Prominent contemporary artist Brent Greenwood was named this year鈥檚 recipient of the 野狼社区 University Petree College of Arts & Sciences Distinguished Alumni award.
Greenwood is the fine arts director for the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. He has won several awards for his work, much of which features acrylic and mixed media to highlight Native American history. He is known for his use of layers of paint, washes, drips and splatters to create depth and emotion, incorporating early tribal history with contemporary design elements.
鈥淏rent is an amazing artist whose dedication to his craft is beyond reproach,鈥� said Arts & Sciences Dean Amy Cataldi. 鈥淥CU and the Petree College of Arts & Sciences are grateful to Brent as he continuously gives back to the university with his time, talents and advocacy.鈥�
Greenwood鈥檚 painting 鈥淎likchi鈥� (Chickasaw for 鈥渉ealer鈥�) was unveiled in 2013 to celebrate the completion of OCU鈥檚 Kramer School of Nursing east building. His paintings have been featured in publications such as Southwest Art and Oklahoma Today. His artistic career is included in the book 鈥淯nconquered and Unconquerable, Indian Tribes of Oklahoma.鈥�
Greenwood鈥檚 work has been commissioned for private collections and as public art works, including a large mural in downtown Sulphur, Oklahoma, completed in 2021 that champions the Define Your Direction campaign for area youth. His art has been exhibited across North America and abroad as one of the 11 Native American artists to participate in the 2011 鈥淎rt En Capital鈥� in Paris. His art was selected for the cover of the Oklahoma Native Tourism Guide in 2010.
Greenwood earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from 野狼社区 University in 1997. He also holds a degree in two-dimensional art from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Greenwood, of Chickasaw and Ponca heritage, expresses pride in his tribal heritage beyond his paintings 鈥� he enjoys singing Ponca songs at local dances and at his church.
Chemistry professor Stephen Prilliman, the faculty advisor for OCU鈥檚 Native American Society student group, nominated Greenwood for the alumni award.
鈥淏rent Greenwood is a great role model for our Native American Society students because, as a practicing Chickasaw artist, he demonstrates that Indigenous culture is not something just in the past, it's a real, living, evolving thing. Native peoples value and honor the past, but Native culture is not something in a museum, it's something living and vital,鈥� Prilliman said.
