Valjean McCarty Hessing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valjean McCarty Hessing
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Hessing, 1985
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Valjean McCarty
August 30, 1934 |
| Died | October 7, 2006 (aged 72) |
| Nationality | Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, American |
| Education | Mary Hardin–Baylor College University of Tulsa |
| Occupation | painter |
| Years active | 1945–2006 |
| Relatives | Jane McCarty Mauldin (sister) |
Valjean McCarty Hessing (born August 30, 1934 – died October 7, 2006) was a talented Choctaw artist. She was known for her unique painting style called the Bacone flatstyle. During her career, she won many awards for her art. In 1976, the Five Civilized Tribes Museum honored her as a Master Artist. Her beautiful paintings are displayed in famous museums across the United States. These include the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona and the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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Growing Up as an Artist
Valjean McCarty was born on August 30, 1934, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her parents were Madelyn Helen and Vernon Clay McCarty. Her family belonged to the Choctaw Nation. Valjean was the oldest of four children. Her siblings were Carol Jean, Patrick, and Judy Louise.
Her father was a plumber and an important tribal leader. Because he traveled a lot for work, Valjean grew up in Tulsa. She lived with her maternal grandparents, Sada and Fred Beck.
From a young age, Valjean wanted to be an artist. When she was 11, she won a scholarship to attend weekend classes. These classes were at the Philbrook Art Center. She studied art history, dancing, painting, and pottery. Starting in 1945, she showed her art at Philbrook. She won many local, state, and national awards for her paintings.
After finishing Tulsa Central High School in 1952, she earned three college scholarships. She chose to attend Mary Hardin–Baylor College in Belton, Texas. There, she met Robert C. Hessing, who was a veteran and a mathematician. They got married in 1954.
That same year, she returned to Tulsa to study at the University of Tulsa. She learned from the artist Alexandre Hogue. After finishing her studies in 1955, Valjean took time off to raise her four children. Even so, she kept studying art. In 1962, she taught herself the Bacone flatstyle of painting.
Her Artistic Journey
Hessing is best known for her narrative history paintings. She used a special paint called gouache with earthy colors on a white background. Her paintings had a two-dimensional look, which is typical of the Flatstyle movement. This style was popular among Native painters in the 20th century.
To make her paintings look deeper, she added fine lines. Shading was not allowed in this style. Even though some people thought women should not paint, Hessing felt it was important to keep the Flatstyle tradition alive. Native artists had to do a lot of research to make their work accurate. They carefully showed the stories of customs or historical events. They also made sure to correctly show clothing, patterns, and themes. Hessing wanted to show the different skin tones of people. She often painted scenes of daily Choctaw life or focused on old stories and legends of her people.
In 1962, Hessing started painting again and entered art shows. She participated in exhibitions like the Scottsdale National Indian Art Exhibition in Arizona. In 1966, she won second place at the Philbrook Indian Annual show. In 1971, Hessing won first prize for painting at the Scottsdale Exhibition. The next year, she won the Choctaw Heritage Award at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum. She often showed her art with her sister, Jane. In 1972, the Heard Museum in Phoenix even featured both sisters in an exhibition.
In 1973, her family moved to Naperville, Illinois, because her husband got a new job.
Becoming a Master Artist
In 1976, Hessing received a very special honor. The Five Civilized Tribes Museum named her a "Master Artist." This is the highest award the museum gives. By 2008, only 35 artists had ever received this honor.
In 1978, Hessing was recognized by the Heard Museum. She won the Pierce-Avery Memorial Award for her painting called Removal to Indian Territory. She won this award again in 1980. That year, she also had her own art show in Washington, DC.
In 1983, Hessing was one of the artists featured at the Mary B. Rogers Gallery. This gallery is part of the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, New Mexico. The next year, her family moved back to Tulsa.
In 1985, she took part in a special exhibition called Daughters of the Earth. This show traveled for three years across the United States and Europe. Her sister Jane and other famous Native women artists were also in this show. Throughout her career, Valjean McCarty Hessing won 90 awards for her paintings. This included nine grand awards.
Later Life and Legacy
When Hessing's husband retired in the early 1990s, they moved to Onarga, Illinois. Valjean McCarty Hessing passed away there on October 7, 2006.
Her artworks are kept in important collections. The U.S. Department of the Interior has her works in two collections in Washington, DC. Her paintings are also in the permanent collections of:
- the Heard Museum in Phoenix
- the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa
- the Southeast Missouri State University Museum in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
- the Southern Plains Indian Museum in Anadarko, Oklahoma
- the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe
In 2008, the Institute of American Indian Arts held a special show to honor her, called Valjean McCarty Hessing Honored. Her painting The Black Hat was even featured on the cover of a newspaper. In 2012, her painting Some Died along the Way was shown at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman, Oklahoma. In 2019, she was among the women artists featured in the Five Civilized Tribes Museum's Women of the Five Civilized Tribes Exhibit.
