Ruthe Blalock Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruthe Blalock Jones
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Born |
Ruthe Blalock Jones
Chulundit June 8, 1939 |
Nationality | Delaware-Shawnee-Peoria |
Education | MA Northeastern State University, BFA University of Tulsa, AA Bacone College |
Known for | painting, printmaking |
Movement | Bacone school |
Awards | Red Earth Festival Grand Award, 1987 Oklahoma Governor's Arts and Education Award, 1993 Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame, 1995 Bacone College's Dick West Award, 2000 Red Earth Honored One, 2011 |
Ruthe Blalock Jones, born in 1939, is a talented artist from Oklahoma. She is known for her beautiful paintings and prints. Ruthe is a member of the Delaware, Shawnee, and Peoria Native American tribes.
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About Ruthe Blalock Jones
Ruthe Blalock Jones was born on June 8, 1939, in Claremore, Oklahoma. Her parents were Joe and Lucy Parks Blalock. Her Native American name is Chulundit. She is officially part of the Shawnee Tribe. Her father was Shawnee and Peoria, and her mother was Delaware. She belongs to the Horse Clan of the Lower Band of Shawnee.
Ruthe studied art at several colleges. She earned degrees from Bacone College, the University of Tulsa, and Northeastern State University. Her journey as an artist began very early, when she was just ten years old. At that young age, she was already learning from a famous artist named Charles Banks Wilson.
Ruthe's Art Career
Ruthe Blalock Jones started showing her art at a young age. When she was 13, she entered her first art show at the Philbrook Museum of Art. She even received an honorable mention, which is a special award.
Ruthe uses many different materials in her art. She works with oil paints, acrylics, watercolors, and even pen and ink. She also creates prints called monotypes.
Awards and Recognition
Ruthe Blalock Jones has received many awards for her amazing artwork. Her first art award was an honorable mention at the Philbrook Museum of Art's annual show in 1954. She was 15 years old at the time.
In 1995, she was honored by being added to the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame. In 2011, she was named the Honored One at the Red Earth Festival, a big event celebrating Native American culture. In 2014, she received the American Indian Circle of Honor Award from the Tulsa City-County Library.
Dr. Mary Jo Watson, an art historian, has said that Ruthe's art shows how proud she is of her tribal heritage. Dr. Watson also noted that Ruthe pays close attention to making sure the clothing and ceremonies in her paintings look real. Some of her paintings might even be memories from her own childhood. Dr. Watson also shared that Ruthe has many talents, like being a champion hoop dancer and a great cook!
Where to See Ruthe's Art
Ruthe Jones' artwork can be found in many public places. This means people can visit these places to see her art.
- Bacone College
- Five Civilized Tribes Museum
- Heard Museum
- George Gustav Heye Center
- Murrow Indian's Children's Home
- Northeastern State University
- Okmulgee Public School System
- Philbrook Museum of Art
- Red Earth Museum
- Sequoyah National Research Center
- Southern Plains Indian Museum
- Tulsa Performing Arts Center
- University of Tulsa
- United States Department of the Interior
Books Featuring Ruthe's Work
Ruthe Blalock Jones has also contributed to books. Her art and writings help share Native American culture and traditions.
- "Delaware Commentaries." This was part of a book called Voices from the Delaware Big House Ceremony, published in 2001.
- "The Bread Dance: A Shawnee Ceremony of Thanks of Renewal." This was included in the book Hero, Hawk, and Open Hand: American Indian Art of the Ancient Midwest and South, published in 2004.