Weekend Warmup for June 18-20, 2010
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly over the 2008 Star Spangled Salute at Tinker Air Force Base. (Photo by Paul Hellstern/The Oklahoman Archives)
Here is a list of events happening around Oklahoma this weekend (June 18-20), which includes Father’s Day on Sunday. For more activities, go to www.wimgo.com.
- See the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and other thrilling aerial and static displays, live music and more at the free Star Spangled Salute Air Show Saturday and Sunday at Tinker Air Force Base. Gates open at 9 a.m. both days. Information: www.aerospaceokc.com.
- Kick-off your summer at “Hootenanny at the Harn” from 5:30 to 10:30 tonight at Harn Homestead, 1721 N Lincoln Blvd. The musical event under the stars will feature performances by the Stringents and Reverb Brothers, food from Rococo’s and Deep Fork Grill, and games for the kids. Information: www.harnhomestead.com.
- Recognize the state’s diverse culture heritage with live music, traditional dance, craft demonstrations and more at the free Oklahoma Folklife Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive. Information: 522-5207 or www.okhistory.org.
Drive-By Truckers
- TULSA – Hear Drive-By Truckers with Mayola at 7 p.m. Saturday at Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N Main. Information: www.cainsballroom.com.
- CONCHO — Hear Morris Day and The Time at 8 tonight at Lucky Star Casino, 7777 N U.S. 81, El Reno. Information: 262-7612 or www.luckystarcasino.org.
- BARTLESVILLE — Celebrate the music of Mozart at the OK Mozart Festival today and Saturday. The 26th annual festival will close at 8 p.m. Saturday at Bartlesville Community Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd., with “An Evening of Gershwin,” featuring the Amici New York Orchestra performing “American in Paris,” “Rhapsody in Blue” and more. Information: (918) 336-9800 or www.okmozart.com.
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is one of the many metro area attractions offering free admission to dads Sunday for Father's Day. (Photo by Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman Archives)
- Take Dad to the Oklahoma City Zoo, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, American Banjo Museum, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman or another attraction offering free admission for dads Sunday, which is Father’s Day. Information: www.wimgo.com, search “Father’s Day.”
- Celebrate American Indian culture at the 24th annual Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival today-Sunday at the Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City. Information: 427-5228 or www.redearth.org.
-Watch Jewel Box Theatre’s production of “Annie” at 8:30 tonight and Saturday at the Jewel Box’s outdoor amphitheatre, 3700 N Walker. Information: www.jewelboxtheatre.org.
- NORMAN – Watch the 1955 Rodgers and Hammerstein movie musical “Oklahoma!” for free Saturday evening on the giant video screen at OU’s Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, 180 W Brooks. Gates 1, 5, 7 and 11 will open at 5 p.m., with pre-movie programming scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. followed by the movie at 6:30 p.m. Patrons may sit in the stands or bring a blanket and sit on the Owen Field turf. No lawn chairs or other types of seating will be permitted on the field. Information: www.wimgo.com.
- NORMAN – Take your kids, along with their pillows and sleeping bags, to the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History tonight for the monthly Movie Night at the Museum. This month’s movie will be “Alice in Wonderland.” People can come dressed as their favorite “Alice” character for the Mad Mad Costume Contest; winners will be chosen by audience response at 8:15 p.m. Museum galleries are open from 7 to 8:30 tonight, and the movie begins at 8:30. The museum is at 2401 Chautauqua Ave. on the University of Oklahoma campus.
- TULSA – See the new exhibit “To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum,” opening Sunday at the Philbrook Museum of Art, 727 S Rockford Road. Information: www.philbrook.org.
- NORMAN – See the premiere of Oklahoma filmmaker Mickey Reece’s mockumentary “Country Singer” at 9 p.m. Saturday at The Opolis, 113 N Crawford. The event will feature performances by Ali Harter, Kenny Wayne and Roy Mason. To read my colleague Nathan Poppe’s story on the film, click here. Information: www.starlightmints.com/opolis.html.
- Hear Austin, Texas, guitarist/singer/songwriter Ian Moore at 9:30 tonight at VZD’s, 4203 N Western. Information: www.vzds.com.
- NORMAN — Listen to Grammy-winning country star Ronnie Milsap at 8 p.m. at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9. Information: 322-6464 or www.riverwind.com.
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Red Earth Honored One dedicated to preserving tribal culture
Gordon Yellowman Sr. has been named the 2010 Red Earth Honored One.
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Red Earth Honored One dedicated to preserving tribal culture
Gordon Yellowman Sr. becomes the fifth Cheyenne & Arapaho artist to be named the Honored One.
Growing up, Gordon Yellowman Sr. always knew what he was getting in his Christmas presents.
“Every Christmas, I’d get art supplies. I never got toys. I already knew what I’d get for Christmas. Later on, you know, it was ‘Why don’t I get toys?’ And it was my parents’ way to … support my art. Today, I thank them for it because if it wasn’t for that, I probably wouldn’t have pursued my art,” he said.
"Cheyenne Warrior" by Gordon Yellowman
A member of the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, Yellowman, 52, of El Reno, will be recognized as the 2010 Red Earth Festival Honored One this weekend during the 24th annual Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival at the Cox Convention Center.
Each year, the Red Earth board of directors selects an American Indian master visual artist as the Honored One based on nominations from fellow artists. Past recipients include such acclaimed artists as Allan Houser, Mike Larsen and Doc Tate Nevaquaya.
“Gordon is an outstanding artist, citizen, and an Oklahoma role model for all people,” Mary Jo Watson, director of the University of Oklahoma’s School of Art and Art History, wrote in nominating Yellowman. “One of the most important aspects of his life is his service to his tribe and the greater Oklahoma Indian community.”
His late father, Everett H. Yellowman, was principal chief of the traditional peacemakers of the Cheyenne known as the Council of Forty-Four. At age 16, the younger Yellowman was named a Cheyenne Peace Chief. He now serves as one of the four principal chiefs of his tribe.
He becomes the fifth Cheyenne & Arapaho Honored One, following Archie Blackowl, Dick West, Charles Pratt and Harvey Pratt. Yellowman remembers West visiting his father and going over his paintings to get the accurate history and stories behind what he was depicting in his work.
“I think of those gentlemen of caliber as artists who were extraordinary and made many contributions not only to the state of Oklahoma but to this world as well with their art. … Those men were true artists, true masters, and for me to be recognized with their name is certainly an honor,” Yellowman said.
“The gift that we have as artists, we share that through education and we share that through our media and our form of art. Not only are we sharing it, we’re preserving true stories of the cultural ways of our lives.”
Preserving his heritage is a driving passion in Yellowman’s life. He works as the language coordinator for Cheyenne & Arapaho education department, helping teach the tribal language through children’s programs and college courses. He teaches as an adjunct professor in the art department at the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal College at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. He also is working on a bachelor’s degree in art history through OU’s Native American Studies program.
“You can’t have language without culture, you can’t have art without culture, you can’t have traditions without culture. The art is a very
"Cheyenne Women" by Gordon Yellowman
significant part of the culture, and through that, it’s evolving into the whole representation of the people, of the nation. That art reflects the beauty of that nation,” Yellowman said.
As an artist, he depicts traditional Cheyenne scenes in a flat ledger art style, so called because ledger books were a common source of paper for Plains Indian artists in the 19th century. But he incorporates modern hues of teal, purple and pink into his work.
“My art I think is very unique because I do a lot of research. I research Cheyenne ledger art and Arapaho ledger art because I know that back then, those artists were actually developing Polaroids of what was happening at that time period, from about the late 1870s on to the 1900s,” he said. “I incorporate the old-style ledger art into the contemporary style that I use, and I create my own ledger style. … I appreciate the colors that we have now because colors are a representation of our culture, our ways of life.”
Red Earth President Jonna Kauger Kirschner said Yellowman’s great artistic talent and dedication to mentoring other artists makes him a wonderful selection as Honored One
“He brings the tradition and the contemporary together. We sometimes have a stereotypical image of what Native American art is. Yes, while it may have started out as flat and more into ledger drawings, I think Gordon shows how you take that traditional art and you bring it into a contemporary visual image. He’s just very talented,” she said.
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Red Earth Festival 2010 schedule
A dancer competes in the 2009 Red Earth Festival. (Photo by Ashley McKee/The Oklahoman Archives)
Red Earth Festival 2010 schedule
Today
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Dancer registration, south lobby, Cox Convention Center.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: 5K Run and 2K Fun Walk pre-registration, south lobby.
10 a.m.: Parade, downtown Oklahoma City.
11 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Art Market, Native Exchange Market, Youth Art, children’s activities, cultural performance stage open, Exhibit Halls 2 and 3, Cox Convention Center.
Noon: Grand Entry of Dancers and Ambassador of the Year presentation, Cox arena.
1 to 5 p.m.: Dance competition, arena.
5 to 7 p.m.: Gourd dance, arena.
7 p.m.: Grand Entry of Dancers, arena.
8 to 10 p.m.: Dance competition, arena.
Saturday
6:30 a.m.: Registration for 5K Run and 2K Fun Walk, Regatta Park.
7 a.m. Start 5K Run and 2K Fun Walk, Regatta Park.
10 a.m. to noon: Dancer registration, south entrance lobby, Cox Convention Center.
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Art Market, Native Exchange Market, Youth Art, children’s activities, cultural performance stage open, Exhibit Halls 2 and 3, Cox Convention Center.
Noon: Grand Entry of Dancers, Cox arena.
1 to 5 p.m.: Dance competition, arena.
5 to 7 p.m.: Gourd dance, arena.
7 p.m.: Grand Entry of Dancers, arena.
8 to 10 p.m.: Dance competition, arena.
Sunday
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Art Market, Native Exchange Market, Youth Art, children’s activities, cultural performance stage open, Exhibit Halls 2 and 3, Cox Convention Center.
1 p.m.: Grand Entry of Dancers, Cox arena.
1 to 5 p.m.: Dance competition, arena.
2 to 3 p.m.: Youth art awards ceremony, cultural performance stage.
5 to 6 p.m.: Dance competition awards, arena.
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Red Earth Festival celebrates American Indian culture today-Sunday in downtown Oklahoma City
A dancer participates in the 2009 Red Earth Festival parade outside the Cox Convention Center. (Photo by Ashley McKee/The Oklahoman Archives)
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Red Earth Festival celebrating American Indian culture
Along with festival events, Red Earth Museum’s move to downtown will give visitors more opportunity to take in art, cultural items
The 24th annual Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival will bring a colorful array of American Indian dancers, artwork, drum groups and more into and around the Cox Convention Center today-Sunday.
But organizers hope festival-goers are willing to take a short walk to check out one of downtown’s newest attractions: The Red Earth Museum and Gallery in Santa Fe Plaza, just south of the Skirvin Hilton Hotel. The museum opened in its new location, less than two blocks from the convention center, in March, after 31 years inside what is now Science Museum Oklahoma.
Housed in a former tanning salon, the new Red Earth Museum displays paintings, pottery, basketry, jewelry, textiles, beadwork and cultural items from the organization’s large permanent collection. Currently on view are paintings by Mike Larsen, Doc Tate Nevaquaya and Tar Tsah, along with a headdress owned by baseball great Allie Reynolds.
“Also, we’ve never had an opportunity to sell art before, so this is a new thing for us,” said Red Earth Deputy Director Eric Oesch. “It allows us to continue our mission to promote American Indian art and culture by giving Native American artists a chance to sell their work.”
The museum and gallery is exhibiting its grand opening show and sale, which features work from 33 American Indian artists, including 28 from Oklahoma. This year’s Red Earth Honored One Gordon Yellowman, a Cheyenne & Arapaho artist who creates contemporary ledger-style paintings, is spotlighted in the exhibit, though most of his work has already sold.
“It’s a huge success,” said Red Earth President Jonna Kauger Kirschner of the museum. “The art we have there and the art for sale just keeps getting better.”
Red Earth’s new home will be open throughout the festival to give visitors a look at the organization’s ongoing work. Leaving Science Museum Oklahoma, which once was a collection of autonomous arts organizations, for downtown offered “a chance to really spread our wings and mature,” Oesch said.
“The city is thrilled that we’re here. … They know we’re here for the long run,” he said. “When people come to Oklahoma, they want to see something and do something that’s Indian authentic. They want to experience our culture, and we’re able to provide that.”
Celebrating heritage, talent
The Red Earth Festival will celebrate the richness and diversity of American Indian culture with a dance competition, fine arts market, children’s activities, 5K run and 2K Fun Walk and a grand parade. Featuring dancers in full regalia, drum groups, floats, tribal princesses and more, the parade will march at 10 a.m. today from the Cox Convention Center north on E.K. Gaylord Avenue to NW 4.
“The parade route is different because of all the construction downtown. It’s much shorter,” it’s compact … but it’s just a temporary change,” Oesch said.
Nearly 200 artists will show and sell their wares in the juried art market, which sold out this year. More than 550 dancers from across North America are expected to compete in a range of styles.
Last week, he received a call from a Los Angeles-based talent scout for the show “America’s Got Talent” who might be attending Red Earth in search of unique performers. The scout is scouring festivals nationwide for potential talents for the reality TV contest, which has never featured an American Indian dancer.
Honoring veterans
Along with lauding American Indian culture, the festival is honoring military veterans and active servicemen and woman. All U.S. military members — Indian and non-Indian — are invited to participate at 7 p.m. Saturday in the grand entry leading into the evening dance competition.
Throughout the weekend, veterans and active service members will receive discounted admission to the festival with military identification. Discounted tickets will cost $7.50 for general admission and $5 for seniors.
“Indian culture is a warrior culture. … They have one of the highest percentages of any race as far as military service. It’s the biggest honor you can do is to be a veteran in the Indian culture. They have so much pride in it,” he said.
Readying for No. 25
Organizers already are preparing for the festival’s 25th anniversary. People will be able to share their stories and memories of Red Earth at a special booth at this year’s event, Kirschner said.
“Our 25th anniversary is going to be a big homecoming. We’re going to invite back all the previous dance winners, art award winners, ambassadors,” Honored Ones,” Oesch said. “It’s going to be a neat deal.”
GOING ON
Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival
When: Today through Sunday.
Where: Cox Convention Center.
Three-day weekend passes: Adults, $20; 60 and older, $15; children ages 6-17, $15; children 5 and younger admitted free.
One-day passes: Adults, $10; 60 and older, $7.50; children ages 6-17, $7.50; children 5 and younger admitted free. Group rates available.
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.
Museum hours: The Red Earth Museum and Gallery, 9 Santa Fe Plaza, will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday and closed Sunday during the festival.
Information: 427-5228 or www.redearth.org.
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Video: Red Earth Festival preview
NewsOK host Angi Bruss and one of our intrepid photographers also covered Monday’s Red Earth Festival media day at the state Capitol.
In this NewsOK video, Angi talks to festival organizers as well as Little Miss Indian Oklahoma City Sonia Hoffman.
The 24th annual Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival is set for June 18-20 at the Cox Convention Center. For more information, go to www.redearth.org.
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Red Earth Festival set for June 18-20 in Oklahoma City
Dancers wait to perform during the Red Earth Festival press conference Monday at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Steve Gooch/The Oklahoman)
From Tuesday’s The Oklahoman.
Red Earth Festival planned for June 18-20 in downtown Oklahoma City
Feathers flying, bells jingling and feet bounding, about a dozen youths on Monday danced around the fourth-floor rotunda of the state Capitol to the hypnotic beat of drumming and chanting.
Clad in colorful regalia, the Shawnee Public Schools students in the Soaring Eagles Dance Troop served as heralds of the upcoming Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival. The 24th annual Red Earth festival is set for June 18-20 at the Cox Convention Center.
The festivities will open with a grand parade and include the famed dance competition, art market, storytellers, youth activities and a 5K run.
“This festival is one of largest, the largest, of its kind in the world, and it’s here in Oklahoma and here in Oklahoma City,” said Lt. Gov. Jari Askins at Monday’s Red Earth media day. “We know that almost half of the visitors to Red Earth are from out of state, so it gives us a chance to show off Oklahoma, to show off our hospitality, to show off the wonderful different kinds of arts that are featured at this Red Earth Festival.”
Red Earth draws a paid of attendance of about 25,000 people, larger than the population of most of the state’s cities and towns, she said. The event provides an economic impact of more than $8.5 million for Oklahoma City, said Red Earth Deputy Director Eric Oesch.
Typically set for the first weekend of June, Red Earth will move this year to the third weekend, which includes Father’s Day, to accommodate preparations for the June 11-15 U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting at the convention center.
“I think it could be an advantage because it’s a great opportunity to do something special with Dad,” Oesch said. “We’re also paying special homage to military veterans. Because the Native culture is a warrior society, there’s so many veterans who are of Native American descent. So, all veterans or active military will receive a discount admission with their proper identification.”
The festival also will laud this year Cheyenne-Arapaho artist Gordon Yellowman Sr., who has been named the 2010 Red Earth Honored One, an annual title bestowed on a master visual artist. The El Reno resident, who serves as one of the four principal Cheyenne-Arapaho chiefs, creates contemporary ledger paintings that reflect the heritage of his tribe.
“In my young career as an artist, I never dreamed that I would ever reach this goal in my life. And it is truly indeed an honor,” Yellowman said.
Coming up
24th annual Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival
When: June 18-20.
Where: Cox Convention Center in downtown.
Information: 427-5228 or www.redearth.org.
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Oklahoma police forensic artist Harvey Pratt to speak about his art today at Science Museum Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation police forensic artist Harvey Pratt shows a skull reconstruction. (Tulsa World Archives photo)
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Oklahoma City lecture to focus on art and science of solving crimes
Harvey Pratt loves a good mystery.
As the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s renowned police forensic artist, Pratt often gets involved in solving a variety of crimes and cases.
“A lot of people don’t realize the things that we’re capable of doing for investigations, specifically concerning unidentified remains,” he said.
“There is a lot of interest because there’s so much on the TV anymore with all the ‘CSI’ stuff. I get calls almost daily from some student that wants to know something about it, what we’re doing and how they can get a job. A lot of them want my job.”
The rural Guthrie resident will discuss and show slides of the various forensic art techniques he uses, including witness description drawings, skull reconstructions, age progressions and soft tissue reconstructions, at 7 tonight at Science Museum Oklahoma.
The lecture is part of a series offered in conjunction with the hands-on exhibition “Whodunit: The Science of Solving Crimes.” Bret Mahoney, the museum’s academic networking coordinator, said Pratt was instrumental in creating the forensic science exhibit. Pratt contributed a witness description interview and drawing and a skull reconstruction to “Whodunit.”
“They called me the storyteller in the exhibit,” he said. “It’s really been a success for them. They’ve had a huge amount of interest in the program. People are calling me regarding it all the time. …
“We need to educate people about what law enforcement does, and the Science Museum has done an awful lot to help promote law enforcement in those areas.”
A lifelong artist, Pratt joined the Midwest City Police Department in the 1960s. He did his first witness description drawing when a police captain was working on a homicide case and wasn’t sure an injured victim was going to live. He asked Pratt to talk to the victim and draw a picture of the suspect. The drawing led to the suspect’s capture and conviction.
Pratt, who joined the OSBI in 1972, continued to do double duty as an investigator and a forensic artist. He researched and refined his technique for drawing witness descriptions. He also researched and learned other forensic art techniques and innovated the method for creating soft tissue reconstructions of unidentified bodies.
“I make them look alive and uninjured … paint out the bullet wounds and the knife wounds and the burns and the cuts and open up the eyes. And make them look alive so they can be identified,” he said.
Pratt, 68, works both freehand and with computer programs. Some of the high-tech software available is prohibitively expensive, he said. Many of the techniques he has mastered over the past four decades can be used in different kinds of investigations; for instance, his age progressions might help track a fugitive or a missing person.
“We put beards on, and I take beards off and change things, put glasses on them and age them a little bit,” he said. “I do that by looking at photographs of their family, see how their family genetics change and follow those lines and follow the characteristics in their face. I might add a little weight or take a little weight, depending on how the family goes.”
The variety of artistic methods he gets to use keeps him on the job.
“That’s why I’m still in it. … I retired once, but I still enjoy coming to work,” said Pratt, who became the state’s only full-time forensic artist after retiring as OSBI assistant director in 1992.
Although tonight’s lecture will focus on his police work, Pratt also uses his artistic and analytical talents in other areas. A Southern Cheyenne traditional chief, Pratt explores his heritage by creating American Indian paintings, crafts and sculptures. Some of his paintings and woodcarvings are on view in the new downtown Red Earth Museum’s grand opening exhibit.
“That’s an honor. That’s a good deal. I’m glad they got down there. There’s a lot of activity down there and they’re going to have a lot of interest in downtown,” he said.
About three years ago, the California-based North American Bigfoot Search hired Pratt to do witness description interviews and drawings with credible people who claim to have seen Bigfoot.
“They sent me to about 10 states and I interviewed people and did drawings of what they saw. And the people I interviewed were firemen and policemen and game rangers and schoolteachers and business people, and they all told me their stories and gave me their descriptions,” he said.
“I think there’s something going. I’ve never seen … the being but there are some pretty credible people that have seen stuff. And one of these days there’s gonna be some physical evidence.”
He has illustrated two books on the subject, “The Hoopa Project: Bigfoot Encounters in California” and “Tribal Bigfoot,” both written by former police investigator David Paulides.
“I love a good mystery. And it is a mystery,” Pratt said. “If I close my mind as a forensic artist and as a police officer, then I’m not a very good investigator. So, I try to keep a very open mind about everything that I do.”
Going on
Harvey Pratt lecture: “Police Forensic Art”
When: 7 tonight; reception begins at 6 p.m.
Where: Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52.
Admission: Free.
Information: 602-3760, www.sciencemuseumok.com or www.harveypratt.com.
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New downtown Red Earth Museum debuting grand opening exhibit today
Caddo potter Jereldine Redcorn, who lives in Norman, shows some of her pots. Redcorn is among the more than 30 American Indian artist who will have art in the “Grand Opening Exhibit” at the new Red Earth Museum & Gallery. (Photo by Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman Archives)
A “Grand Opening Exhibit” art show and sale featuring more than 30 American Indian artists opens the new Red Earth Museum & Gallery in downtown Oklahoma City today.
The museum is now at 6 Santa Fe Plaza, immediately south of the Skirvin Hilton Hotel and within walking distance of the Cox Convention Center and every major hotel in downtown Oklahoma City. The museum formerly was located inside Science Museum Oklahoma.
Officials at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce report the downtown Oklahoma City area draws an estimated 8 million tourists each year, according to a news release. Chamber statistics also indicate a workforce of nearly 55,000 people are employed at the more than 1,300 businesses in the downtown business district.
“Our new location will provide an outstanding venue for Oklahoma’s talented Native American artists to sell their works to the public,” said Jonna Kauger Kirschner, president of the Red Earth board of directors, in the release.
“Every tribal nation has its own unique culture and heritage, and Oklahoma is home to over 39 federally-recognized tribes who were relocated to the state from all corners of the nation. People who visit our new downtown facility will find the artwork is an exciting mix of diverse styles representing many tribal cultures.”
The invitation art show and sale features a variety of American Indian art for sale to the public. The show includes paintings, pottery, basketry, jewelry, textiles, beadwork and cultural items.
Oklahoma artists including Matthew Bearden, Nathan Hart, Brent Learned, Merlin Little Thunder, Les Berryhill, Harvey Pratt, Mary Aitson, Adeline Du Boise, Jerry Haney, Sharron Ahtone Harjo, Iris Eby, Susan Howard and Jereldine Redcorn have contributed works to the exhibit.
Other participating artists include Tahnee Marie Ahtoneharjo, Randy Frazier, Patta LT, Dorothy Sullivan, Daniel Worcester, Fernando Padilla, Jim Van Deman, Lisa Rutherford, Margaret Roach Wheeler, Cathy Moomaw, Connie Yellowman and Gordon Yellowman. The gallery also features American Indian-related items such as children’s books, blankets and Red Earth memorabilia.
For more than 30 years, the nonprofit Red Earth Inc. has been dedicated to its mission to promote the rich traditions of American Indian arts and cultures through education, a premier festival, museum and fine art markets.
The Red Earth Museum hosts a diverse and changing schedule of traveling exhibitions and is custodian of a permanent collection of more than 1,400 items of fine art, pottery, basketry, textiles and beadwork.
For more information, go to www.redearth.org or call 427-5228.
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Red Earth announces 2010 festival dates, moving museum to downtown Oklahoma City
A boy dances in a grand entry at the 2009 Red Earth Festival at Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Ashley McKee/The Oklahoman Archives)
Red Earth Deputy Director Eric Oesch shows century-old children’s moccasins that will be displayed in Red Earth Museum’s new downtown location. (Photo by Steve Lackmeyer/The Oklahoman)
Red Earth Inc., which operates the Red Earth Museum and produces the award-winning Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival, has relocated its museum and office to 6 Santa Fe Plaza in downtown Oklahoma City.
The new location is immediately south of the Skirvin Hilton Hotel and is within walking distance of the Cox Convention Center where the non-profit organization will conduct the 24th annual Red Earth Festival June 18-20, according to a news release.
The Red Earth Museum originally opened in 1978 as The Center of the American Indian at the Kirkpatrick Center Museum Complex, which is known today as Science Museum Oklahoma. The notable American Indian museum is home to a respected permanent collection of more than 1,600 items of fine art, pottery, basketry, textiles and beadwork.
When the Red Earth Museum reopens in March, a new component of the downtown attraction will include a sales gallery featuring original American Indian artwork with plans to offer paintings, jewelry, pottery and beadwork along with other American Indian-related items including publications, CDs and DVDs to the buying public.
“One of the goals of our organization has always been to provide an outlet for talented Native American artisans to sell their works to the public,” said Jonna Kauger Kirschner, president of the Red Earth board of directors, in the release. “Until our move to downtown Oklahoma City we have been able to fulfill this goal during our annual festival only. Now, with the opening of our new location, we can fulfill this mission throughout the year.”
During its 31-year history at the Kirkpatrick Center/Science Museum location, the Red Earth Museum has hosted a wide variety of acclaimed traveling exhibitions, including collaborations with the Cherokee Heritage Center, Pendleton Mills, the United States Postal Service and such master artists as Enoch Kelley Haney, Vanessa Morgan, Doc Tate Nevequaya and Benjamin Harjo Jr. A recent exhibition featured at the Red Earth Museum, titled “They Know Who They Are,” showcased a collection of 24 oil paintings commissioned by the Chickasaw Nation and brilliantly depicting Chickasaw elders by Oklahoma artist Mike Larsen.
The organization’s educational programs operate year-round, drawing from exhibits, workshops, demonstrations and seminars that showcase art, dance, music and literature. Red Earth is currently expanding its educational programming by reaching out to teachers and students through the internet.
“The future looks bright for the Red Earth Museum,” said Kirschner in the release. “When people travel to Oklahoma City they want to experience Native American culture. With the Red Earth Museum being in the heart of Oklahoma’s capital city, we’re excited about showcasing our unique Native heritage to people from throughout the world. We will continue our great tradition of enhancing the cultural climate of our state.”
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Oklahoma’s Red Earth Festival featured in Rand McNally Road Atlas and Festival Guide
A fancy dancer performs in June during the Red Earth Festival parade. (Photo by Ashley McKee/The Oklahoman Archives)
Oklahoma City’s annual Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival is featured in the 2010 Rand McNally Road Atlas and Festival Guide with color images and an editorial description, according to a news release.
The publication, released in May 2009, contains the complete Road Atlas plus coverage of festivals and events located throughout the United States.
The 2009 Red Earth Festival, which took place in June in downtown Oklahoma City, drew 151 registered journalists representing publications and broadcast outlets from throughout the United States and four foreign countries.
“The Red Earth Festival generates positive publicity about Oklahoma and our Native American cultures,” said Jonna Kauger Kirschner, president of the Red Earth Board of Directors, in the release. “Not only journalists but tourists from all around the globe are drawn to our award-winning festival because we showcase unique native cultures from throughout North America. While attending Red Earth it’s not uncommon to hear people speaking German and Japanese – it’s quite an electric atmosphere.”
The 24th Annual Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival will be June 18-20, 2010, during Father’s Day weekend at the Cox Convention Center. The organization expects to draw more than 1,200 American Indian dancers and artists from throughout the U.S. for the three-day event. The 25th anniversary celebration of the Red Earth Festival will be featured in the 2011 Rand McNally Atlas and Festival Guide.
The guides are available at Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Costco and online at www.randmcnally.com.
The Red Earth Festival is one of several events produced by Red Earth Inc., a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote the rich traditions of American Indian arts and cultures through education, a premier festival, a museum and fine art markets.
For more information, go to www.redearth.org.
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