Lois Harjo Ball (1906–1982) was a Native American painter, basket maker, and

ceramic art Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take forms including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is one of the visual arts. ...

ist from

Okmulgee, Oklahoma Okmulgee is a city in, and the county seat of, Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. The name is from the Mvskoke word ''okimulgee,'' which means "boiling waters".Bamburg, Maxine"Okmulgee,"''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Accessed June 16 ...

, and a citizen of the Muscogee Nation.

Early life

Ball was the daughter of Henry Marsey Harjo and Katie Monahwee. She was a grand-daughter of Muscogee chief

Menawa Menawa, first called ''Hothlepoya'' (c. 1765 – c. 1836-40), was a Muscogee (Creek) chief and military leader. He was of mixed race, with a Creek mother and a fur trader father of mostly Scots ancestry. As the Creek had a matrilineal syst ...

. Ball graduated from Okmulgee High School in 1926 and

Art career

Ball painted for her entire adult life. She supported native art and encouraged others to learn about their heritage. She studied at

Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The university offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, graduate master's degrees and docto ...

and Stephens College and is known for her paintings. Her works are in the collections of institutions including the Creek Council House and Museum in Okmulgee.

Legacy

In particular, Ball was a strong influence on her grand-niece

Joy Harjo Joy Harjo ( ; born May 9, 1951) is an American poet, musician, playwright, and author. She served as the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, the first Native American to hold that honor. She was also only the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetr ...

, who was later a

United States Poet Laureate The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the poet laureate seeks to raise the national cons ...

. Joy Harjo dedicated her 1983 book ''She Had Some Horses'' to her great-aunt Lois. A scholarship for Muscogee Nation students of fine arts, the Naomi & Lois Harjo Scholarship, is named in honor of Ball.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ball, Lois Harjo Native American painters Native American women artists Painters from Oklahoma Muscogee people 1906 births 1982 deaths People from Okmulgee, Oklahoma Oklahoma City University alumni Stephens College alumni 20th-century Native American women 20th-century Native Americans