Willard Stone
Encyclopedia
Willard Stone was an important Native American
artist of the 20th century, best known for his wood sculptures done in a distinctively personal, flowing style inspired by Art Deco
.
. Stone's early interest in drawing and painting was thwarted when, at the age of 13, he picked up a blasting cap he found while walking home from school, and it exploded. Stone lost the thumb and most of two fingers on his right hand. He nevertheless became an accomplished sculptor and wood carver. He took art classes at Bacone College
, where he studied under Acee Blue Eagle
and Woody Crumbo
. Crumbo used his influence with oilman and collector Thomas Gilcrease
to further Stone's career, and in 1946 Gilcrease offered Stone an artist-in-residence position at the Gilcrease Museum
in Tulsa. Stone worked for Gilcrease for three years. He developed a distinctive modern style influenced by Art Deco
and Art Nouveau
, and took on contemporary topics such as nuclear warfare as well as less stylized works inspired by nature.
After leaving Gilcrease, Stone worked in Tulsa at an iron works and for Douglas Aircraft Company
. After 1961 he was finally able to devote himself entirely to art, opening a permanent studio near Locust Grove, Oklahoma
, from which he continued to work until his death in 1985. Stone was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1970 and received honorary degrees from Bacone College and Oklahoma Christian College
.
Stone, Crumbo, and Blue Eagle became the three Native American artists most closely identified with Gilcrease. Gilcrease ultimately acquired more than 50 of Stone's works. In addition to the large collection at Gilcrease, Stone's art is collected in many other museums, including the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee, the Cherokee Heritage Center
near Tahlequah, the Smithsonian, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
at the University of Oklahoma
, the Great Plains Art Museum at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
, and the Museum of Western Art
(formerly the Cowboy Artists of America
Museum) in Kerrville, Texas
.
Stone was one-quarter Cherokee
ancestry, but he was not an enrolled tribal member, making his classification as a Native American artist a source of controversy at times. His sculpture "Exodus", located at the Cherokee Heritage Center, is especially well known and is used extensively in Cherokee tribal materials. Stone's "Lady of Spring" was included in the 1997-98 White House
art exhibition "Twentieth Century American Sculpture at The White House: Honoring Native America." The guide to the White House exhibition calls Stone "the unsung hero of Native American sculpture", and describes "Lady of Spring" (an elongated female nude) as "classic Art Deco," comparing it to the nudes of Alberto Vargas
and "Spring Awakening" by Ferdinand Preiss
.
In 2009 the Gilcrease Museum held its first major exhibition in 20 years devoted to Stone's work, entitled "Storyteller in Wood."
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
artist of the 20th century, best known for his wood sculptures done in a distinctively personal, flowing style inspired by Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
.
Biography
Stone was born and raised in Oktaha, OklahomaOktaha, Oklahoma
Oktaha is a town in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 327 at the 2000 census. The town's former mayor is Jordan S. Stevens...
. Stone's early interest in drawing and painting was thwarted when, at the age of 13, he picked up a blasting cap he found while walking home from school, and it exploded. Stone lost the thumb and most of two fingers on his right hand. He nevertheless became an accomplished sculptor and wood carver. He took art classes at Bacone College
Bacone College
Bacone College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Founded in 1880 as the Indian University by Almon C. Bacone, Bacone College is the oldest continuously operated institution of higher education in Oklahoma...
, where he studied under Acee Blue Eagle
Acee Blue Eagle
Acee Blue Eagle , also named Alex C. McIntosh, Chebon Ahbulah , and Lumhee Holot-Tee , was a Muscogee Creek-Pawnee-Wichita artist, educator, dancer, and flute player.-Background:...
and Woody Crumbo
Woody Crumbo
Woodrow "Woody" Crumbo was an American Indian artist, flautist, and dancer of Potawatomi descent. As an independent prospector, he found one of the largest beryllium veins in the nation. His paintings are held by several prominent museums, including the Smithsonian Institution and the...
. Crumbo used his influence with oilman and collector Thomas Gilcrease
Thomas Gilcrease
William Thomas Gilcrease was an American oilman, art collector and philanthropist. During his lifetime, Gilcrease collected more than 10,000 artworks, 250,000 Native American artifacts and 100,000 rare books and documents, including the only surviving certified copy of the Declaration of...
to further Stone's career, and in 1946 Gilcrease offered Stone an artist-in-residence position at the Gilcrease Museum
Gilcrease Museum
Gilcrease Museum is a museum located northwest of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. The museum now houses the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art of the American West as well as a growing collection of art and artifacts from Central and South America...
in Tulsa. Stone worked for Gilcrease for three years. He developed a distinctive modern style influenced by Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
and Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
, and took on contemporary topics such as nuclear warfare as well as less stylized works inspired by nature.
After leaving Gilcrease, Stone worked in Tulsa at an iron works and for Douglas Aircraft Company
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
. After 1961 he was finally able to devote himself entirely to art, opening a permanent studio near Locust Grove, Oklahoma
Locust Grove, Oklahoma
Locust Grove is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,423 at the 2010 census compared to 1,366 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Locust Grove is located at ....
, from which he continued to work until his death in 1985. Stone was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1970 and received honorary degrees from Bacone College and Oklahoma Christian College
Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma Christian University is a private comprehensive coeducational Christian liberal arts university founded in 1950 by members of the churches of Christ. OC is located on a campus in Oklahoma City. Enrollment for the fall 2011 semester numbered 2,194, which included 1,854 undergraduate and...
.
Stone, Crumbo, and Blue Eagle became the three Native American artists most closely identified with Gilcrease. Gilcrease ultimately acquired more than 50 of Stone's works. In addition to the large collection at Gilcrease, Stone's art is collected in many other museums, including the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee, the Cherokee Heritage Center
Cherokee Heritage Center
The Cherokee Heritage Center is a non-profit historical society and museum campus that seeks to preserve the historical and cultural artifacts, language, and traditional crafts of the Cherokee. The Heritage center also hosts the central genealogy database and genealogy research center for the...
near Tahlequah, the Smithsonian, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is an art museum on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, Oklahoma.-Overview:The University of Oklahoma’s Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is one of the finest university art museums in the United States. Strengths of the nearly 16,000-object permanent collection...
at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, the Great Plains Art Museum at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
, and the Museum of Western Art
Museum of Western Art (Kerrville, Texas)
The Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, Texas, is a museum dedicated to the painting and sculpture of living artists of the American West who follow in the tradition of Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell...
(formerly the Cowboy Artists of America
Cowboy Artists of America
The Cowboy Artists of America was founded in 1965 by four prominent western artists, Joe Beeler, Charlie Dye, John Hampton and George Phippen, who have all since died...
Museum) in Kerrville, Texas
Kerrville, Texas
Kerrville is a city in Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population was 20,425 at the 2000 census. In 2009, the population was 22,826...
.
Stone was one-quarter Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
ancestry, but he was not an enrolled tribal member, making his classification as a Native American artist a source of controversy at times. His sculpture "Exodus", located at the Cherokee Heritage Center, is especially well known and is used extensively in Cherokee tribal materials. Stone's "Lady of Spring" was included in the 1997-98 White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
art exhibition "Twentieth Century American Sculpture at The White House: Honoring Native America." The guide to the White House exhibition calls Stone "the unsung hero of Native American sculpture", and describes "Lady of Spring" (an elongated female nude) as "classic Art Deco," comparing it to the nudes of Alberto Vargas
Alberto Vargas
Alberto Vargas was a noted Peruvian painter of pin-up girls. He is often considered one of the most famous of the pin-up artists...
and "Spring Awakening" by Ferdinand Preiss
Ferdinand Preiss
Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss was a German sculptor. He was born in Erbach im Odenwald as one of six children. Both of his parents died when he was 15 so that he was apprenticed to the ivory carver Philipp Willmann and lived with his family...
.
In 2009 the Gilcrease Museum held its first major exhibition in 20 years devoted to Stone's work, entitled "Storyteller in Wood."
External links
- Willard Stone Museum, Locust Grove, OklahomaLocust Grove, OklahomaLocust Grove is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,423 at the 2010 census compared to 1,366 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Locust Grove is located at ....
. - Jim Grant, "Wood Sculptor Willard Stone", in Oklahoma TodayOklahoma TodayOklahoma Today is the official magazine of the State of Oklahoma, United States, published in cooperation with the state department of tourism and recreation. It provides its readers the best of Oklahoma's people, places, travel, culture, food and outdoors in six issues a year.Oklahoma Today has...
, Autumn 1962, pp. 26–35 (retrieved March 21, 2009). - "The life and work of the celebrated sculptor (and native Oklahoman) Willard Stone." StudioTulsa interview with Scott Swearingen, maker of documentary film With the Grain: The Life and Art of Willard Stone, on University of TulsaUniversity of TulsaThe University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
radio station KWGSKWGSKWGS 89.5 FM is a National Public Radio station in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The station was Oklahoma's first FM radio station and is one of two stations operated by the University of Tulsa. The station was established in 1947 through the initiative of TU speech professor Ben Graf Henneke, later president...
, March 12, 2009 (retrieved April 1, 2009).