Blackbear Bosin
Encyclopedia
Blackbear Bosin was a Comanche
-Kiowa
sculptor and painter
, also known as Tsate Kongia.
near Anadarko
. His parents were Frank Blackbear and Ada Tivis Bosin. His Kiowa name, Tsate Kongia, means "Blackbear" and belongs to his grandfather, a Kiowa chief. He attended St. Patrick's Mission School in Anadarko and was exposed to the paintings of the Kiowa Five
.
In 1940, Bosin graduated from Cyril High School and moved moved to Wichita, Kansas
in 1940.
He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps
and served during World War II
. In Kansas, he worked as a color separator and plate maker for Western Lithograph and as an artist for Boeing.
In 2010, Margaret Williams Norton wrote a book about Blackbear Bosin that focuses on his Keeper of the Plains sculpture that sits at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers in Wichita, Kansas.
. His first solo exhibition was in Honolulu, Hawaii
in 1945.
In 1955, National Geographic featured his acclaimed painting, Prairie Fire. He was the only Native American artist to participate in the 1965 White House Festival of Arts.
Perhaps his most famous work is Wichita's iconic The Keeper of the Plains
, a 44-foot steel sculpture erected in 1974 at the confluence of the Arkansas
and Little Arkansas
rivers. It depicts a Native American
warrior offering a blessing to the sky.
Bosin also designed the insignia for the Wolf Creek Nuclear power plant.
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
-Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
sculptor and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, also known as Tsate Kongia.
Background
Francis Blackbear Bosin was born June 5, 1921 in Cyril, OklahomaCyril, Oklahoma
Cyril is a town in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,168 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cyril is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
near Anadarko
Anadarko, Oklahoma
Anadarko is a city in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caddo County.-Early History:Anadarko got its name when its post office was established in 1873...
. His parents were Frank Blackbear and Ada Tivis Bosin. His Kiowa name, Tsate Kongia, means "Blackbear" and belongs to his grandfather, a Kiowa chief. He attended St. Patrick's Mission School in Anadarko and was exposed to the paintings of the Kiowa Five
Kiowa Five
The Kiowa Five or Kiowa Six is a group of six Kiowa artists from Oklahoma in the 20th century. They were Spencer Asah, James Auchiah, Jack Hokeah, Stephen Mopope, Lois Smoky, and Monroe Tsatoke.-Background:...
.
In 1940, Bosin graduated from Cyril High School and moved moved to Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
in 1940.
He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and served during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In Kansas, he worked as a color separator and plate maker for Western Lithograph and as an artist for Boeing.
In 2010, Margaret Williams Norton wrote a book about Blackbear Bosin that focuses on his Keeper of the Plains sculpture that sits at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers in Wichita, Kansas.
Art career
Essentially self-taught, Bosin combined Southern Plains flat style painting with surrealismSurrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
. His first solo exhibition was in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
in 1945.
In 1955, National Geographic featured his acclaimed painting, Prairie Fire. He was the only Native American artist to participate in the 1965 White House Festival of Arts.
Perhaps his most famous work is Wichita's iconic The Keeper of the Plains
The Keeper of the Plains
The Keeper of the Plains is a Cor-Ten steel sculpture by Kiowa-Comanche artist Blackbear Bosin. It sits at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers in Wichita, Kansas...
, a 44-foot steel sculpture erected in 1974 at the confluence of the Arkansas
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
and Little Arkansas
Little Arkansas River
The Little Arkansas River is a river located in south-central Kansas. It rises in northern Rice County just north of Lyons and flows southeast past Buhler and Halstead to meet the Arkansas River in Wichita....
rivers. It depicts a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
warrior offering a blessing to the sky.
Bosin also designed the insignia for the Wolf Creek Nuclear power plant.
Collections
- Buffalo Bill Historical CenterBuffalo Bill Historical CenterThe Buffalo Bill Historical Center is a complex of museums displaying artifacts and art of the American West located in Cody, Wyoming. Founded in 1917, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center is the oldest museum in the West...
, Cody, WyomingCody, WyomingCody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census... - Bureau of Indian AffairsBureau of Indian AffairsThe Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
, United States Department of the InteriorUnited States Department of the InteriorThe United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... - Denver Art MuseumDenver Art MuseumThe Denver Art Museum is an art museum in Denver, Colorado located in Denver's Civic Center.It is known for its collection of American Indian art,and has a comprehensive collection numbering more than 68,000 works from across the world....
- Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western ArtEiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western ArtThe Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, and houses an extensive collection of Native American art, as well as Western American paintings and sculptures collected by buinessman and philanthropist Harrison Eiteljorg...
, IndianapolisIndianapolisIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S... - Gilcrease MuseumGilcrease MuseumGilcrease Museum is a museum located northwest of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. The museum now houses the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art of the American West as well as a growing collection of art and artifacts from Central and South America...
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Heard MuseumHeard MuseumThe Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art is a museum located in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. There is also the Heard Museum North Scottsdale branch in Scottsdale and the Heard Museum West branch in Surprise....
, PhoenixPhoenix, ArizonaPhoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data... - Indian Arts and Crafts Board, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
- Philbrook Museum of ArtPhilbrook Museum of ArtThe Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma is an art museum and former home of Oklahoma oil pioneer Waite Phillips and his wife Genevieve Phillips. , the museum has a staff of 60 and an operating budget of nearly $6 million....
, Tulsa, Oklahoma - Wichita Art Association Gallery, Wichita, Kansas
- Wichita Art MuseumWichita Art MuseumThe Wichita Art Museum is an art museum located in Wichita, Kansas. It was established in 1915, when Louise Murdock’s Will created a trust to start a collection of art works by “American painters, potters, sculptors, and textile weavers.” The collection includes works by Mary Cassatt, Arthur G...
, Kansas. - Private Collection, Stevan Allen, Morgan Hill, CaliforniaMorgan Hill, CaliforniaMorgan Hill is a city located in the southern part of Santa Clara County, California, United States. Founded on November 10, 1906, the city was named after Hiram Morgan Hill, a San Franciscan who built a country retreat home there in 1884...
- Private Collection, Anonymous, Wichita, Kansas
Death
Bosin died on August 9, 1980. He was survived by his second wife, Nola Davidson Simmons, his four children, and one stepson.See also
- Kiowa FiveKiowa FiveThe Kiowa Five or Kiowa Six is a group of six Kiowa artists from Oklahoma in the 20th century. They were Spencer Asah, James Auchiah, Jack Hokeah, Stephen Mopope, Lois Smoky, and Monroe Tsatoke.-Background:...
- Native American artNative American artVisual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas encompasses the visual artistic traditions of the indigenous peoples of the Americas from ancient times to the present...
External links
- "Blackbear Bosin (1921-1980)", Mid-American All Indian Center