Tyra Shackleford facts for kids

Tyra Shackleford is a talented artist from the Chickasaw Nation. She was born in Ada, Oklahoma. Tyra creates amazing art using special hand-weaving methods. Her main techniques are called sprang, fingerweaving, and twining. These methods are very old, used by Native Americans long before Europeans arrived. Tyra uses these traditional skills to make both classic and modern art, including things you can wear! Her beautiful artwork has been shown in museums and galleries all over the United States since 2011. Tyra's main goal is to help keep her Chickasaw culture and traditions alive and to teach others about them through her art.

About Tyra Shackleford

Tyra Shackleford grew up in Ada, Oklahoma. Her parents were both teachers. Her dad, Randy, taught math and computer science. Her mom taught chemistry. When Tyra was young, her father helped her connect with her Chickasaw culture.

Early Life and Learning

Tyra went to Chickasaw community meetings. She also performed traditional dances, like the stomp dance. She took classes to learn the Chickasaw language and traditional art. This is where she learned many weaving techniques.

A very important teacher for Tyra was Wisey Narcomey. Wisey was an elder from the Seminole tribe. When Tyra was twelve, Wisey taught her how to do traditional fingerweaving. Wisey also danced with Tyra when she was younger.

College and Career

Tyra went to college at East Central University in Ada. She studied chemistry and also math. After college, Tyra decided to follow her passion for weaving.

From 2009 to 2015, she worked for the Chickasaw Nation Cultural Resources department. She started by showing people how to do traditional crafts. Later, she became a special projects coordinator. During this time, she continued to do stomp dance demonstrations and show off her weaving skills.

Tyra's husband, James, encouraged her to try new things with her art. This helped her combine traditional Native American art with more modern and creative ideas.

Weaving Techniques

Tyra Shackleford uses three main weaving techniques. These methods are very old and were used by Native Americans long ago.

Sprang Weaving

One technique Tyra uses is called sprang. She used this method to create her famous artwork, "The Lady." Sprang is an ancient way to make fabric without a loom. The threads wrap around each other to create cool patterns. The finished piece often looks like a net.

Fingerweaving

Another technique is fingerweaving. With this method, artists create patterns like diagonals, diamonds, or arrowheads. They do this without using a loom. Fingerweaving is often used to make belts, sashes, and straps. These items are a type of art you can wear.

Twining

The third technique is twining. In twining, the threads are spaced out. This creates small holes that form interesting patterns. These patterns can look like figures or geometric shapes. The type of yarn used can also make the art colorful and vibrant.

Tyra has also done other crafts, like beadwork and basket weaving. But she loves the three weaving techniques the most.

Amazing Artworks

Tyra Shackleford has created many beautiful and important artworks.

"The Lady" (2017)

"The Lady" is one of Tyra's most famous pieces. It is a tall, ghost-like shawl, about 9 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Tyra made it using the sprang technique, without a loom or modern tools. The artwork honors Chickasaw culture. The title refers to the Lady of Cofitachequi. She was a powerful Native American leader who met with early European explorers. This artwork shows the strength of Chickasaw women. "The Lady" is now kept at the Eiteljorg Museum of the American Indians and Western Art.

"Twin Turkey" (2018)

"Twin Turkey" is a design made with the sprang weaving technique. This method is often used for clothing. However, Tyra used it to create a modern art piece. The artwork shows two turkeys and a cedar tree. The cedar tree is in the middle. It is inspired by an ancient carving from the Mississippian era. The cedar tree represents three worlds: the sky (upperworld), the water (underworld), and our world. The two turkeys represent our world, connecting the sky and water.

"Oshiitiik" (2017)

Tyra started making "Oshiitiik" when she was expecting her daughter, Zora Rose. The bag has a rose in the center. "Oshiitiik" means "daughter" in the Chickasaw language. Tyra planned to give this bag to Zora Rose after her first birthday. Tyra used two traditional Chickasaw techniques for this piece: twining and fingerweaving. She used twining to make the bag itself and fingerweaving for the strap.

Art Shows and Collections

Tyra Shackleford's art has been shown in many places. It is also part of important museum collections.

Group Exhibitions

• Chickasaw Visitor Center, Oklahoma (March - July 2015)
• Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art, The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA (August 2019 - January 2020)
• University of North Carolina Museum of the Southeast American Indian, Pembroke, North Carolina (March - July 2020)
• The Heard Museum Indian Fair & Market, Phoenix, Arizona (March 2020)
• Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas (September 2020 - January 2021)

Permanent Collections

Tyra Shackleford's art is kept permanently in these places:

• Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
• Santa Fe Indian Market (New Mexico)
• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, D.C.)

Awards and Recognition

Tyra Shackleford has received several awards for her amazing artwork.

• Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award for her finger-woven shawl called The Lady.
• First Place and Best of Division at the Southwest Association of Indian Art (SWAIA) for a sprang-made shawl.