Richard Aitson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Aitson
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Richard Aitson, 2008
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Buffalo Rider
December 26, 1953 Anadarko, Oklahoma, U.S.
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| Died | June 24, 2022 |
| Education | Kimball Union Academy, Oberlin College, Institute of American Indian Arts |
| Known for | Beadwork, poetry |
| Movement | Kiowa art |
| Awards | Red Earth Festival Grand Award, Jackie Autry Purchase Prize |
Richard Aitson (born December 26, 1953 – died June 24, 2022) was a talented artist. He was a member of the Kiowa and Kiowa Apache tribes from Oklahoma. Richard was known for his amazing beadwork, for organizing art shows, and for writing poetry.
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Richard Aitson's Early Life and Education
Richard Aitson was born in Anadarko, Oklahoma, on December 26, 1953. His mother, Alecia Keahbone Gonzales, was a Kiowa traditionalist. She taught the Kiowa language at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. Richard's Kiowa name means "Buffalo Rider." His family had a long history of artists. He came from five generations of skilled beadworkers.
Richard went to several schools to learn and grow. He attended the Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire. He also studied at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. Later, he went to the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Richard's Work as a Curator and Teacher
In 1976, Richard Aitson helped create documentaries. These films were for the United States Bicentennial Commission. They showed important Native American events. In 1979, he worked at the Squash Blossom Gallery in Aspen, Colorado. This is where he first started organizing art shows. He became very good at it.
Richard organized many group art shows. One famous show was "Winter Camp 2000." It was held at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. He also shared his knowledge by teaching. He taught Native American literature at Anadarko High School. He was also an art professor at Bacone College.
Richard Aitson's Beadwork Art
Richard Aitson started doing beadwork because he needed to. He was invited to join the special Kiowa Gourd Clan. To be a part of it, he had to learn how to bead. He needed to make his own special clothing for the gourd dance.
Richard called his art "contemporary-traditional." This means it was both new and old at the same time. He made beaded dance outfits for Native American people. He also created beautiful bead art for art collectors and museums.
Famous Beadwork: Cradleboards
Richard was especially known for his fully beaded cradleboards. These were real, working cradleboards. He also made tiny miniature cradleboards. For these, he used extremely small beads. He once wrote about his art. He said he was inspired by beadwork from the World War years. He also liked art from the Reservation Era. He believed that the best Kiowa beadwork was made during those times. Even when beads were hard to find, amazing art was created. This art connected the past with the future.
Richard Aitson's Poetry
Richard Aitson also wrote poems. His poems were inspired by old Kiowa stories. These stories were passed down by speaking, not writing. A writer named Alan Velie said that Richard's poems were very powerful. They mixed dream visions with the idea that nature has a spirit. This created strong and beautiful images. Richard was also inspired by a Chilean poet named Pablo Neruda.
Exhibitions and Awards
In 1992, Richard Aitson had his own art show. It was at the Southern Plains Indian Museum in Anadarko. This museum is part of the US Department of Interior. His art won many awards over the years. In 1997, he won the Grand Award at the Red Earth Festival. In 2005, he received the Jackie Autry Purchase Prize from the Southwest Museum. Many of his artworks are kept in the permanent collection. You can find them at the Sequoyah National Research Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
See also
