Mel Cornshucker facts for kids

Mel Cornshucker was born on October 4, 1952. He is a modern Cherokee artist who creates beautiful pottery. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mel works with different types of clay, like stoneware, porcelain, and raku. He is famous for his special stoneware. It is fired at very high temperatures. He decorates his pottery with hand-painted designs. These designs are inspired by Native American art.

Early Life and Family Inspiration

Mel Cornshucker grew up in Jay, Oklahoma. He is a citizen of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Mel was inspired by many artists in his family. His grandfather, Lincoln Trotting Wolf, was a talented weaver. He even built his own rug loom. He made rugs and blankets on their front porch.

Mel's cousins were skilled at weaving baskets. His father was a silversmith. These family members gave Mel many ways to be creative when he was young. He spent many summers with his Cherokee family in Jay. His public school teachers also encouraged him. He started making figures from wet plaster. He also created sculptures from metal.

Education and Learning Pottery

After finishing high school in 1970, Mel went to Bacone College. This college is in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He then moved to Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. He planned to study law there. During this time, Mel took an art class. This class sparked his interest in making pottery.

In 1975, Mel got a job as an apprentice potter. He worked at Silver Dollar City, a theme park in Missouri. This job helped him improve his art every day. He spent three to four hours daily perfecting his pottery for tourists. Mel left Silver Dollar City in 1977. He then moved to Colorado and worked as a land surveyor. After six months, he returned home. He set up his own pottery studio in Kansas City, Missouri.

Developing His Artistic Career

When Mel opened his own studio, he started showing his work. He entered more art shows and displayed pieces in galleries. As he began to participate in more Native American art shows, more galleries wanted to feature his work. In the early 1980s, Mel often had 15 to 16 gallery shows each year.

Around this time, Mel started adding his unique Native designs to his pottery. The dragonfly became a special symbol for him. It is important in many tribal cultures. It also reminded him of his grandfather, Lincoln Trotting Wolf. Mel is also a part-owner of the Brady Artists Studio. He shares this studio with Donna Prigmore.

In 2007, Mel was chosen for a special program. It was a cultural exchange with African artists. The Kellogg Foundation and the Institute of American Indian Arts organized it. Mel worked in a Zulu village in South Africa. He held a workshop for Zulu potters. The program aimed to help American potters share tips. They taught how to better sell the Zulu potters' work. Mel helped them create clay masks and rattles. These items could then be sold in markets.

Notable Collections and Exhibitions

Mel Cornshucker is known as a modern potter. He believes his pieces should be useful. He also adds beautiful Native American designs to his work. He wants his pottery to show the spirit of Native Americans, both past and present. This reflects his heritage and celebrates human creativity.

His art has been shown in many important national markets. These include the Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival. He has also shown at the Santa Fe Indian Market. Other places include the Pueblo Grande Museum Indian Art Show in Phoenix, Arizona. He also participated in the Contemporary Indian Art Show at Cahokia.

Awards and Recognition

Mel Cornshucker has received several awards for his pottery:

• 2007: Selected for a cultural artist exchange program in South Africa. This was sponsored by the Kellogg Foundation and the Institute of American Indian Art.
• 2014: Winner of the modern pottery category. This was at the Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival in Oklahoma.
• 2014: Won "Best of Show" at the Greater Tulsa Indian Art Festival.
• 2014: Received the Moscelyne Larkin Cultural Achievement Award. This was from the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission.