Kiowa Six facts for kids

The Kiowa Six were a group of six talented Kiowa artists from Oklahoma in the early 1900s. They created a special way of painting known as the "Kiowa style." The artists were Spencer Asah, James Auchiah, Jack Hokeah, Stephen Mopope, Monroe Tsatoke, and Lois Smoky. They became famous around the world for their unique art.

Meet the Kiowa Six Artists

This section tells you a bit about each artist and where they came from.

Stephen Mopope (1898–1974)

Stephen Mopope was the oldest artist in the group. He was born on the Kiowa Reservation in Oklahoma Territory. His family, including his great-uncles, saw his artistic talent early on. They taught him traditional Kiowa painting methods.

Jack Hokeah (c. 1900–1969)

Jack Hokeah became an orphan when he was young. His grandmother raised him. Later, a famous potter named Maria Martinez adopted him. He lived with her family in New Mexico for ten years.

Monroe Tsatoke (1904–1937)

Monroe Tsatoke was born near Saddle Mountain, Oklahoma. His father, Tsatokee, was also an artist. He was Monroe's first art teacher.

James Auchiah (1906–1974)

James Auchiah was born near Medicine Park, Oklahoma. His grandfather, Red Tipi, was a "ledger artist." Ledger art is a style of drawing or painting on old paper, like ledger books.

Spencer Asah (c. 1905–1954)

Spencer Asah was born in Carnegie, Oklahoma. His father was a buffalo medicine man. He taught Spencer about Kiowa culture. This knowledge inspired Spencer's art.

Lois Smoky (1907–1981)

Lois Smoky was born near Anadarko. She was the youngest of the group. Lois was also the only woman artist in the Kiowa Six.

How They Learned Art

The Kiowa Six artists learned and improved their painting skills in different places.

St. Patrick's Mission School

Five of the artists went to St. Patrick's Mission School in Anadarko. This school taught Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache children. There, the five Kiowa artists learned art from a Choctaw nun, Sister Mary Olivia Taylor.

Monroe Tsatoke did not go to St. Patrick's. He got his first art lessons from Mrs. Willie Baze Lane. This happened because a woman named Susan Peters helped set up an art club for young Kiowa artists.

University of Oklahoma

Susie Peters also encouraged the University of Oklahoma to create a special art program. In 1926, Asah, Hokeah, Tsatoke, and Mopope moved to Norman to join this program. Lois Smoky joined them in 1927. They all lived together in a house rented by Lois Smoky's parents.

The university gave them a place to paint. An art professor, Dr. Edith Mahler, gave them lessons and feedback. James Auchiah joined the program in 1927.

Lois Smoky left the program in 1927. She got married and focused on her family. She stopped painting but became a beadwork artist. Her paintings are rare today, making them very special to collectors.

Their Art Career

The Kiowa Six became very famous for their art.

The director of the University of Oklahoma's art department, Oscar Jacobson, helped them a lot. He showed their work at the Denver Art Museum. In 1928, he sent their paintings to an art event in Prague, Czechoslovakia. There, their art became famous around the world. Their paintings were shown all over Europe.

In 1929, Jacobson worked with a French printer to make a book called Kiowa Art. It had 24 special prints of paintings by Asah, Hokeah, Tsatoke, Mopope, and Smoky. These paintings showed Kiowa dancers, ceremonies, musicians, and daily life.

In 1932, their art was shown at the Venice Biennale in Italy. Their exhibit was called "the most popular exhibit" there.

The Kiowa Six are very important in Native American painting. They helped connect older styles like Ledger Art to newer flat-style Southern Plains painting. They inspired many Native artists in the 1900s.

What Their Artwork Looks Like

The Kiowa Six created a new style of painting. They were inspired by Plains hide painting and ledger art, which told stories.

Their art showed scenes of Kiowa life and stories from their oral history. Their paintings often had:

• Solid, bright colors
• Very simple backgrounds
• A flat look, without much depth
• Lots of detail on dance clothes and decorations

See also