Archives for Alabaster

‘My Art is About Messages’

Oreland C. Joe is committed to three things in life: his family, his art, and encouraging young Native Americans to preserve their culture. “The most valuable lesson one could ever learn in any field,” he says, “is to give your success back to the children and the community.” That is exactly what Joe is doing through a foundation he started in 2018, but more about that later. Joe has earned great acclaim for the artwork he creates, which includes paintings, stone carvings, bronze sculptures, and jewelry. He has won more awards than we have space to list here, and his
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Releasing the Spirit

When Doug Hyde was commissioned to create a sculpture for the town of Joseph, Oregon, one of the first things he did was to go there. He knew the story of what had happened in Joseph. Hyde knew that it took its name from Chief Joseph, who led the Nez Perce people, when the government relocated them from their home in the lovely Wallowa Valley in northeastern Oregon, to a reservation in Idaho. He knew that it had been a sad time in Nez Perce history, and that even now, as the tribe continues to return to the area, feelings
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‘This is My Calling’

Best known for his magnificent stone carvings, Oreland Joe also puts his artistic skills to good use in creating bronze sculptures, as well as paintings and jewelry. His creativity doesn’t end there, however. “I’ve ventured into filmmaking and am writing a book,” he says, adding that the process for both will take two to three years to complete. “The film is an historic documentary about a 4-year-old Ute boy who was stolen by the Cheyenne in 1849. He was called Yellow Nose and was adopted and raised by Spotted Wolf, head chief of the Northern Cheyenne. At age 12, there
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The Studio of Doug Hyde

When visualizing the studio of Native American sculptor Doug Hyde, few would suspect that an ordinary looking cinder block building located in a small town some 25 miles outside of Prescott, Arizona, houses the creative space of one of the country’s most talented and respected artists. After moving from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Prescott approximately 11 years ago, Hyde chose to work out of his home studio for a time. As demand for his sculptures continued to grow, however, he realized that he not only needed a larger working space but also a location where residential neighbors would not
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