Kiowa Six facts for kids

The Kiowa Six, originally called the Kiowa Five, was a special group of six Kiowa artists from Oklahoma. They became famous in the early 1900s for their unique "Kiowa style" of painting. The artists were Spencer Asah, James Auchiah, Jack Hokeah, Stephen Mopope, Monroe Tsatoke, and Lois Smoky. They helped shape Native American art and inspired many other artists.

Who Were the Kiowa Six?

Each artist had a unique story that led them to become part of this famous group.

• Stephen Mopope (1898–1974) was the oldest. He was born on the Kiowa Reservation in Oklahoma Territory. His family, including his great-uncles, saw his art talent early on. They taught him traditional Kiowa painting methods.
• Jack Hokeah (around 1900–1969) lost his parents when he was young. His grandmother raised him. Later, a famous potter named Maria Martinez from San Ildefonso Pueblo adopted him. He lived with her family in New Mexico for ten years.
• Monroe Tsatoke (1904–1937) was born near Saddle Mountain, Oklahoma. His father, Tsatokee, who was also called "Hunting Horse," was his first art teacher.
• James Auchiah (1906–1974) was born near what is now Medicine Park, Oklahoma. His grandfather, Red Tipi, was an artist, a traditional healer, and a keeper of sacred items.
• Spencer Asah (around 1905–1954) was born in Carnegie, Oklahoma. His father was a buffalo medicine man. He taught Asah about their culture, which became a big inspiration for his art.
• Lois Smoky (1907–1981) was born near Anadarko, Oklahoma. She was the youngest and the only woman in the group.

Learning to Paint

Five of the artists went to the St. Patrick's Mission School in Anadarko. This school was for Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache children. It was open for a very long time, from 1872 to 1996. At this school, the five Kiowa artists learned art from a Choctaw nun, Sister Mary Olivia Taylor.

Monroe Tsatoke did not go to St. Patrick's. He did not get formal art training until later. A woman named Susan Peters, who worked for the Anadarko Agency, noticed the young Kiowa artists. She started an art club for them. Peters also arranged for Mrs. Willie Baze Lane to give them painting lessons in Chickasha, Oklahoma.

Art at the University of Oklahoma

Susie Peters continued to help the artists. She encouraged Oscar Jacobson, who was the head of the art department at the University of Oklahoma, to create a special program for them. In 1926, Asah, Hokeah, Tsatoke, and Mopope moved to Norman, Oklahoma. Lois Smoky joined them in 1927. They all lived together in a house rented by Lois Smoky's parents.

Jacobson gave the group a place to work. He believed in their unique style and did not want to change it. Dr. Edith Mahler, an art professor at the university, gave them painting lessons and feedback. In the fall of 1927, James Auchiah also joined the program.

Lois Smoky left the program in 1927. She got married and focused on her family. Even though she stopped painting, she became a skilled beadwork artist. Her paintings are very rare today, which makes them highly sought after by collectors.

Sharing Their Art with the World

Oscar Jacobson was very important in helping the Kiowa Six share their art. He arranged for their paintings to be shown at the Denver Art Museum. In 1928, Jacobson sent their watercolor paintings to a big art event in Prague, Czechoslovakia. There, their art became famous around the world. Their work continued to be shown in many places across Europe.

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

The Kiowa Six also showed their art at the 1932 Venice Biennale, a very important art exhibition. Their display was called "the most popular exhibit" there.

The Kiowa Six are very important in the history of Native American painting. They helped connect older styles like Ledger Art to the newer, flat-style painting of the Southern Plains. They were not the first Native Americans to become successful in the art world, but their careers inspired many other Native artists in the 20th century.

What Did Their Art Look Like?

The Kiowa Six created a new way of painting. They were inspired by the storytelling and pictures found in Plains hide painting and ledger art. Their art showed scenes from Kiowa life, ceremonies, and stories passed down through generations.

Their paintings often had:

• Solid, bright colors.
• Very few details in the background.
• A flat look, without much depth.
• A strong focus on the details of dance clothes and regalia.

See also