HOME ON THE RANGE
Collectors can observe as artists create new works in an exhibition at Exhibit C Gallery.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
Steeped in history and culture, Exhibit C Native Gallery & Gifts continues to examine the narrative between artist and land. More specifically, 20 Native American artists have been asked by the gallery to “create their own rendition of what the buffalo means to their Native tribe.”
Gallery visitors can expect a similar setup from last year’s show Blazing a Trail, that invites the viewer to enjoy the artwork as it’s produced. This means the artists, over the course of the exhibit dates, will be actively painting in a demo-style format. This makes for a rewarding, interactive experience.
This year will celebrate the symbolic relationship the artist has with the buffalo. “Our participating artists understand and recognize what the buffalo meant and continues to mean to their respective tribes,” says gallery manager Tom Farris.
Inspiration is at the top of the agenda for the show, which is poignantly titled Home on the Range. There is
deep symbolism with the buffalo, as the animal “was used for almost everything in daily Native American life, such as clothing, food, shelter and tools,” says Paige Williams Shepherd, Chickasaw Nation director of corporate development and tourism.
Farris elaborates, “This exhibit will capture that esteemed admiration through each artists’ eyes, as they create their rendition of the buffalo through their preferred medium.” This is true for artist Nocona Burgess, who finds his inspiration through Native history, stories and people. This also includes animals. He explains, “The animals are from our Native stories and why they are important to us even in this modern and technologically advanced world.”
The theme takes on a different meaning to artist Jennifer White, who discusses the irony of the show and the popular song by the same title. She furthers, “Home on the Range is conceptually a non-native phrase, and the notion as a whole is quite upsetting. Our unwritten and stolen history as Indigenous people is as unwelcome to speak of as dirty family secrets at a reunion. The name of the show is an opportunity for me as an artist to take my culture back.”
White will be including a piece titled Brothers, depicting three large creatures that appear on the landscape like ghosts in the wind. White explains, “Their skulls and horns bold with color are a reminder we were always here and will never go away. Even in death we remain… the brothers forge on, fearless in their pursuit of happiness.”
Other works for the show will encompass quite the eclectic range of medium and style, while also
observing the diverse Native backgrounds. Rhonda Williams, the great granddaughter of the last hereditary Otoe Missouria, will be showcasing her talents with mixed media. Artist Billy Hensley uses acrylic paint and striping techniques to honor his Chickasaw culture and Dylan Cavin, a member of the Choctaw Nation, uses ink and watercolor illustrations over historic paper documents.
The show will be available for viewing starting March 1 and runs through June 30, while artists demo on a daily basis. The gallery encourages visitors to engage with the artists during the artist reception, open to the public from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 8.
Exhibit C Native Gallery & Gifts Through June 30, 2020 1 East Sheridan, Suite 100 Oklahoma City, OK 73104, (405) 767-8900 www.exhibitcgallery.com