About the Artist
Lance Straughn
Native American Artist
Biography
Lance Straughn was first inspired to capture the inherent beauty of Native American culture very young while attending stomp dances with his Chickasaw grandmother. Later, while living in New Mexico, Lance was attracted to southwest art by the work of Nicolai Fechin and Ramon Kelley and honed his technique by painting portraits of the local Pueblo Indians.
While in Taos, Lance was introduced to sculpting by A. Kelly Pruitt and has used this three-dimensional medium to show the noble dignity of the Indigenous people.
Being Chickasaw, Lance's art gives the viewer a unique perspective of Native American culture and traditions. His use of brilliant colors and bold brushwork invokes in the observer a feeling of getting a glimpse of authentic Native American life.
Lance's sculptures and paintings have won awards at several Native American competitions, including The Five Civilized Tribes Museum, South Eastern Art Show and Market, and the Artesian Art Festival.
His art can be found in both private and public collections including the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muscogee, Oklahoma and two paintings in the Department of Interior Museum in Washington D. C.
In 2024, Lance was inducted into the Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame.
Events:
One man show, Jacobson House Native Art Center 2019
SEASAM 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018
Artesian Art Festival 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Five Civilized Tribes Museum 2012
Red Earth 2012
OAG Oklahoma Friendly, 2012
Exhibitions:
Permanent collection, Department of Interior Museum, Washington, D.C.
Permanent collection, Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Muscogee, Oklahoma
"Chikasha Poya", Smithsonian Museum, Washington, D.C. 2014
Tribes Gallery, Norman, Oklahoma
Open to additional gallery representation
Bibliography:
Gene Lehmann, "Special O U Venue Stirs "Spirit of Chickasaw Artist", Ada News, February 8, 2019, p. 1
Cameron Michell, "The Sculpting of our Culture", Chokma Chickasaw Magazine, Spring, 2018 P. 8 - 17
Chickasaw Nation, "Fed agency purchases Chickasaw's painting", Red Lake Nation News, September 17, 2021
Red Lake Nation News,"Straughn to feature 'spirit', traditional art at Artesian Arts Festival, June 23, 2022
Chickasaw Nation, "Interior Museum Purchases Straughn's 'Night Run', September 21, 2022
Gene Lehmann, "Chickasaw Hall of Famer ready for Artesian Arts Festival", Chickasaw Times, April 2024
Memberships:
Southwestern Association for Indian Arts
Oil Painters of America
