Terry Saul
Choctaw/Chickasaw artist and educator (1921–1976)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chief Carl Terry Saul (1921–1976) also known as C. Terry Saul and Tabaksi, was a Choctaw Nation/Chickasaw illustrator, painter, muralist, commercial artist, and educator.[1][2] He was a leader of the Choctaw/Chickasaw tribe. He served as Director of the art program at Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma, from 1970 until 1976.[3][4]
Chief Terry Saul | |
|---|---|
| Born | Carl Terry Saul April 2, 1921 |
| Died | May 1976 (aged 54–55) Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Other names | Tabaksi, C. Terry Saul |
| Citizenship | Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, American |
| Education | Bacone College, University of Oklahoma, Art Students League of New York |
Biography
Saul was a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.[5] He attended Bacone College,[1] where he studied under Acee Blue Eagle,[6] and Woody Crumbo.[6] His classmates at Bacone College included Walter Richard “Dick” West Sr. and Oscar Howe, all of which started the early process of departing for traditional Native art and painting-styles, and moving towards Surrealism and engaging in modernist aesthetics.[7]
He served in the United States Army during World War II.[8] After the war, Saul continued his studies at University of Oklahoma, Norman (OU), where he received a BFA degree (1948) and MFA degree (1949); and at the Art Students League of New York, from 1951 to 1952.[1][8] Saul was the first Native American student to receive a MFA degree from the University of Oklahoma.[9]
In 1960, he lived in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and in addition to painting, Saul worked at the Phillips Petroleum Company.[10] He is known for his watercolor paintings, and casein paintings depicting Plains Tribes heritage and ceremonies.[11][10] He later returned to teach at Bacone College, where he served as the Director of the art program from 1970 to 1976.[3] One of his students was Joan Brown.[12]
His artwork is in museum collections, including the Gilcrease Museum,[13] Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art,[14] and the Philbrook Museum of Art.[15]
Publications
- Grerory, Jack; Strickland, Rennard (1972). Choctaw Spirit Tales. Chief Terry Saul (illustrations), Indian Heritage Association (1st ed.). Muskogee, OK: Hoffman Printing Company.