Saturday, February 15, 2025
25.9 F
Pawhuska
HomeCulture'Traveling on Native Lands' brings Native artworks to public spaces

‘Traveling on Native Lands’ brings Native artworks to public spaces

June Carpenter (Shawnee/Osage) “Of the Air”. Location: 145 E. 1st St. Tulsa OK, 74104. Courtesy Photo

Tulsans are getting a daily dose of Native American artwork through a project called Add Space. Created by Tulsa Artist Fellow Richard Zimmerman and made possible by the Tulsa Artist Fellowship, it brings artworks to public spaces traditionally used for advertising.

The fourth iteration of the project is bringing Native American artwork to these public spaces and Zimmerman asked Osage artist Anita Fields to curate.

When asked by Richard Zimmerman to curate a series of his Tulsa Artist Fellowship Add Space series, I immediately imagined filling billboards and bus shelters with art by contemporary Native artists,” Fields said in a statement. “Oklahoma is home to 39 tribes, tribal members from many different Nations reside in the urban landscape of Tulsa, yet our presence remains invisible.”

Fields titled the project, “Traveling on Native Lands,” and enlisted fellow artists Norman Akers (Osage), Ruthe Blalock Jones (Delaware/Shawnee/Peoria), June Carpenter (Shawnee/Osage), and Richard Ray Whitman (Yuchi/Muscogee) to contribute. The project went live on Nov. 15 and runs through Dec. 12.

  


“A large area of Tulsa is located on the land of the Muscogee Nation. Boundaries of Tulsa encompass the lands of the Osage, Cherokee, and Muscogee Nations,” she said. “Traveling On Native Lands reminds viewers who pass by the billboards in their vehicles and wait at bus shelters to board buses as transportation that they are moving through Native land.”

The artists selected provide glimpses into the thoughts, observations, joys, sorrows, and nuances of their respective communities, she said.

“The presented works of the Indigenous artists represent a continuum of refined Indigenous belief systems, social constructs, complex issues faced by Native people, and organized worldviews that challenge a colonial mindset,” Fields said. “Native ways of being reside deep in the hearts and minds of the participating artists. The red earth of Oklahoma holds the memory of our diaspora and arrival into Indian Territory. Our art and stories are pertinent components of our survival; something to consider as you travel the roads past billboards and bus shelters with imagery related to Native people.”

Artwork Locations:



Ruthe Blalock Jones (Delaware/Shawnee/Peoria) “Stomp Dance”

Location: 1311 S. Peoria Ave Tulsa OK, 74120

Ruthe Blalock Jones (Delaware/Shawnee/Peoria) “Shawnee Women at the Ceremonial Grounds, at camp”

Location: 1905 S. Boulder Ave Tulsa OK, 74119

Richard Ray Whitman (Yuchi/Muscogee) “The Presence of your Absence”
Location: 624 E Archer St. Tulsa OK, 74120

Richard Ray Whitman (Yuchi/Muscogee) “Do Indian Artists Go To Santa Fe When They Die?” 
Location: 121 South Lewis Ave. Tulsa OK, 74104


Norman Akers (Osage) “Alien Conquest”
Location: 1429 S Utica Ave Tulsa OK, 74104


June Carpenter (Shawnee/Osage) “Of the Air”
Location: 145 E. 1st St. Tulsa OK, 74104

For more information on “Traveling On Native Lands,” visit addspacetulsa.com


By

Osage News


Original Publish Date: 2021-12-02 00:00:00

Author

  • Osage News Staff

    Stories that are not primarily written by an Osage News staff member will have a “Osage News” byline. These stories include press releases and other community content that was drafted by someone externally but reviewed and approved for publication by Osage News. As an independent news organization, we strive to report news and information with fairness and balance. While being the official news organization of the Osage Nation, we base our news judgements on our loyalties to our readers and Osage citizens, and we are not directly beholden to the Executive, Legislative, or Judicial branches of the Osage Nation.

Get the Osage News by email!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Osage News Staff
Osage News Staffhttps://osagenews.org
Stories that are not primarily written by an Osage News staff member will have a “Osage News” byline. These stories include press releases and other community content that was drafted by someone externally but reviewed and approved for publication by Osage News. As an independent news organization, we strive to report news and information with fairness and balance. While being the official news organization of the Osage Nation, we base our news judgements on our loyalties to our readers and Osage citizens, and we are not directly beholden to the Executive, Legislative, or Judicial branches of the Osage Nation.
RELATED ARTICLES

In Case You Missed it...

Upcoming Events