Date of Birth:
July 2, 1911
Place of Birth:
Eufaula, OK.
Date of Death:
August 18,1980
Tribe(s)
Biography:
Fred Beaver was born to Annie Johnson & Willie Beaver on July 2, 1911 in Eufaula, OK. His grand father Itshaus Micco, a subchief of Okfuskee town group in Alabama, moved his people to what is now Eufaula, OK. After graduating from Eufaula High School in 1931, Fred studied at Bacone College & Haskell Indian School. During World War II, Fred.served in Italy in the u.s. Army Air Corp. In 1944, Fred received private instruction in art & voice in Italy. His early interests were in music & athletics, but in 1945 Fred began painting as a hobby.
Fred subsequently worked full-time as a clerk & interpreter with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Indian Field Service. He concurrently painted at night, achieving a distinguished record entering & winning numerous awards in every major Indian art competltion. In 1960, Fred retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to become a full-time artist. Although a Creek Indian, Fred is best known for his paintings of Seminole Indian life. Fred said he painted Seminole subjects because he wanted to be different. Fred worked in Gouache & Prints. Fred Beaver died on August 18, 1980 in Muskogee, OK.
Fred subsequently worked full-time as a clerk & interpreter with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Indian Field Service. He concurrently painted at night, achieving a distinguished record entering & winning numerous awards in every major Indian art competltion. In 1960, Fred retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to become a full-time artist. Although a Creek Indian, Fred is best known for his paintings of Seminole Indian life. Fred said he painted Seminole subjects because he wanted to be different. Fred worked in Gouache & Prints. Fred Beaver died on August 18, 1980 in Muskogee, OK.
Awards:
Fred exhibited his artwork extensively & won numerous awards at the All-American Indian Days (Sheridan, WY), the Hastings (NE) college Art Center, the American Indian Exposition(Anadarko, OK), the Arizona State Museum (Tucson AZ), the Bacone college McCombs Gallery (Muskogee, OK), the Bismark National Indian Art Show (ND), the Denver Art Museum(CO), the Heard Museum (Phoenix, AZ), the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, the Oklahoma Historical Society Museum (Oklahoma City, OK), the Hampton University (VA), the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonials (Gallup, NM), the Joslyn Art Museum (Omaha, NE), the Kewaunee County Museum (WI), the Laguna Gloria Art Museum (Austin, TX), the Owensboro Museum of Fine Arts (KY), the American Indian painting competition at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (CA) M.H. De Young Memorial Museum, the Marion Koogler MCNay Art Museum (san Antonio, TX), the Museum of New Mexico (santa Fe), the Oklahoma Museum of Art (Oklahoma City, OK), the Philbrook Art Center (Tulsa, OK), the Paint Bronze & Stone exhibit at the Kendall College Mitchell Indian Museum (Evanston, IL), the Harvard University Peabody Museum (Cambridge, MA), the Scottsdale (AZ) National Indian Art Exhibition, the Southern Plains Indian Museum & Crafts Center (Anadarko, OK), the Southwestern Association on Indian Affairs Inc. Indian Market (santa Fe, NM), the University of West Virginia (Morgantown, WV), the Old Cowboy Museum’s Willow Tree Festival (Gorden, NE), & the U.S. Department of Interior’s First Annual Invitational Exhibition of American Indian paintings & the U.S. Department of State’s contemporary American Indian Art exhibit (Washington, D.C.).
Fred was given numerous special or solo Exhibitions at the Denver Art Museum, “the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History & Art (Tulsa, OK), the Joslyn Art Museum, the Philbrook Art Center & the Southern Plains Indian Museum & Craft Center.
Fred participated in numerous touring exhibitions including the Amarillo (TX) Art Center’s Native American painting exhibit, the Oregon State university’s contemporary Indian Art Invitational exhibit, the Heard Museum’s Shared visions: Native American painters & sculptors in the Twentieth Century exhibit, the Joslyn Art Museum’s Native American paintings exhibit & the Philbrook Museum of Art’s American Indian paintings from the Permanent Collection exhibit & its Indianischer Kunstler touring exhibit of west Germany.
Fred was awarded commissions for Murals for the Thunderbird Restaurant & Motel (Oklahoma City, OK) & the Seminole Arts & Crafts Center (West Hollywood, FL). In 1965, Fred was commissioned to restore Acee Blue Eagle’s murals at the Coalgate (OK) Post Office. Fred was commissioned for a painting by the State of Oklahoma for the Governor’s Art Gallery. Fred was commissioned by the Oklahoma Republican Committee for a painting to be presented to President Eisenhower. In 1976, Fred received a commission from the Franklin Mint for three medallions for the United States Bicentinnial celebration.
Fred’s artwork is featured in numerous private & public art collections, including the Roswell (NM) Museum & Art Center, the university of Nebraska Center for Great Plains Studies (Lincoln, NE), the Carnegie Library (Ardmore, OK), the Denver Art Museum, the Eiteljorg Museum (Indianapolis, IN), the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History & Art, the Red Cloud
Indian School Inc. collection, the BOY scouts of America Kiva Museum of the Koshare Indians (La Junta, CO), the Museum of Northern Arizona (Flagstaff), the Oklahoma State Art collection (Oklahoma City), the Philbrook Museum of Art, the stephen A. Foster Memorial (White Springs, FL), the Woolaroc Museum (Bartlesville, OK) & the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian, the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Arts & crafts Board & the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Collection (Washington, D.C.).
Fred received numerous honors during his career, including the outstanding Oklahoman of the Year in 1976, the outstanding Indian of the Year’in 1979 & the McIntosh county (OK) Distinguished citizen Award in 1980. Fred was also awarded the Waite phillips Trophy by the Philbrook Art Center. In 1973, Fred was designated a Master Artist by the Five civilized Tribes Museum. The Five Civilized Tribes Museum dedicated its third Master’s Exhibition in Fred Beaver’s memory.
Fred was given numerous special or solo Exhibitions at the Denver Art Museum, “the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History & Art (Tulsa, OK), the Joslyn Art Museum, the Philbrook Art Center & the Southern Plains Indian Museum & Craft Center.
Fred participated in numerous touring exhibitions including the Amarillo (TX) Art Center’s Native American painting exhibit, the Oregon State university’s contemporary Indian Art Invitational exhibit, the Heard Museum’s Shared visions: Native American painters & sculptors in the Twentieth Century exhibit, the Joslyn Art Museum’s Native American paintings exhibit & the Philbrook Museum of Art’s American Indian paintings from the Permanent Collection exhibit & its Indianischer Kunstler touring exhibit of west Germany.
Fred was awarded commissions for Murals for the Thunderbird Restaurant & Motel (Oklahoma City, OK) & the Seminole Arts & Crafts Center (West Hollywood, FL). In 1965, Fred was commissioned to restore Acee Blue Eagle’s murals at the Coalgate (OK) Post Office. Fred was commissioned for a painting by the State of Oklahoma for the Governor’s Art Gallery. Fred was commissioned by the Oklahoma Republican Committee for a painting to be presented to President Eisenhower. In 1976, Fred received a commission from the Franklin Mint for three medallions for the United States Bicentinnial celebration.
Fred’s artwork is featured in numerous private & public art collections, including the Roswell (NM) Museum & Art Center, the university of Nebraska Center for Great Plains Studies (Lincoln, NE), the Carnegie Library (Ardmore, OK), the Denver Art Museum, the Eiteljorg Museum (Indianapolis, IN), the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History & Art, the Red Cloud
Indian School Inc. collection, the BOY scouts of America Kiva Museum of the Koshare Indians (La Junta, CO), the Museum of Northern Arizona (Flagstaff), the Oklahoma State Art collection (Oklahoma City), the Philbrook Museum of Art, the stephen A. Foster Memorial (White Springs, FL), the Woolaroc Museum (Bartlesville, OK) & the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian, the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Arts & crafts Board & the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Collection (Washington, D.C.).
Fred received numerous honors during his career, including the outstanding Oklahoman of the Year in 1976, the outstanding Indian of the Year’in 1979 & the McIntosh county (OK) Distinguished citizen Award in 1980. Fred was also awarded the Waite phillips Trophy by the Philbrook Art Center. In 1973, Fred was designated a Master Artist by the Five civilized Tribes Museum. The Five Civilized Tribes Museum dedicated its third Master’s Exhibition in Fred Beaver’s memory.
