Les Berryhill facts for kids

Les Berryhill (Lester Roy Berryhill) is a talented Native American artist. He is famous for his amazing beadwork. Les lives in Edmond, Oklahoma. He is a proud member of both the Yuchi and Muscogee tribes.

Early Life and Sports

Les Berryhill was born in Talihina, Oklahoma, in 1944. He grew up in Coalgate, Oklahoma. When he was in high school, he moved to Atoka, Oklahoma. He finished high school there in 1962.

Les loved playing sports when he was younger. He played track, baseball, football, and basketball. He was so good at basketball that he got a scholarship! He chose to play for Oklahoma State University. There, he played for a very famous coach named Henry Iba. In 1965, Les was part of the basketball team that won the Big Eight championship. He earned a degree in social studies. Later, he got his master's degree from the University of Central Oklahoma.

After college, Les served in the military. He was stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Interestingly, Les wasn't very interested in art when he was young. But he did enjoy collecting old knives. This hobby would later lead him to his special bead art.

Coaching and Education Career

After college, Les Berryhill became a teacher. He taught history and geography at Star Spencer High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He also worked as a coach there. Later, he coached at other high schools, including Putnam City and Duncan and Lawton Eisenhower.

In 1970, Les went back to Oklahoma State University. He worked there as an assistant basketball coach for three years. In 1979, he became the head men's basketball coach at Rose State College. He also worked as a counselor and instructor. Les later became the athletic director at Rose State College. He retired from this role in 2010.

Amazing Beadwork Art

Les Berryhill is a self-taught artist. This means he learned his art skills on his own! He specializes in beadwork, especially on cultural items. He only took one art class, which was for pencil drawing, while at Oklahoma State University.

His journey into beadwork began in the mid-1980s. He saw some beautiful beaded knife cases in a gallery in Santa Fe. This inspired him to try it himself. Les started beading cases for his own collection of old knives.

Over time, his art grew. He began beading other items like:

• Medicine bags
• Small coin purses
• Old kitchen tools
• Even Navajo chief's blankets

Les uses bright colors in his work, like reds, blues, turquoises, oranges, and greens. These colors and his style are similar to the art of the Plains Native American tribes. He learns about new designs by visiting museums and reading books.

Les Berryhill's art has been shown in many important places. These include:

• The famous Santa Fe Indian Market
• The Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival
• The Cherokee Art Market
• The Jackson Hole Art Show
• The Heard Museum's Indian Fair

His work is also shown at the Shiprock gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Awards and Recognition

Les Berryhill has won several awards for his beautiful beadwork:

• In 2014, his piece Spirit of the Elk was named "Honored One" at the 28th Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival.
• Also in 2014, his beaded artwork The One That Got Away won 2nd Place in the Beadwork category at the Annual Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival.
• In 2003, he received a Third Place Ribbon in the Diverse Art Forms category at the 82nd Annual Santa Fe Indian Market.