Artesian Arts Festival set for May 26 in Sulphur

This article appeared in the May 2018 edition of the Chickasaw Times

SULPHUR, Okla. – More than 100 prominent Native artists representing tribes from across the country will be featured during the Artesian Arts Festival, Saturday, May 26 in Sulphur.

This popular annual event begins at 10 a.m. and runs through 6 p.m. The Festival is hosted by the Chickasaw Nation along the beautiful Artesian Plaza.

The Artesian Arts Festival has grown each year since its 2014 inaugural. It is one of the fastest growing Native American art markets in the U.S.

A celebration of all types of art, with an emphasis on Native American art and artists, the Artesian Arts Festival features diverse art media and a variety of visual art including paintings, basketry, jewelry, sculpture, metalworking, bead work, textiles and pottery.

Open to artists from all federally-recognized tribes, 110 Native artists selected for the juried show will compete in 21 categories.

Artists scheduled to participate include Chickasaw potter and New Mexico resident Marcella Yepa; Muscogee (Creek) Master Artists of the Five Civilized Tribes Museum Sandy Fife-Wilson and Jimmie Fife-Stewart; Caddo artists Chad, Chase and Wayne Earles; 87-year-old Comanche artist Rita Heath; and award-winning Cherokee artist Dino Kingfisher. Many fellow Native artists are also featured at the Festival.

The artists will display their art work in dozens of booths along the length of Muskogee Street in downtown Sulphur.

Artesian Arts Festival “Artists Talks” will begin at 10 a.m. with a live paint by distinguished Chickasaw artist Mike Larsen in the ARTesian Art Gallery, 100 W. Muskogee St.

Other artists giving demonstrations and discussing their crafts will include Mary Ruth Barnes, Deana Ward, Raven Halfmoon, Elihu Johnson, Tim Nevaquaya, Rena Smith, Tahnee Ahtoneharjo-Growingthunder, Ron Mitchell and Margaret Wheeler.

A variety of musical entertainment is planned, as well as tribal dance demonstrations.

Bands will provide continuous entertainment on two stages.

The musical line-up includes children’s music, rock, pop, jazz, country and more.

Performances by “Injunuity,” “Boyd Street Brass,”  “Sugar Free Allstars,” “John Bomboy,” “Tequila Azul,” “Spix 5,” “Overdrive,” “Conflict of Interest,” “Bluez Boys,” and “Justin Logan,” are scheduled.

Native American Dance troupes including the Chickasaw Nation Dance troupe, Aztec Dancers, Magic Circle Entertainment, Oklahoma Fancy Dancers and Pueblo Enchantment Dancers are scheduled to demonstrate Native dances on both stages and other areas of the Festival throughout the day.

A number of food vendors will be serving festival fare including barbecue, fried catfish, Indian tacos, nachos, roasted corn, kettle corn, burgers and more.

Sweet treats including funnel cakes, fried Oreos, pie, ice cream, watermelon and fried peaches will also be available.

An area for children’s activities and a senior citizens’ arts and crafts booth are also planned.

Open to the public at no charge, the Artesian Arts Festival welcomed over 8,000 guests to last year’s festival.

Cash awards will be presented to each artist for first, second and third place in each category, as well as “Best of Show.”

The venue for the Artesian Arts Festival is the Artesian Plaza, located adjacent to the Artesian Hotel and Spa, 1001 W. First Street, Sulphur.

For more information, please contact Chickasaw Nation Arts & Humanities at (580) 272-5525 or email artistinfo@chickasaw.net.

Artists 2018

Absentee Shawnee/Seminole
Ben Harjo, Jr.

Caddo
Wayne Earles, Chase Earles, Chad Earles, Raven Halfmoon, Yonavea Hawkins

Cherokee
Eva Cantrell, David L. Chaudoin, Toneh Chuleewah, Dan Corley, Vivian Cottrell, J. Ross Davis, Gary Farris, Matthew Girty, Steve Holland, Troy Jackson, Ambrie Johnson, Dino Kingfisher, Talon Kingfisher, John Knotts, Tonya Lowrance, Ron Mitchell, Tommy Mitchell, Traci Rabbit, David Scott, Elizabeth Scott, Greg Stice, Jerry Sutton, Jack Test, Sr., Mary Beth Nelson-Timothy, Karin Walkingstick, Tana Washington, Jeffrey Watt, Bryan Waytula

Cherokee/Otoe Missouria
Tom Farris

Cheyenne
Merlin LittleThunder

Chickasaw
Steve Adamietz, Mary Ruth Barnes, Melvin Burris, Beverly Callahan, David J. Correll, Tracie Davis, David Dowdy, Linda Edgar, L. Wayne Edgar, Wayne Edgar, Sue Fish, Peggy Immohotichey, Elihu Johnson, Brian Landreth, Kathryn Langley, Paula Loftin, Phillip Lowrance, Kelley Lunsford, Dustin Mater, Paul Moore, Doneeta Nowlin,Heather Richardson, Tyra Shackleford, Rena Smith, Kaitlyn Tingle, Ben Trosper, Jim Trosper, Taloa Underwood, Margaret Wheeler, Ben White, Daniel Worcester, Marcella Yepa

Chickasaw/Choctaw
Norma Howard

Chickasaw/ Creek/ Seminole
Prairie Mitchelle

Choctaw
Diana Cannon, Bronson Henderson, Lauretta F. Newby-Coker, Lauren Reed, Candace Shanholtzer, Samuel Stitt, Deana Ward

Comanche
Joyce Nevaquaya - Harris, J. Nicole Hatfield, Rita Heath

Comanche / Chickasaw
Tim Nevaquaya

Creek
Jon Tiger

Creek/Euchee
Les Berryhill

Ingalik-Athabascan
Glenda McKay

Jicarilla Apache
Damon Neal

Kiowa / Otoe Missouria
Lester Harragarra

Kiowa / Creek/ Seminole
Tahnee Ahtoneharjo-Growningthunder

Laguna Pueblo
LuAnne Aragon

Muscogee (Creek)
Leslie Deer, Johnnie Diacon, Mary Howard, John Timothy II, Jimmie Fife (Stewart), Sandy Fife-Wilson

Navajo
Abraham Begay, Lester Ortiz, Herbert Thompson

Navajo/Dine
Jimmie Harrison

Northern Arapaho
Jackie Sevier

Otoe-Missouria
Mewayseh Greenwood, Regina Waters, Rhonda Williams

Ponca
Sid Armstrong

Prairie Band Potawatomi/Chickasaw
Mitch Battese

Sac and Fox
Tony Tiger

San Felipe Pueblo
Jennifer Garcia, Ray Garcia

Seminole
Cody Harjo, Sheila Little Harjo, Cynthia Yerby