Idabel, OK (November 16, 2018)—The Museum of the Red River’s current exhibit, Recent Acquisitions, includes works by Toshiko Takaezu, Chase Kahwinhut Earles, Acee Blue Eagle, Mayumi Makino Kiefer, and others. The show also features ethnographic art from around the world. The items were selected from the 650 objects the Museum obtained within the past year. The exhibit will remain on display until January 27, 2019. Highlights from the show are available online.
One of the show’s highlights is a vase by Japanese artist Tadashi Hirawaka and a bottle by his apprentice, Yukiko Akai. Mr. Hirawaka’s ceramics are highly sought-after, especially within the Japanese ikebana (flower-arranging) community. Ms. Akai’s bottle was inspired by the Museum’s collection of traditional Caddoan pottery. The two ceramics were made in North America’s only tsuchigama kiln, in nearby Sevier County. The kiln is a successful recreation of Japan’s earliest “slope” kilns. The tsuchigama project is the result of decades of research by Mr. Hirakawa and a team of archaeologists, curators, and other artists. More information about the project is available online.
Another outstanding acquisition is an untitled painting (pictured) by Acee Blue Eagle, one of the 20th century’s most important native American figures. He was an authority on native history, legend, art, and law. He was so influential that at the age of 26, he conducted a series of lectures on Indian art throughout Europe. During his lifetime, Blue Eagle’s works were displayed in some of the nation’s most prestigious galleries. He received a number of awards, including a medal from Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. Most of his work remains in private collections. This is the fourth piece by Acee Blue Eagle that the Museum has acquired.
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