Karita Coffey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karita Coffey
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| Tsat-Tah Mo-oh Kahn | |
Coffey in 2014
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| Born | 1947 (age 77–78) |
| Nationality | Comanche Nation |
| Education | Institute of American Indian Arts |
| Alma mater | University of Oklahoma |
Karita Coffey was born in 1947. She is a talented artist from the Comanche Nation. Karita is famous for her amazing pottery, also known as ceramics.
She creates ceramic pieces that look like important cultural items from her tribe. She also makes beautiful ceramic pots and sculptures. Besides working with clay, Karita Coffey uses a special method called lost-wax casting to create art from metal.
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Karita Coffey's Early Life and Learning
Karita Coffey's Comanche name is Tsat-Tah Mo-oh Kahn. This special name means "Good-Handed." She grew up in Lawton, Oklahoma.
How Karita Coffey Became an Artist
Karita started her art journey at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). At that time, IAIA was a high school where young Native American artists could learn. After high school, she went to the University of Oklahoma. There, she earned two degrees: one in fine arts and another in education.
Karita Coffey's Career in Art
After finishing her studies, Karita Coffey became a certified art teacher. She worked as an artist-in-residence for public schools in Oklahoma City. This meant she helped teach art to students. She also taught pottery in special programs for Native American education in Oklahoma.
Teaching Art at IAIA
Later, Karita Coffey returned to the Institute of American Indian Arts. She taught there for 25 years! She retired from teaching in 2015. After retiring, she focused on creating her own sculptures.
What Inspires Karita Coffey's Art
Karita Coffey's artwork is inspired by many things. She looks at African art and the art of the Australian Aborigines. Most importantly, her own Comanche heritage deeply influences her creations.
Where Karita Coffey's Art Has Been Shown
Karita Coffey's art has been featured in many important exhibitions. These shows helped people see her unique work.
- Indian Artists, 1977 was a show at the Via Gambaro Gallery in Washington D.C.
- National American Indian Women's Art Show also took place at the Via Gambaro Gallery in 1980.
- Contemporary Native American Art was shown at the Gardiner Art Gallery at Oklahoma State University in 1983.
- Women of Sweetgrass, Cedar, and Sage was a traveling exhibition in 1985.
- Anticipating the Dawn: Contemporary Art by Native American Women was another show at the Gardiner Art Gallery in 2000.
Where You Can See Karita Coffey's Art
Karita Coffey's artwork is part of several important art collections. This means her pieces are kept safe and displayed in museums for everyone to enjoy.
- The National Museum of the American Indian has four of her works. These pieces were made between 1970 and 1971.
- Her art is also in the collections of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.
- You can also find her work at the Millicent Rogers Museum.
- The Heard Museum also owns some of her pieces.
- The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts proudly displays her art too.
