Keri Ataumbi facts for kids

Keri Ataumbi (born in 1971) is a talented Kiowa artist. She is known for her paintings, sculptures, and especially her amazing jewelry making. Her art has been shown in many museums. These include the Heard Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. In 2015, Keri and her sister, Teri Greeves, were named "Living Treasures" by the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This award celebrates artists who have made important contributions to Native American art.

Keri Ataumbi's Early Life and Learning

Keri Sue Greeves was born in 1971. Her birthplace was the Wind River Indian Reservation in Lander, Wyoming. Her mother, Jeri Ah-be-hill, was a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma with Comanche heritage. Her father, Richard V. Greeves, was an artist and sculptor.

Keri and her older sister, Teri, grew up on the reservation. They learned a lot from their parents. Keri watched her father work with metal for his sculptures. She learned about the skill needed to create art. Her mother taught her how to share Native American goods with more people. Keri says her mother also taught her to be proud of her Kiowa heritage through her art.

How Keri Ataumbi Studied Art

Keri was taught at home until high school. She then went to The Cambridge School of Weston near Boston. Her art teacher suggested she attend the Rhode Island School of Design. After a year, in 1990, Keri moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her mother had also moved there.

That year, Keri legally changed her name to Keri Sue Ataumbi. She took the last name of her grandmother, Carrie Susie Ataumbi. Keri worked in retail and then started a landscaping business. At the same time, she began showing and selling her paintings.

Later, Keri went back to school. She studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts to improve her painting. She earned a degree in 1996. Then she went to the College of Santa Fe (now Santa Fe University of Art and Design). She graduated with a degree in painting. She also studied Art History.

After college, Keri tried a master's degree program. But she decided to leave to focus on her art. She took a beginner's class in jewelry making at a local college. This is where she found her true passion in the art world.

Keri Ataumbi's Art Career

Keri Ataumbi creates unique paintings. They are often abstract and use different materials. She also makes sculptures that challenge ideas about Native art. For example, one sculpture uses Pillsbury Doughboy figures. It makes people think about how Native people are sometimes shown in popular culture.

A special piece she made for the Heard Museum is a silver handbag. It is lined with buckskin and has gold and diamond stars. These stars represent a Kiowa legend about the Big Dipper.

Keri Ataumbi's Jewelry Designs

Keri's jewelry often starts with a theme. Then she creates a series of pieces around that idea. For example, her Insect Series included pieces about bees and beetles. She believes that modern Native jewelry doesn't have to look like old, traditional designs.

Her jewelry often explores different ideas of value. In Native cultures, things like elk teeth or feathers were valuable. In other cultures, metals and gems are important. Keri uses materials from both worlds in her art. She loves working with gold, but also uses silver and platinum. She combines these metals with gemstones, buffalo horn, buckskin, or porcupine quills. She mixes different textures of diamonds for artistic effect.

Famous Jewelry Pieces and Collaborations

One of Keri's necklaces, made from a mussel shell, was shown in a traveling exhibit called "Native Fashion Now." This exhibit featured 75 different Native American fashion designers. It traveled to museums like the Peabody Essex Museum and the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

Keri also has a Mommy's Collection. This series recreates jewelry her mother used to wear. Her mother passed away in 2015. One piece was a gold ring with a small diamond. It was worn by actress Melaw Nakehk'o at a movie premiere in 2015. Another piece from this series won an award at the Santa Fe Indian Market in 2016.

Keri has worked with other artists too. In 2011, she teamed up with Robin Waynee to create insect-themed jewelry. In 2014, she worked with beader Jamie Okuma. They made a jewelry set inspired by historic images of Pocahontas. This set is now part of the permanent collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Keri and her sister, Teri, usually work separately. But in 2015, they spoke together at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. This was after they were both honored as Living Treasures. The award recognized their "museum-quality work" and how they tell stories through their art.

Keri Ataumbi has also been an artist in residence at UCROSS two times. In 2024, her work was shown at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

In 2023, actress Lily Gladstone wore Keri's jewelry. In 2024, Keri was asked to work with designer Gabriella Hearst. She helped create Lily Gladstone's outfit for the Met Gala. Keri made all the accessories, including earrings, a hair ornament, and rings.

Selected Exhibits