‘Printmakers from Indian Country’ in Oklahoma City
Exhibit C Gallery in Oklahoma City’s newest exhibition, “Indigenous Impressions: Printmakers from Indian Country,” highlights the versatility of printmaking techniques and underscores ties between Oklahoma and the Southeastern homelands of many influential artists working in this medium. Artists Tony A. Tiger and Bobby C. Martin are guest curators for this exhibition.
“Indigenous Impressions: Printmakers from Indian Country” will be on display in the gallery from November 6, 2026, to March 1, 2027.
“Printmaking, especially by Indigenous artists, has always been at the forefront of spreading ideas and information through imagery,” said Martin. “This exhibition continues that long tradition of storytelling that is so valued and treasured in our tribal communities. Each print in this show has a story to tell—we hope you take the time to consider each one.”
The 12 featured artists include Norman Akers (Osage), Marwin Begaye (Navajo), Phyllis Fife (Muscogee Creek), Troy Jackson (Cherokee), Randy Kemp (Muscogee Creek, Choctaw and Euchee), Bobby C. Martin (Muscogee Creek), America Meredith (Cherokee), Erin Shaw (Chickasaw), Robin Stockton (Cherokee), Tony Tiger (Sac & Fox and Seminole), Crystal Walters (Cherokee) and Summer Zah (Navajo, Choctaw and Jicarilla Apache).
The art of printmaking is a vital practice for First American artists, balancing tradition and innovation while expanding access to First American art. Through its reproducibility and graphic strength, the printmaking techniques are a powerful means of storytelling, cultural preservation and contemporary First American perspectives.
Begaye said his work examines the issues of cultural identity through the intersection of First American and popular cultures, “The need to make things beautiful comes to me from a long line of artists in my family who live to achieve hozhó, the Navajo concept of being centered in beauty and balance.”
The artists in the exhibition use a variety of printmaking techniques.
Tiger utilizes a variety of forms in his work that embody the culture of his ancestors and the wonder and mystery of life, with an emphasis on printmaking techniques and Sac & Fox tribal patterns. Akers’ work is focused on monoprints that create a series of small collages. Arranging the collages across a field, such as a map or a landscape, becomes a metaphor for redefining space. Images and symbols form narratives within the work that address concerns about place, culture and the environment.
“There is a formality to printmaking that is enticing and challenging,” Fife said. “Intaglio printmaking is an adventure in pushing the limits of interaction with materials that, in the end, produce a mirror image of what you imagine.”
Stockton began printmaking after a class with Jackson. Her focus has been on monoprints and monotypes.
“Part of the draw to printmaking, especially these one-off types of prints, is that every time a page is pressed, it is a surprise at what I will actually get,” Stockton said. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not, but that is part of the challenge. The surprise element of creating monoprints will keep me exploring printing because every experience is unique. Each piece of art created in this manner is the only one that will be created. Each time I must start again, and no two pieces will ever be exactly alike. The possibilities are endless and I find that to be a powerful creative spark.”
Walters said her artwork seeks to honor inherited narratives, exploring identity through the interplay of structure, texture and recollection. Each piece becomes an act of remembering: a way to reconnect, reinterpret, and preserve the stories that continue to shape who she is as an artist and Cherokee woman.
A reception will be held Friday, November 20, from 4 to 6 p.m. The public is invited to view the exhibition, meet the artists and take home a unique tote bag hand-printed by the guest curators.
Exhibit C Gallery is open Wednesday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on Exhibit C Gallery, visit ExhibitCGallery.com.
About Exhibit C Gallery
Exhibit C Gallery, Oklahoma City’s premier First American fine art gallery, is a 10,000-square-foot gallery space in the Horizons District of Oklahoma City. Proudly owned by the Chickasaw Nation, Exhibit C Gallery showcases a variety of fine art mediums by First American artists enrolled with a federally recognized tribe. Exhibit C strives to generate awareness and offer exposure for First American artists through fine art sales and superior customer service.
