives on a cattle ranch in Cherokee County, and worked in Cherokee Nation’s tribal administration office for many years before becoming a full-time artist. She is a living history interpreter and has demonstrated cultural arts of the 18th century at many venues, including Colonial Williamsburg, VA, the National Museum of the American Indian, and Diligwa Village (ca. 1710) at Cherokee Heritage Center, and George M. Murrell Historic Site (ca. 1850).  In 2005, she began working in clay, making ancestral style pottery with hand-dug clay and fired in a pit. She also makes contemporary pottery and is an award-winning sculptor as well.

Rutherford is also known for her textile work, including southeast applique beadwork, feather capes and mantles.  For her living history interpretation, she demonstrates many art forms and makes her own clothing, moccasins, jewelry and accessories. She also makes shell jewelry from the pink freshwater mussel known locally as the Wilma Mankiller Pearl.

Her work is in the collections of the Smithsonian Museum’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art, and the Fred Jones, Jr. Museum at the University of Oklahoma.

(1948- Present)                                                  
Tribal Affiliation: Cherokee

Troy Anderson is a Master Artist of the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, a title which he quite deserves.  Seen as an early leader in the development of western and southwestern art, Troy has been featured in many magazines including Southwest Art Magazine.

Working primarily in acrylic, he is equally adept in graphics, sculpture, watercolor and pastel.  His images are both beautiful and sensitive with subjects ranging from western to wildlife, Native American and Southwest.

Troy has two distinctive styles of painting. One is a more traditional use of the medium in which he has done many pieces depicting the Trail of Tears. Also in this style, he does beautiful portrait pieces, which incorporate his love of wildlife and each piece tells its own haunting tale of Indian legend.  The second style is a build-up of acrylic in a form, which Troy calls Dimensional Images. These paintings are like looking at clouds, at first you see the main central images and after looking more closely you discover the smaller details that have been worked into the work. From faces to a variety of animals, these creations are full of life and draw the viewer into the work.

He is a popular advisor, juror and consultant to galleries, collectors, and museums.  Anderson’s reputation, honors and vast awards from Museums, Art Competitions and shows, such as the  Five Civilized Tribes, Cherokee Heritage Museum, Cherokee Nation, Red Earth, The Heard Museum, The Southwest Indian Market in Santa Fe, and State of Arkansas testify the regard the public has for his art. He is both an author and illustrator and his original artwork is exhibited in galleries and museums throughout North America and Europe.