Annual Choctaw Nation Art Show

We are pleased to invite you to the 2025 Annual Choctaw Nation Art Show on behalf of Chief Gary Batton, Assistant Chief Jack Austin Jr., and members of the Tribal Council. Attached is the art show application, which includes full details for entry into the show. We have made several improvements to this year’s show, and we hope you will take the time to review them.

We are delighted once again to host the Art Show Awards and Reception at the Choctaw Cultural Center, 1919 Hina Hanta Way, Calera, OK 74730. One of the most rewarding aspects of participating in this annual event is the opportunity for artists to come together, celebrate each other’s creations, and be inspired to continue the legacy of Choctaw artistry.

IMPORTANT DATES

• 4/21 – Application Opens
• 5/25 – Application Closes
• 5/30 – Statement Accepted/Rejected
• 6/26-6/28 – Art Admitted for Quarantine
• 6/29 – Quarantine Starts
• 7/29 – Quarantine Ends
• 8/11 – Art Installation Begins
• 8/13 – Art Installation Ends
• 8/16 – Art Show Opens to the public

ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE

• Must be a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (you do not need to be a registered Choctaw artist to participate).
• Must be 18 by the May 1, 2025, entry paperwork deadline.
• Must submit all art works to be quarantined by the Cultural Center Collections Department.

JURY PROCESS

All works submitted are subject to review for inclusion in this show. Any work that violates the entry rules or does not reflect the show’s overall quality will not be accepted. Participants juried out of the show will be contacted by email regarding rejection. Judges will determine the winning artwork.

AWARDS PRESENTATION & ARTIST RECEPTION

The Annual Choctaw Nation Art Show will be celebrated with an Awards Presentation and Artist Reception at the Choctaw Cultural Center. The reception is by invitation only. Each invitation allows admittance for the participating artist and one guest. Invitations will go out approximately one week before the reception.

RULES

Choctaw Nation Art Show Representatives reserve the right to:

• Withhold awards in any category with insufficient entries;
• Reclassify any entry and review all submitted artwork to determine show inclusion;
• Allow a maximum number of three (3) entries per artist which visibly identifies the artist’s name and
  title as listed on this application;
• Require all two (2) dimensional entries to be ready to hang by wire, (i.e., glass or Plexiglas covering is permissible if necessary);
• Deny artwork completed before August 2022 with an exception made only for castings allowing casting to begin before August 2022, however, the original sculpting must have been completed by September 2021.
• The artwork must be the original creation of the submitting artist. Submissions based on artwork, characters, and/or designs of other creators may involve copyright infringement and will not be accepted as original artwork;
• Digital artworks must include original works created using digital tools;
• Artwork must be solely the original concept and design of the submitting artist. Reference photos taken by anyone other than the submitting artist may be used when those images are incidental to and not the mainfocus of the artwork unless the artist has been given permission to paint the subject matter for the contributor. Using copyrighted or published images is not allowed for entry; and
• Disqualify any artwork:
  • Found to be by an artist which has already met the three (3) entry maximum;
  • Consisting of Authentic Artifacts;
  • Utilizing a cardboard or sawtooth-type hanger;
  • Commissioned for any reason;
  • Containing nudity, profanity, political, or sadistic artwork;
  • Containing parts of endangered species, such as owl parts and raptor talons;
  • Which is not the sole property of the artist;
  • Which the artist does not have the full right, title, and interests in and to;
  • Which has previously been awarded at a prior Annual Choctaw Nation Art Show;
  • Which is 3D printed (small 3D printed components are acceptable only if disclosed in the initial application);
  • AI-generated or created works;
  • Copyrighted or published images by someone other than the artist;
  • Manufactured commercially produced kits, patterns or plastic components;
  • Plagiarism of ideas, concepts, designs, etc.;
  • Violating the entry rules; or
  • Not reflecting the show’s overall quality.

Any art theft or acts of plagiarism by an artist will result in the following actions:

• First Offense: Disqualification from that year’s show.
• Second Offense: One (1) year ban from all Cultural Center Artist Events.
• Third Offense: A lifetime ban from all Cultural Center Artist Events.

CATEGORIES

Traditional and contemporary artwork is acceptable in all categories as defined and listed below.

BASKETRY

Works on customary objects or traditional attire adorned with must be made by hand, and materials must be made of natural plant fibers. Natural vegetal or mineral dyes are encouraged with attachment of other natural materials.

1. Allowable: Baskets which are hand-worked of natural fibers and reed, such as yucca, willow, three-lobed sumac, honeysuckle root, cottonwood, devil’s claw, splints, cane, ash, etc. Hand- workedmaterials, including horsehair, metal, yarn, horn bone, etc. Attachments of other natural materials – yarn, feathers, leather, clay, etc.
2. Allowable with disclosure: Commercial dyes and commercial processed rattan or reed.

BEADWORK

Works on customary objects or traditional attire adorned with beadwork include but are not limited to cradleboards, necklaces, leggings, bags, pipe bags, moccasins, belts, sashes, and purses, and are hand-sewn/woven on fabrics such as trade cloth, velvets, wools, or animal hide.

1. Allowable: Beaded jewelry must be handmade of genuine materials. Manufactured findings whichadapt the piece for wearing, such as jump rings, clasps, leather for bob straps, etc., are permitted if stated on application description for the artwork.
2. Allowable with disclosure: Glass rhinestones, mirrors on beadwork, or other contemporary materials commonly accepted by the community.

DRAWING/PAINTING

Works must be manually drawn or by applying pigment to a two (2) dimensional flat surface.

1. Allowable: Original works in ink, charcoal, pastels, marker, pencil, oil, watercolor, acrylic, gouache, tempera, etc.
2. Non-Allowable: Entries with an image area exceeding forty inches (40″) wide or forty inches (40″)high. Entries painted on a non-recognized fine art surface, such as art on leaves, feathers, or saw blades.

GRAPHICS/PHOTOGRAPHY

Notwithstanding the Rules and Disqualifications, graphics/photography works include multiple replica art forms. Consists of an original print or proof from a master plate created through such a process as lithography, etching, woodcut, engraving, and other methods by which copies of an original design are printed (i.e., computer-generated and digital artwork). Works must be signed andnumbered not exceeding fifty (50) editions. Photography includes images captured by either an analog or digital camera.

1. Allowable: 3D Printing, traditional photography, film, or digital, digitally rendered or manipulated paintings, photographs, or graphics, assemblies, collages, etc., with varied materials like cloth,wood, paper, etc. Prints must be signed and numbered, not to exceed editions of fifty (50).
2. Non-allowable: Any photomechanical reproduction, including note cards, posters, and T-shirts. Entries with an image area exceeding forty inches (40″) wide or forty inches (40″) high.

JEWELRY

Works must consist of stone, organic, and metal materials, including but not limited to bone, wood, natural stone, turquoise, coral, lapis, other natural untreated stones, or gemstones.

1. Allowable: Sterling silver must be stamped or signed for authenticity. Method or production must be stated on the application description for the artwork.
2. Non-Allowable: Imported or non-Indian-made shell beads or fetishes. No plastic, imitation, or reconstituted stones (other than those named in the Allowable section above with disclosure provided by the artist). No machine-made “liquid” silver, metal blanks, or plated metals. No plastic stabilized, color-treated, or plasticized materials (i.e., stone, claws, bone, shell, wood, etc.) No commercially strung beads. No commercial kits or patterns.

POTTERY

Works must be handmade and hand-formed by the artist.

1. Allowable: All handmade traditional and contemporary fired pottery forms.
2. Allowable with disclosure: Kiln-fired and/or double-fired pottery. Pottery made with commercial materials, such as clay, glazes, and temper. All decorative stone, shell, or metal elements, and shell, glass, or metal beads must be properly identified on the application description for the artwork.
3. Non-Allowable: Unfired clay pottery or greenware. Slip mold or commercial pottery.

TEXTILE ART

Works in the precontact or post-contact style of traditional textiles used by Choctaw people must be handwoven textiles the artist creates by hand.

1. Allowable: Weaving with all dyes and yarns, including commercial dyes, hand-woven clothing. Rugs and blankets must be handmade. Wearable Fiber Art includes textiles of all handmade items such as ribbon shirts, Choctaw traditional clothing, historical replicas, contemporary clothing, shawls, etc. (Sewing machine work is acceptable). Embroidery and needlework, twining, quilts, and quilted artworks are also permissible.
2. Non-allowable: Artworks primarily relying on materials which do not align with the traditional definition of Choctaw textiles or align strongly with other cultural traditions.

SCULPTURE

Works must be carved, sculpted, or molded and created by the artist by hand.

1. Allowable: All hand-wrought materials such as stone, wood, metal, ceramic, paper, cloth, etc. Cast bronze sculpture in numbered editions. All works must be signed and numbered accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Hand-blown and fabricated glass or fiberglass. Sculptures must fit in an areano larger than thirty inches by thirty inches (30″ X 30″) at the base by seventy-two inches (72″) tall.
2. Allowable with disclosure: Fixatives can be used to stabilize pigment but must be disclosed by the artist. Termite bored or aged wood must be disclosed and non-infectious.
3. Non-Allowable: Cast resins. Cast miniature sculptures intended for use as jewelry. Production cast open editions.

DIVERSIFIED ART

Works include mixed media or works which cannot be included or represented in another category.

1. Allowable: This category includes pieces such as non-jewelry beadwork, dolls, stickball sticks, baldrics, arrows, bows, knives, hats, moccasins, drums, fans, traditional clothing, Choctaw weaponry, musical instruments, cooking utensils, etc.
2. Non-Allowable: No items made from commercially manufactured kits; no plastic components allowed unless they are considered contemporary materials commonly accepted by the community (i.e., as Glass rhinestones or mirrors on beadwork).

ARTWORK ENTRIES

We ask for the accepted artwork to be brought to the Choctaw Cultural Center by June 28, 2025. Please note the Choctaw Cultural Center is only open Tue – Sat from 10am to 5pm. The Choctaw Cultural Center Collections Department will quarantine all works upon arrival. Although the preferred method for artwork arrival is to be delivered by the artist, we realize many live far away and want to participate. Please understand we do not recommend artwork to be mailed because of the possibility of damage and/or loss; however, if delivery by the artist is not possible, items must be mailed via USPS, UPS, or FedEx.

It is important to keep tracking information updated by monitoring the tracking information provided by USPS, UPS, or FedEx regarding the arrival date. Mailed items are subject to the same rules as hand-carried items and must be delivered to the Choctaw Cultural Center no later than June 28, 2025, along with a pre-paid return postage label. If shipped, all attempts will be made to return the items in the carton/package mailed in. However, there is no guarantee.

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS TO SUBMIT BY MAIL

W-9 Quarantine Letter

Application

Apply Now

Contact

If you have questions about the quarantine or general inquiries, please use the form below or call 580-642-8864.