Lois Smoky Kaulaity facts for kids

Lois Smoky Kaulaity (1907–1981) was a talented artist from the Kiowa Tribe in Oklahoma. She was known for her beautiful beadwork and paintings. She was also one of the famous group of artists called the Kiowa Six.

Early Life and Art Training

Lois Smoky was born in 1907 near Anadarko, Oklahoma. Her Kiowa name was Bougetah, which means "Of the Dawn." Her parents were Maggie Aukoy Smokey and Enoch Smokey. Her father was related to a important Kiowa chief named Appiatan. Her family lived in Verden, Oklahoma.

Lois first started learning art at St. Patrick's Indian Mission School. She was taught by Sister Mary Olivia Taylor, who was a Choctaw/Chickasaw nun. Other people at the school, like Father Aloysius Hitta, also encouraged her art.

Later, a woman named Susan Peters, who worked for the Kiowa agency, helped arrange painting classes for young Kiowa artists in Anadarko. She saw how talented some of them were. Peters then convinced Oscar Jacobson, a Swedish-American painter and the head of the University of Oklahoma's School of Art, to let these Kiowa students join a special art program. There, they received coaching and support from Edith Mahier.

The Kiowa Six Artists

The Kiowa Six was a group of influential Native American artists. It included Spencer Asah, James Auchiah, Jack Hokeah, Stephen Mopope, Lois Smoky Kaulaity, and Monroe Tsatoke. In the middle of the 1900s, they were often called the Kiowa Five. Lois Smoky was special because she was the only woman in the group and also the youngest.

Money was often tight for these artists. Lois's parents helped them by renting a house in Norman where they could all live together. Lois only studied at the University of Oklahoma in 1928. James Auchiah joined the group after she left.

In 1928, the Kiowa Six had a big moment when their art was shown at the First International Art Exposition in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Lois's work was included, but she couldn't go in person. Dr. Jacobson also helped their art be shown in other countries. He even arranged for a book called Kiowa Art to be published in France. This book featured prints of their paintings. For many years, Lois's role in the Kiowa Six was not fully recognized. But thanks to the work of Dr. Mary Jo Watson and the Jacobson House Native Art Center, her important place in the group has been restored.

Lois's paintings were similar to the early works of the other Kiowa Six artists. They usually had simple backgrounds and focused on one or a few people. She paid close attention to the details of traditional clothing and special items. She painted Kiowa people doing everyday activities or taking part in ceremonies.

Life After Painting

Lois Smoky Kaulaity decided to stop her painting career early because her family wanted her to come home. After returning, she got married and focused on her husband and children. Her married name was Lois Kaulaity, and she lived in Verden, Oklahoma for most of her life.

Even though she stopped painting, Lois became very well-known for her amazing beadwork. She even created new ways of doing beadwork that Kiowa artists still use today. It's interesting that her art is now very rare and sought after by collectors because she created fewer pieces than the others in the Kiowa Six.

Lois Kaulaity's paintings were a big step for Southern Plains Indian women. Before her, women in the Plains usually painted geometric designs, like those found on parfleches (decorated bags). Lois, however, painted scenes with people and stories.

Her niece, Flora Belle Schrock (Kiowa, 1919–2018), once said in 1995, "Aunt Louise was a hard worker... for her family. [She] started doing some beadwork, too. She really enjoyed it. And I think she had ambition [that] could have furthered... [her] art ability... But after she got married, she said, 'It's just impossible now with the children.'"

Public Art Collections

You can find Lois Smoky Kaulaity's artwork in these public art collections:

Death

Lois Kaulaity passed away on February 1, 1981.