The Jacobson House Native Art Center has made a new addition to the museum with the exhibit "Typical, Atypical: The Art of Five American Indian Artists in the 21st Century."

The exhibit will be featured today through Sept. 1, displaying artwork of five artists who offer both traditional and contemporary works.

The art forms express the Native American perception of today's society. The exhibit displays artwork about all aspects of Native American life, allowing each artist to represent their own or what others may see about Native American life.

"Medium of Exchange No. 3," by Brent Greenwood, has a resplendent buffalo juxtaposed with a dollar bill expressing the sale and degradation of traditional American Indian culture.

"Do N-D-N Artists Go To Santa Fe When They Die ... ," by Richard Ray Whitman, is a mixed media presentation representing the removal of Native Americans from their traditional homes and the strange cultural ideas that developed.

Unlike most exhibits at the Jacobson House, the works of many different artists are displayed together instead of by artist.

"We interspersed the paintings on display to highlight that American Indian art can't be stereotyped," said John Parrish, executive director of The Jacobson House Art Center.

"Indian art is more than just teepees and buffaloes. It's an extremely diverse culture," Parrish said.

Hachivi Edgar, "Heap of Birds," is a Cheyenne artist and painting instructor at OU. He will be on sabbatical through the end of the year, to serve as an artist-in-residence at Greatmore Studios in Cape Town, South Africa.

Heap of Birds creates art "from concepts and images that present a pulse of forms in action, reflecting the constructive and destructive politics of daily life."

Richard Ray Whitman is a Yuchi Indian who has achieved recoginition in the local community with films, paintings, instillation art and mixed media.

His subject matter deals less with "typical" themes in Native American art, and more with the problems facing American Indians in 2002.

Huzo Paddlety is a Kiowa who displays his art as monuments and outdoor murals throughout Western Oklahoma.

His trademark is vibrant color used to illustrate traditional subject matter sometimes blended with humor. This style can make his traditional themes seem contemporary or abstract.

Buffalo Gouge has Cherokee and Creek ancestry and exhibits his art at his studio in Santa Fe. He has also shown his art at the Cherokee Nation Museum, the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, and numerous IAIA shows. He paints traditional themes with sophistication and a contemporary touch.

Brent Greenwood is a graduate of The Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M., and has been honored by the publication Southwest Art as one of the "young artists to watch".

He is exhibiting his work at the Bennington Center for the Arts in Vermont. His style presents Native themes in acrylic paintings on campus.

The Jacobson House is located at 609 Chautauqua Ave. in Norman.

For information concerning the exhibit or future exhibits, call the center at 366-1667 or visit its Web site at www.jacobsonhouse.com
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