Homecoming Art Show features 70 Cherokee artists

TAHLEQUAH – The 28th annual Homecoming Art Show opened with an awards ceremony on Aug. 11 at Cherokee Springs Plaza.

The show and competition featured 112 pieces by 70 Cherokee artists, including nine Cherokee National Treasures.

The participating artists competed for nearly $16,000 in prize money, with Cherokee Nation citizen Carolyn Pallett winning the grand prize for “Connected,” a wool trade-cloth bag that features silk trim and adorned with wool-yarn tassels and glass beads. This is Pallett’s third consecutive grand prize win. She also won first place in the beadwork division for her piece titled “Above, Below, and In This Place.”

Cherokee National Treasure and loom weaver Cathy Abercrombie won the Betty Scraper-Gardner Elder award for a loom-woven blanket titled “I Don’t Do Blue,” as well as first place in the textiles division for a woven shawl called “Something to Talk About.”

Abercrombie’s piece “Something to Talk About” is a hand-woven shawl made of 100% wool in the colors magenta, turquoise and black, woven on her grandmother’s oak looms that were hand-made at the Sequoyah Orphan Training School in 1938. She said the Bonnie Raitt song of the same name inspired the piece.

“This is probably my favorite piece I’ve ever made. I’m going to have trouble letting go with this one because it’s my favorite,” she said. “I was listening to Bonnie’s album and that was truly the inspiration.”

Cherokee Nation citizen Makiya Deerinwater is a traditional and digital artist whose piece titled “Foot” won her the Bill Rabbit Legacy Award. She is currently a full-time student working on her bachelor’s degree in fine arts with an emphasis in graphic design and works in the Cherokee Nation Language Department.

“Foot” is an original black paint marker and acrylic paint piece inspired by a short story told to her by storyteller Sammy Still.

“I’m surprised, amazed and very grateful for being awarded,” she said. “I never got to meet Bill (Rabbit). But I’ve met Traci (Rabbit) before and she was amazing. So the fact that she selected me, I’m very grateful for and I hope I can continue his legacy through my different pieces and also to continue to grow as an artist.”

The show is on display through Sept. 9 in a gallery next to the Cherokee National Research Center at Cherokee Springs Plaza. All artwork is available for sale in person and online, and the public can vote for the People’s Choice Award, all at visitcherokeenation.com.

First place winner in each category:

Traditional Arts: Richard Fields, “The Trail on the Crooked Road”

Traditional Pottery: Richard Graham, “Thirsty Frog”

Contemporary Pottery: Troy Jackson, “Cherokee Rose”

Traditional Basketry: Ronda Moss, “Layers of Strength”

Contemporary Basketry: Hattie Lee Mendoza, “Wistful Quest”

Visual Arts: Garry Martin, “My Story”

Sculpture: Charlie Nichols, “Jistu: Sooo…I Stole a Little Fire”

Textiles: Cathy Abercrombie, “Something to Talk About”

Jewelry: Tiffany Reiter, “Native Pride”

Beadwork: Carolyn Pallet, “Above, Below, and In This Place”

Special awards:

Bill Rabbit Legacy Award: Makiya Deerinwater, “Foot”

Betty Scraper-Gardner Elder Award: Cathy Abercrombie, “I Don’t Do Blue”

Emerging Artist Award: Adrienne Keene, “Galohisdi”