TULSA, OK
The eye is attracted to a Shan Goshorn basket because of its fine craftsmanship. Then the brain kicks in, recognizing that the splints are more than the structure of the vessel. They are drawn, painted, printed, and written on to tell stories of racism and oppression. In an interview with filmmaker Sterlin Harjo (Seminole/Muscogee), Goshorn said, people were drawn to the “very unassuming shape” of a basket. “It’s a domestic container. It’s a vessel. People didn’t like the idea of being confronted with the possibility that they had been engaging or hanging onto racist or bigoted ideas.”
Goshorn (Eastern Band Cherokee, 1957-2018) incorporated bits of history on the paper splints to create an historical context for her political commentaries.
The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has assembled the exhibition, Weaving History into Art: The Enduring Legacy of Shan Goshorn, which will continue through March 28, 2021. The museum received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the exhibition.
This story is from the December - January 2021 edition of Native American Art Magazine.
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This story is from the December - January 2021 edition of Native American Art Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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Weaving History into Art
The legacy of Cherokee artist Shan Goshorn is honored during an exhibition at the Gilcrease Museum.
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