Oreland C. Joe, Sr.
Master sculptor, Oreland C. Joe, Sr. is world-renowned for his work in stone and bronze sculptures. His works can be found in private, corporate and museum collection in the United States and abroad. Oreland is a native New Mexican and is of Dine' (Navajo) and Ute descent.
The influences in Oreland's life include his family and his travels abroad to France, Italy and Japan. Studying European art and culture, seeing and feeling the impressive artistic works of the Masters in Greek, Roman, Renaissance and Baroque periods were significant life-changing experiences. Oreland still spends much of his time studying the Masters (Bernini, Canova, and Michelangelo). Incorporating his Native American heritage into what he studies and creates has proven to be a successful quality in Oreland's career.
Oreland's love for art has placed him in an elite class of stone and bronze sculptors. His accomplishments are numerous and one of them is being the first Native American to be admitted as a member to the prestigious Cowboy Artists of America organization. In 1996, Oreland was commissioned by the Ponca City Native American Foundation to produce a 22-foot bronze sculpture of Chief Standing Bear - his most public artistic statement to date. The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma honored him with a retrospective showing at the "Gilcrease Rendezvous '99."
Over the years, Oreland has captured several medals for sculpture at the annual CAA exhibition, including both the Western Art Associates' Kieckhefer Award (Best In Show) and the gold in sculpture for his Shawl Dancer in 2002, and a gold in sculpture for Healing Ways in 2003. In September 2000, Oreland received the New Mexico Governor's Award for "Excellence in the Arts." In June of 2002, the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Committee of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, commissioned Oreland to create five life-size figures and a dog, titled The First Council.
"I find strength, faith and dignity through my heritage-yet I also find these in other cultures-and I derive inspiration and motivation from them as well. In my humble opinion, I'm just and artist who happens to be Native American. I find myself in a unique place of receiving blessings from two worlds. My goal and desire is to have more Native American artists to be in this place."
