Grant Recipient: Jereldine Redcorn

Guest Blogger: Jackie Porter, Intern

500 years later the techniques and methods are still in circulation. Hand-coiled, engraved, stone burnished, and created in reverence of history; Oklahoma native Jereldine Redcorn revives Caddo pottery with aid from Native American museums, Native American publications, and her Caddo heritage.

Her ceramics have been bought by collectors at the Smithsonian to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Most notably, her vessel “Intertwining Scrolls” was selected by Barack Obama and his first lady to be on permanently display in the Oval Office at the White House.

Jeri, a Norman, OK resident , is an established artist, but in 2009 she realized in order to expand her reach, she needed to develop a website. She received a Professional Basics Grant from the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition to help create an online presence. This purpose of this grant is to aid artists with the physical presentation and documentation of their art in order to professionally develop themselves.

Since receiving the grant and creating her website, www.redcornpottery.com, she has sent it to The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas, and to friends in Germany. Through the grant, she has received orders and requests for lectures and demonstrations via her website. She also helps other artists write grants, and the website makes this easier. It helps exponentially when museum curators approach her, since it acts as an online portfolio.

With OVAC’s help, a large body of Jeri’s work can be seen by archaeologists, museum visitors, collectors, educators, and any one at any time with a nominal fee (just the cost of dial-up or wireless). The most significant factor of Jeri’s website is that 500 year old Caddo ceramics are able flirt with twentieth-century technology. Jeri is thankful for OVAC’s help and OVAC is grateful that to support artists like Jeri. 

OVAC Grants to Artists are available to Oklahoma artists at various stages of their careers to help with preparation of artwork for public presentation, continuing education, and major professional opportunities. Grants support artists' projects and application deadlines are quarterly.