Exhibit C Gallery: A New Chapter with the Emergence Exhibition
On March 7, 2025, from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Exhibit C Gallery will open its doors at its new home in the Horizons District of Oklahoma City. I’m honored to be part of the inaugural exhibition, “Emergence: Explorations of New Horizons,” a show featuring original work by 11 Chickasaw artists that reflects themes of growth, regeneration, and new beginnings.
The Horizons District, adjacent to the First Americans Museum and OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark, provides a new cultural space for the gallery to continue its mission of sharing First American art and stories. The new location includes 10,000 square feet of gallery space and 2,000 square feet of artist studios. This move represents an exciting step forward, and I’m thrilled to contribute work to this milestone exhibition.
The Work I’m Contributing
For Emergence, I’m presenting a series of bronze sculptures that explore memory, identity, and the passage of time. These works are tactile, textured, and, I hope, compelling in the way they evoke a sense of history while remaining rooted in the present.
I’m always fascinated by the relationship between what endures and what erodes, and bronze, with its ability to carry the impression of a single fingerprint across centuries, feels like the perfect medium for that exploration. The surface texture of these pieces carries the gestures of my hands, inviting a connection that feels both immediate and ancient.
The turquoise patina recalls memories from my childhood, specifically moments with my grandfather and the vivid colors of aged copper artifacts. While the sculptures are rooted in my Chickasaw and Choctaw heritage, they don’t speak directly of identity in a literal sense. Instead, they exist as fragments—gestures of a narrative that I hope resonate on a universal level.
The pieces in this series are:
• Shutik – Bronze, 8.5cm x 19cm x 8.5cm (2022)
• Tohmi Pulli – Bronze, 8.5cm x 11cm x 7cm (2022)
• Yohbi – Bronze, 10cm x 11.5cm x 9cm (2022)
These works are mounted on rough wooden bases, the texture of the wood contrasting with the smooth, cold permanence of the bronze. It’s a material dialogue between organic and elemental forces—between memory and the present moment.
About Exhibit C Gallery’s Move to Horizons District
The relocation of Exhibit C Gallery to the Horizons District is significant, not only because of its expanded size but also because of its proximity to cultural landmarks like the First Americans Museum. This move underscores the gallery’s commitment to First American artists and creates new opportunities for collaboration, education, and engagement with the community.
The new gallery includes seven rentable artist studios, providing dedicated space for creative work and helping to foster a growing community of First American artists.
Grand Opening Events
The gallery’s opening celebration spans three days, with the main reception on:
Friday, March 7, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Opening reception with live entertainment and refreshments
• First look at “Emergence: Explorations of New Horizons”
Additional events across the weekend will include artist talks, tours, and opportunities to engage with the work and the artists behind it.
Reflection on Emergence and the New Space
Participating in Emergence feels especially meaningful to me, given the gallery’s move and the exhibition’s thematic focus on new horizons. The act of creating is, at its core, a process of emergence—of bringing form from formlessness, of shaping raw materials into something that carries meaning.
This gallery has long been a space that champions First American voices, offering a platform for contemporary expressions of deeply rooted traditions. To be part of its next chapter is both humbling and exciting.
I hope you’ll join us on March 7 to experience the new space, connect with the artwork, and celebrate this moment of transformation for Exhibit C Gallery.
For more details about the event and the exhibition, visit the gallery’s website or reach out directly.
