NOC partners with Doctor Pickens Museum, Inc. for Displays of Art Collection on Tonkawa campus

Doctor Pickens Museum of Turquoise Jewelry and Art. Doctor Pickens Museum display of art works on NOC Tonkawa campus. Pictured (L-R): Dr. Cheryl Evans, NOC President, Hugh Pickens, Executive Director of Pickens Museum, and Sheri Snyder, NOC Vice President for Development and Community Relations. (photo by John Pickard/Northern Oklahoma College)

NOC partners with Doctor Pickens Museum, Inc. for Displays of Art Collection on Tonkawa Campus

Tue, February 23 by Jake Goodman

This past fall, Northern Oklahoma College entered into an initial two-year agreement for selected displays of art works with Doctor Pickens Museum, Inc. on the Tonkawa campus. This collection of art, primarily native art, will be on loan and will be installed over four phases.

The Pickens Museum, located in Ponca City, includes Native American Art, turquoise jewelry, art, Indian jewelry, painting and more. Hugh Pickens, Executive Director of the Pickens Museum, stated, “This is an exciting opportunity for us to share our art and culture with the Northern Oklahoma College community.” Pickens is presently in the process of planning the construction of an Art Museum in Northern Oklahoma.

Installation of Phase One of the project is now completed at the library entrance of the Vineyard Library Administration Building. The large center painting is entitled “Fool’s Crow” by artist C. J. Wells. Oil on canvas painting depicting Native American in traditional dress. Wells is a Santa Fe artist and poet of Native American and Hispanic American descent. Her paintings often reflect her Spanish and American Indian heritage. Her portraits of American Indian warriors and children often depict her subjects with glowing “yellow eyes” signifying traditional respect for the “holiness of the Earth and animals.” As TAOS Magazine states, “Well’s paintings present a fascinating contrast between the solemn faces of her subjects and the lush color and detail that surround them. Her images have an abstract, timeless quality. The warriors are set against dark backgrounds or cloudy skies, and their yellow eyes seem to gaze out beyond the viewer. They appear to be listening to an inner voice or contemplating the past. Each one is an elegant, aristocratic presence surrounded by mystery and drama.”

The painting on the left is entitled “Brother of the Land” and the painting on the right is entitled “Brother of the Moon”, both by artist K. Henderson. Both oil on canvas paintings depicting Native American in traditional dress. Like much of Henderson’s art, her American Indian-inspired paintings reflect the influence of growing up in Oklahoma with part-Cherokee ancestry and a lifelong, intimate connection to material relics from earlier eras. Born and raised in Oklahoma, K. Henderson now calls rural New Mexico home. Both locations have provided her with inspiration for her contemporary western themed paintings. Her work has been in seven solo museum and gallery shows and numerous group exhibitions including Smithsonian National Museum of American Indian, Salon International, Western Spirit Art Show & Sale, Cowgirl Up! Show and Sale, C.M. Russell Museum Benefit Auction, Pastel Society of the Southwest, Pastel Society of America, Mt. Oyster Club, American Academy of Equine Art, Museum of the Cherokee, the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, The Bosque Conservatory, Oil Painters of America National and Regional, and National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society and so on. Also displayed is a bronze bust, entitle “Apache Warrior” by sculptor Malvina Hoffman. Though Hoffman was also a talented singer and sketch artist, she decided to become a sculptor after receiving praise from Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mt. Rushmore, for a clay portrait she had created of her father. As a teenager, she studied sculpture with Borglum and at the Women’s School of Applied Design and the Art Students League. After five years of travel and work, Hoffman had created 104 sculptures—27 life-size, 27 busts, and 50 heads—for the Hall of Man.

“We are so happy to partner with Hugh Pickens and the Doctor Pickens Museum,” said NOC President Cheryl Evans. “This collection of art will add to the cultural enhancement of the Library and Cultural Engagement Center on the NOC Tonkawa campus. We are grateful for friends such as the Pickens who have chosen to share their gifts with us.” Phase two of the art work display is now underway at the entrance of the Cultural Engagement Center in the Library.

Northern Oklahoma College, the state’s first public community college, is a multi-campus, land-grant institution that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services which create life-changing experiences and develop students as effective learners and leaders within their communities in a connected, ever changing world.

NOC, a public two-year community college, serves nearly 5,000 students on the home campus in Tonkawa, branch in Enid, NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater, online, and the University Center in Ponca City. Of these students about 60% receive financial aid and/or scholarships. Over 80% of NOC students complete their degree with zero debt.

NOC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers associate degrees in three general areas: Arts, Science and Applied Science. The associate degree fulfills lower-division course work which is applicable towards a bachelor’s degree.

Call (580) 628-6200 for more information about Northern Oklahoma College or visit www.noc.edu .

References

NOC partners with Doctor Pickens Museum, Inc. for Displays of Art Collection on Tonkawa Campus February 23, 2021

About Pickens Museum

Osage Warrior in the Enemy Camp

Location and Hours of Operation

Artists at Pickens Museum

Articles about Pickens Museum

Latest Stories about Pickens Museum

2022

About Pickens Museum

Contact

hughpickens@gmail.com

Gallery

Osage Warrior in the Enemy Camp by Sculptor John Free.
Osage Warrior in the Enemy Camp by Sculptor John Free.
Three Faces of the Pioneer Woman by Artist Daniel Pickens at our Ponca City location.
War Club" by Osage Artist Yatika Starr Fields
Three Faces of the Pioneer Woman by Artist Daniel Pickens. located in City Centra in Ponca City.
Pickens Doctor Pickens Museum of Turquoise Jewelry and Art.
Native American Artist Yatika Starr Fields Completes Mural for Pickens Museum.
The World's Largest Naja. Future location of Pickens Museum on Route 60 and "U" Street West of Ponca City
Architectural Renderings of Pickens Museum.
Future location of Pickens Museum west of Ponca City
Display of Turquoise Jewelry.
Drum player by Allan Houser. This stone carving is part of the collection at Pickens Museum.
"Red Man" by Native American Artist Fritz Scholder. Pickens Museum Director Hugh Pickens on right.
Osage Warrior in the Enemy Camp.
Native American Jewelry Artist Tonya Rafael with a silver frame she created to honor Dr. S.J. Pickens.
Native American Artist Jolene Bird with her Fender Stratocaster guitar
American Indian by Paul Manship This piece at Pickens Museum is the only known existing copy of this sculpture.
Painting by Peruvian Artist Josue Sanchez. Photo Credit: Hugh Pickens Pickens Museum

NOC partners with Doctor Pickens Museum, Inc. for Displays of Art Collection on Tonkawa campus

Contents