The artwork of 15 Choctaw artists is currently being featured in a one-of-a-kind exhibit at the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE). The Spring Art Exhibition: A Celebration of Choctaw Art and Culture is a collaboration between ACHE and the Choctaw Nation Public Arts Department. An opening reception featuring Choctaw vendors was held April 9.
ACHE is a private, not-for-profit institution located in Fort Smith, Arkansas. It educates and trains a diverse group of highly competent and compassionate healthcare professionals and houses a research institute health and wellness center that offers initiatives through classes and art galleries. It also features a biomedical research lab.
Featured artists for the exhibition are Norma Howard (via David Howard), Connie Phillips, Kristin Gentry, Gregg Standridge, Viv Howerton, Colt James, Jaime Misenheimer, Nancy Rhoades, Deana Ward, Jane Umsted, Margaret Riley Santhanam, Gwen Lester, Brenner Billy, Gene Blackwell and Linda York Perry.
“The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Public Arts team is honored to see this collaboration with ACHE come to life through an exhibition that highlights both contemporary and traditional Choctaw art,” said Claire Green Young, Choctaw Nation Public Arts Manager. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work closely with our partners in Fort Smith to ensure a respectful and meaningful representation of Choctaw culture and creativity.”
Over 70 pieces of artwork and cultural objects by Choctaw Artists fill the display. The exhibit is a free, public event through May 22 in the Brenda and Anthony Altman Gallery.
The exhibit celebrates Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma artists through traditional and contemporary works reflecting ancestral knowledge, lived experience and modern expression.
To read more about Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, visit achehealth.edu.
For more on registered Choctaw artists, visit choctawnation.com/services/artist-registry/.
