Red Earth Festival marks 40 Years of celebrating Indigenous artistry

Indigenous artists from across the country came together in Oklahoma City Aug. 1-2 at the OKC Convention Center for the 40th annual Red Earth Festival, celebrating four decades of art, culture and tradition.

This year’s festival featured the artwork of nearly 150 Indigenous artists, including Choctaw affiliated artists Katherine Ashby, James Beal, Gene Blackwell, Audrey Brokeshoulder, Devin Brokeshoulder, Brent Cherry, Gwen Coleman Lester, Melissa Freeman, Paul Hacker, Georgia Harjo, Colton James, Lauretta Newby-Coker, Nancy Rhoades, Ross Rigdge, Gregg Standridge, Candace Shanholtzer, Gene “Ironman” Smith and Jane Semple Umstead.

Choctaw Artist Jane Semple Umsted was named as the Red Earth 2026 Honored Artist. As the 2026 Honored Artist, Umsted presented at the Red Earth Festival, meeting with festival-goers and sharing insights into her work.

Umsted, a 1969 University of Oklahoma fine arts graduate with a five-decade career, works across many art mediums and styles, often portraying Choctaw stories. Her pieces are held in museums, public spaces and private collections throughout the U.S., including “The Two Brothers,” a 1,700-pound sculpture at Southeastern Oklahoma State University depicting the shared history of the Choctaw and Chickasaw peoples.

In addition to her artwork, Umsted serves as an educator, curator and community leader. She helped found the Semple Family Museum of Native American Art and is an Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame inductee and a trustee for the Institute of American Indian Arts.

“Honoring Jane during our 40th year feels especially meaningful,” said Chelsey Curry, Red Earth Inc.’s executive director. “Her career reflects the values Red Earth has stood for since the beginning.”

The Red Earth Festival began in 1987 when Ken Bonds and Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Yvonne Kauger set out to celebrate the state’s Native American roots with a Santa Fe-style art market and dance competition. Backed by local leaders and $30,000 in funding, the event was born and has grown into one of the country’s premier Native art and dance festivals.

Today, the nonprofit Red Earth Inc. manages the festival, which draws thousands of visitors and more than a thousand American Indian artists, storytellers, educators and dancers each year.

The 2027 Red Earth Festival is scheduled for July 31-Aug. 1. Artists can apply for the juried show at redearth.org

The application deadline is Jan. 15, 2027.