Blackbear Bosin facts for kids

Blackbear Bosin (June 5, 1921 – August 9, 1980) was a talented artist. He taught himself how to sculpt, paint, and create commercial art. He was a member of both the Comanche and Kiowa tribes. His Kiowa name was Tsate Kongia, which means "black bear."

Bosin became famous for his unique art style. He took the traditional "flat" painting style of the Southern Plains Indians and made it more exciting. He added depth, movement, and drama to his paintings. He also used a lot of symbols in his artwork.

His creations are now seen as important symbols of Native American art. They also represent his community in Wichita, Kansas, his county (Sedgwick County, Kansas), and his state (Kansas).

Early Life and Beginnings (1921–1946)

Francis Blackbear Bosin was born on June 5, 1921. This happened in Cyril, Oklahoma, near Anadarko, Oklahoma. Some say he was born in a tipi. His father, Frank Blackbear, was Kiowa. His mother, Ada Tivis Bosin, was from the Quahadis, a band of the Comanche Nation.

His Kiowa name, Tsate Kongia, came from his grandfather, a Kiowa chief. As the oldest boy, he lived with his Comanche grandparents when he was very young. He went to St. Patrick's Mission School in Anadarko. There, he saw paintings by the famous Kiowa Six artists.

Bosin went to high school in Cyril. At 17, he married Ruth Johnson (Caddo). They had two daughters, Rowena and Patricia. He was offered a scholarship to the University of Oklahoma for art. But he turned it down because he needed to support his family. Instead, he went to the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School. There, he learned to work with sheet metal.

In 1940, Bosin and his family moved to Wichita, Kansas. They had two sons there, Francis Jr. and Niles. Bosin found a job at Beech Aircraft.

Serving in the Military

To support his family, Bosin joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He trained as a machine gunner. In 1943, while in Maui, Hawaii, he got sick. He had to stay in a hospital in Honolulu. It was there that he started painting again. Before he left the military in 1945, the hospital even showed his artwork in an exhibition.

Bosin returned to Wichita in 1946. He worked as a color separator and plate maker. Later, he became an industrial designer for Boeing-Wichita.

Becoming a Famous Artist (1946–1967)

After returning to Wichita, Bosin kept painting. In 1946, he entered the Philbrook Art Center's first Indian Artists Annual show. He won an award for his painting Green Corn Dance. After this success, Bosin kept entering art shows. His work was shown in museums in Dallas and Detroit. In 1951, he won a prize at an art competition held by the Denver Art Museum.

Bosin's art career really took off in the early 1950s. In 1950, 66 of his paintings were shown at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. In 1952, he won first prize at the Philbrook's Indian Art Annual for his painting Death Bird.

Prairie Fire and International Fame

While working at Boeing, Bosin met Nola Simmonds, an art teacher. They married in 1953. Bosin became a stepfather to her son, David. His daughters and one son also lived with them in Wichita.

In 1953, Bosin won first place again at the Philbrook with his painting Prairie Fire. This painting made him famous around the world. The Philbrook bought the painting. Then, in May 1955, it was featured in National Geographic magazine. The painting showed Native Americans on horses and animals running from a fire. It was seen as a big change in Plains Indian art, which was usually more still. For a while, Prairie Fire was even displayed in the White House.

In 1955, his art was shown at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. His painting Wind Spirit, which was like a partner to Prairie Fire, was shown in San Francisco. It also won a prize at the Philbrook's Indian Annual show. After that, the Philbrook invited Bosin to have his own special exhibition.

Expanding His Art

In 1959, Bosin opened the Great Plains Studio. This gave him more space to work and to show art by other Indigenous artists. That same year, he was asked to design a huge mosaic mural for the Hotel Broadview in Wichita. This mural, called The Advance of Civilization in Kansas, is made of glass chips. It is 1,500 square feet, making it the largest continuous mural in Kansas!

His paintings continued to win awards. In 1960, Bosin won both First and Grand Prize at the All-Indian Show in New York. In 1961, he traveled to Switzerland to receive honors. He was chosen as a Fellow of the International Institute of Arts and Letters.

In 1965, Bosin won first place and the Grand Prize at the Philbrook's Indian Artists Annual again. The Wichita Art Museum also showed 24 of his works. The museum then asked him to paint Wichita, My Son. This painting shows the connection between Wichita and the local Indigenous communities.

Bosin was the only Native American artist to be part of the 1965 White House Festival of the Arts. His painting Prairie Fire was shown there. He even sat at the table with Lady Bird Johnson, the First Lady, because she liked his traditional beaded bowtie.

The Department of the Interior asked Bosin to create a series of paintings called the Kiowa Series. These paintings showed the history and religious traditions of the Kiowa people. He finished the series in 1973, and it was shown publicly in 1976.

In 1967, Bosin won the Victory Trophy at the Philbrook. After this, he decided to stop entering art competitions. He felt it was time for younger artists to get recognition.

Later Years and Legacy (1967–1980)

Bosin started having health problems in 1960 when he was diagnosed with diabetes. His health got much worse in 1968. Doctors told him to slow down his work. In 1969, he had his first heart attack.

Keeper of the Plains

While in the hospital, a friend named Elmer Hall asked Bosin to design a large statue. This statue would honor the Indigenous peoples of the area. Bosin designed The Keeper of the Plains. It is a 44-foot tall, 5-ton steel sculpture. It shows a Native American figure in traditional clothing, reaching up to the Great Spirit.

The statue is in the center of Wichita. It is near the Mid-America All-Indian Center. It stands where the Big Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers meet. This spot is very important to Native Americans. It was once home to the Wichita people tribe.

Building the sculpture started in 1970 and finished in 1974. It was meant to help celebrate the 1976 United States Bicentennial. There was a special ceremony to unveil the statue. Local Indigenous peoples performed blessings, and U.S. Senator Bob Dole gave a speech.

Over the years, the Keeper has become a symbol of Wichita. It is even on the official seal of Sedgwick County, Kansas.

The Keeper is now the main part of a big project to make the river area beautiful. There are special bridges, a park, walkways, gardens, and fire pits around the statue. It is placed on a 30-foot-high rock base in the river. The statue is often a centerpiece for public events, especially Native American gatherings.

In 1975, two smaller copies of the sculpture were placed in Wichita's sister cities: Tlalnepantla, Mexico, and Orleans, France. Since 2017, many more copies have been made. Local artists decorate each one with unique designs related to the city.

Later Art Career

In 1970, Bosin showed his art at the All-Indian Show in New York City. In 1971, he had a show at the Wichita Art Association. He was also asked to paint a large mural called From Whence All Life. This mural featured a central figure of the Great Spirit.

Later in 1971, Bosin had open heart surgery. This made it hard for him to work on the mural. His recovery was long, and he lost some sight in both eyes. Even with vision loss, his painting quality did not go down. His wife and staff helped him paint the basic parts of the mural. He then filled in the details. The mural was finished in 1972.

In 1975, Bosin designed ten images for a series of silver medals. These medals showed the history of American Indians.

In 1976, Bosin received an award for Traditional Indian Painting. He was also chosen to be on the Kansas Arts Commission Board. In 1977, the state of Kansas gave him the Distinguished Service Award. He was also named Governor's Artist by Governor Robert F. Bennett.

By 1978, Bosin started showing less of his work. Because of his vision loss, he switched from gouache paint to acrylics. Acrylics dried slower, but they didn't have the same layered effect as his earlier works. His last painting, Reflections of Rainy Mountains, was done with acrylics.

Final Years

In his later years, Bosin enjoyed dancing at regional powwows with friends. He wore traditional clothing decorated by his mother's beadwork. He led a dance to a song passed down from his father.

In March 1980, Bosin's mother passed away. He was very sad and found it hard to finish his last art projects.

Five months later, on August 9, 1980, Blackbear Bosin died from heart problems. He was survived by his wife, Nola, and his four children, Rowena, Patricia, Francis Jr., and Niles, and stepson, David Simmonds.

In 2012, his stepson, David Simmonds, wrote a book about Bosin's life. It is called Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit.

Art Style and Practice

Painting and Sketching

Bosin started art at St. Patrick's Mission School. There, he studied both Kiowa and European art. He learned how to draw figures correctly and how to use the style of the Kiowa Six. His mother, who was a skilled bead worker, also greatly influenced him.

Bosin taught himself art. He believed his unique style came from not having formal art training. His art became more complex and lively. He mixed the "flat" style of the Southern Plains Indians with modern surrealism. He often used gouache, a type of opaque watercolor paint. Gouache allowed him to create layers and his special look.

Bosin often made many drafts of each painting. Sometimes he would make up to ten sketches before painting on canvas. This helped him make sure the picture was perfect. He also started adding detailed backgrounds to his paintings. These backgrounds helped set the mood and create a sense of space.

Even though he could paint in a realistic European style, Bosin chose not to. In a 1975 interview, he said he found it "empty." He preferred to stay within the limits of Traditional Indian paintings. He felt that changing traditional styles helped him show the poetic feelings he wanted to capture.

Bosin also loved to sketch. He filled his sketchbooks with funny drawings and cartoons. He signed all of them as “Chief.” His cartoons were shown only once, in 1979.

Commercial Art

Bosin also worked as a commercial artist. In 1952, he worked at McConnell Air Force Base. He created visual training materials for pilots. His humorous booklet, JetRock Jock, taught pilots about flying dangers. It became very popular and was used across the United States.

In 1955, Bosin left his government job to become a full-time artist. He opened a commercial art studio with A.E. “Waddy” Wadsworth. They created visuals for movie theaters and small businesses.

Bosin also designed the logos for the Mid-America All-Indian Center in Wichita. He also designed the logo for the Wolf Creek nuclear power plant in Burlington, Kansas.

Awards and Honors

• Certificate of Merit, Philbrook Indian Art Annual, 1946
• Purchase Prize, Denver Museum of Art Indian Art Competition, 1951
• First Prize, Philbrook Indian Art Annual, 1952
• Grand Prize, Philbrook Indian Art Annual, 1953
• Purchase Prize, Philbrook Indian Art Annual, 1955
• Grand and First Prize, All-Indian Show, New York, 1960
• Fellow of the International Institute of Arts and Letters, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, 1961
• Grand Prize and First Prize, Philbrook Indian Art Annual, 1965
• Certificate of Appreciation, Indian Arts and Crafts Board, 1966
• Victory Trophy, Philbrook American Indian Artists Exhibition, 1967
• Award for Traditional Indian Painting, American Indian National Achievement Awards, 1976
• Distinguished Service Award, State of Kansas, 1977
• Governor's Artist, Governor Robert F. Bennett of Kansas, 1977
• Blackbear Bosin Academy, Wichita Public Schools, named for him (closed in 2012).

Public Collections

You can find Blackbear Bosin's art in many museums and collections, including:

• National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
• Bureau of Indian Affairs, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
• Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming
• Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado
• Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona
• Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, Kansas.
• Wichita Art Association Gallery, Wichita, Kansas
• Mid-America All-Indian Center, Wichita, Kansas
• Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis, Indiana
• The Rockwell Museum, Corning, New York

See also

• Kiowa Six
• Native American art
• Plains Indians