Tulsa, OK

Smash Hit

The 14th annual Cherokee Art Market brought together outstanding artwork from a diversity of tribes nationwide.

This year’s Cherokee Art Market celebrated its 14th year from October 12 to 13 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. The event kicked off the evening of Friday, October 11 with an awards reception honoring Caddo artist Chase Kahwinhut Earles with the Best of Show Award for his stunning pottery piece Kee-wat: Caddo Home. The show saw, yet again, another successful year with a wide range of artwork by Native artists from across the country. A view of the 2019 Cherokee Art Market, including Navajo artist Eugene Tapahe’s booth.

Council of the Cherokee Nation Speaker Joe Byrd (left), Best of Show winner Chase Kahwinhut Earles and Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner pose together with Kee-wat: Caddo Home.

“Having all of the artists who come from all the different tribes from across the United States really adds to the market and to the feel of it. It brings so much [value] to all the differences and similarities,” says Deborah Fritts, Cherokee Art Market event coordinator. Discussing Best of Show winner Earles, she says, “He survived a tornado at the Caddo cultural grounds last April, so I think that made it even more special. To have a year like that, and then [win Best of Show].” A representation of Caddo culture through its designs of grass houses, arbors, a canoe and more, the clay pottery piece was hand-coiled, kiln-fired and pine needle-smoked. Sculpture by Cherokee artist Troy Jackson.

Among other exciting happenings, Fritts explains that mother and daughter Martha and Karen Berry both won this year—Martha won Best of Division in the traditional Beadwork/Quillwork class for her piece Gifts of the River, while Karen was awarded Best of Class in Textiles B for Ebb and Flow.Vivian Descheny works on a weaving during this year’s market.

Market-goers browse works by jewelry artist and silversmith Nelson Begay.

Silversmith Tim Yazzie at his booth while attendees look through his pieces.

In addition to Karen’s work, other Best of Class winners at the 2019 market include Tony Tiger (Painting, Drawing, Graphics & Photography), Troy Jackson (Sculpture), Ken Williams Jr. (Beadwork/Quillwork), David McElroy (Basketry), Peter Nez Nelson (Jewelry) and Glenda McKay (Diverse Art Forms). Furthermore, textile artist Tyra Shackleford earned the Culture Keeper Award for Raven, Rae Minoka Skenandore was given The Innovator Award for Birds Nest and the Anna Mitchell Award went to Carrie Lind for her piece Che.Traditional basketmaker Ramona Lossie at her booth.

Gene “Iron Man” Smith’s massive metal horse sculpture.

No matter where visitors turned, there was something extraordinary to behold, from a 129-inch-long, 600-plus-pound metal horse sculpture by Gene “Iron Man” Smith to a beautiful watercolor by up-and-coming Cherokee Nation artist Kindra Swafford. “It’s an amazing piece,” Fritts adds.Navajo fashion designer Penny Singer.

Choctaw artist Linda Kukuk chipping away at a scratchboard work of a dog.

Sculpture by Jemez artist Kathleen Wall.

She says that the market saw great attendance at the artist talks and demonstrations as well. “Next year will be our 15th market, and a lot of the feedback I heard from guests was extremely positive,” says Fritts. “We had a lot of first-time people and they were all just flabbergasted and amazed. The new people and the people who’ve come before…[They all say] the quality just keeps getting better and better each year.” —