TISHOMINGO, Okla. – Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby’s vision of showcasing Southeastern Indian artists will celebrate its 18th anniversary Oct. 6-7 during Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival.

A bevy of artists representing the Five Civilized Tribes – Chickasaw, Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee and Seminole – along with other Southeastern Indian tribes will showcase authentic Southeastern Indian art.

Jewelry, fashion, weapons, painting, sculpture and much more will be on display at the Southeastern Art Show and Market (SEASAM) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 6 and from 11 a.m. onward Oct. 7 after Governor Anoatubby delivers his annual State of the Nation Address.

Artists have an allotted area west of the Chickasaw National Capitol Building where they will display their work and visit with patrons, art lovers, tribal citizens and the general public.

SEASAM is a juried show for both youth and adult artists from federally recognized Southeastern Indian tribes. Awards are presented for the very best art at SEASAM representing several differing categories in which artists compete.

In 2022, third-generation Cherokee artist Bryan Waytula took SEASAM Best of Show, following in the footsteps of two master craftsmen and Cherokee Treasures, his grandmother, Betty Scraper-Garner, and mother, Vivian Cottrell.

Many acclaimed Chickasaw artists are expected to show works this year, including master woodworker and artist Richard Thomas who specializes in weaponry; Dustin Mater and his eclectic collection of works that have consistently wowed art lovers; Joanna Underwood Blackburn, a master potter who has also won awards for fashion; Daniel Worcester, whose forged knives and cutlery are in demand from museums to European art collectors, along with many others.

Governor Anoatubby’s vision and determination to see Southeastern Indian art rise to the same level as Southwestern art was enhanced in 2018 when he launched “Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art.”

This touring exhibition features 60 works by 15 renowned Chickasaw artists from painters, potters, sculptors, metalsmiths, weavers and more.

Chickasaw artists of “Visual Voices” offer unique, intrinsically Southeastern Indian designs and distinction among today’s contemporary tribal artists, including abstract, experimental, celebratory and thought-provoking art confirming a strong continuation of contemporary Chickasaw art endeavors going into the future.

Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival officially kicks off Sept. 29 with a social stickball game and traditional stomp dance at Kullihoma, east of Ada on State Highway 1. A full week of festivities are planned, including the crowning of Chickasaw princesses, the serving of a traditional meal, many cultural demonstrations and, on Oct. 5, the Chickasaw Nation’s cultural evening at the Chickasaw Cultural Center, Sulphur, Oklahoma, where Chickasaws are honored for preserving the tribe’s cultural heritage.

Governor Anoatubby’s State of the Nation Address is set for 9 a.m., Oct. 7, at Aiitafama’ Ishto “large meeting place” on the Chickasaw National Capitol grounds in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.

A complete list of events, locations and schedules will become available online at AnnualMeeting.Chickasaw.net. The event schedule is subject to change.

Follow Chickasaw Nation social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, for updates.

For more information, call (580) 371-2040 or email Kelcey.Upton@Chickasaw.net