Residencies/Community Based Projects

Osage Arts & History Workshops

Artist Fellow Anita Fields hosted two experience-based workshops which provided an introduction to Osage traditional textile techniques and design. The continuation of the making and creating of finger weaving and ribbon work is integral to the participation in Osage ceremonies and dances. A brief history of the Osage people by Dr. Andrea Hunter was shared to promote a deeper understanding of Osage people.

Morning session Osage Ribbon Work with Ruth Shaw. Afternoon session Osage Finger Weaving with Renae Brumley. Photos © Tom Fields 2019

Making Our Way To The Table

Clay Installation, Oklahoma State University Museum, 2016

I collaborated with community members, OSU students, Stillwater school students, and museum staff to create this project. The nurturing properties of Mother Earth and the feminine force were the inspiration for the installation and became the metaphors for our creative efforts. Each participant was asked to acknowledge a woman in their life who has been good to them, supported them, and held them up. Individuals quickly coaxed and shaped the image of the woman they were honoring from a lump of clay. The clay figures take a seat at the table, the place where we share the joys and experiences of life, giving us the dynamic presence of something larger than ourselves. Photos © Tom Fields 2017

Nearing the Earth, 2014

During a month-long residency at the Nelson-Adkins Museum, Kansas City, Mo. I collaborated with Museum staff, visitors, school students, and community organizations to create the clay installation titled: "Nearing the Earth." Participants created clay figures, animals, and birds as metaphors representing narratives of the Osage creation story.

Nearing the Earth, 2014

Close up view.

Connecting the Earth and Sky

Community-based clay workshop and installation, April 2008, RARE PROGRAM recipient, thirty-day residency, Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, IN.

Connecting the Earth and Sky

Detail