Frances Herrod/Reporter
TULSA, Okla. – The Four Mothers Collective is a Tvlse based art nonprofit formed in 2021. It exists to provide resources and community for BIPOC women and Two Spirit Artists. Carly Treece (Mvskoke/Tsalagi) is a multidisciplinary artist who did not come to work via traditional means. A single mother with a passion for art she began pursuing it during Covid lockdown and in 2021 was awarded a fellowship through the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities which allowed her to pursue her dream full time.
Recognizing a need for a place for those with passion but without formal education and the connections that come with that, Treece set about creating a space to meet that need. Thus was born The Four Mothers Collective.
Treece has curated exhibits across the country, including a partnership with Revolt Gallery in New Mexico. This collaborative effort brings together diverse artists from the Santa Fe and Tulsa communities to honor and share cultures while seeking to amplify both.
The Four Mothers Collective exhibition Ripple in Traditions opened November 7 at Positive Space Tulsa. The Group exhibition, co-curated by Carly Treece (Mvskoke/Tsalagi), Rae Riggs (Tsalagi), and Brittany Bendabout (Tsalagi/Otoe) features 20 artists interpretations of living ancestral wisdom as it cascades through the generations, blessing modernity with the teachings our ancestors fought to ensure were our legacies.
Not simply an art show, Ripple in Traditions showcases personal experiences, both from yesterday and today, connecting community through kinship so they see themselves reflected in the stories and traditions of those that came before, opening up new perspectives on how we can live these ways today. Opening night featured the short documentary “Meet Me At The Creek,” by filmmaker Loren K. Waters (Tsalagi/Ka’igwu). It tells the story of Rebecca Jim, Tsalagi Waterkeeper Warrior, whose fight to restore Tar Creek in Miami, Oklahoma to the state it was in before being designated “irreversibly damaged” by the United States government. It illustrates how we are all related, how what happens to one happens to us all, and the importance of respecting and honoring that connection.
The Ripple in Traditions exhibit is but one spoke in a much larger wheel that powers Four Mothers Collective however. It’s a wheel in constant motion which not only keeps the organization running but ensures the continued perpetuation of Native cultures.
Saturday, Nov 16, The Collective held a free Make and Take Tea and Block Print workshop at Positive Space Tulsa with Treece and Artist Dana Bear (WahZhaZhe) of Tallchief Designs. It offered the community a chance to not only see art but be immersed in it. This hands-on approach, which shared Bears’ Plant Wisdom and allowed participants to create their own passion flower block prints guided by Treece, moved beyond simple preservation into active application, a situation the Collective hopes to build on in the future.
“I wanted to create a space for women and future artists to feel safe…eventually with a land where we can also have a garden, use the studios, a pottery studio, a painting studio. Maybe even a few of those studios being for the demographic we serve. To come in and have a safe space and be able to teach workshops, take workshops, and learn as they go,” Treece said.
Treece and The Four Mothers Collective are available to assist artists who are at all levels in their careers. From established fine artists to those seeking help with their first Art Markets they are available to help all communities live their traditions.
If you are interested in showing in upcoming exhibitions, attending a workshop, or just need guidance you can connect with The Four Mothers Collective on their Facebook Page or via their website. https://www.tvlsestudios.com/fourmotherscollective
Ripple in Traditions runs through Saturday, November 23 at Positive Spaces Tulsa, 1324 East 3rd Street. Carly Treece work will be on public display at the Tulsa International Airport January 2025-2026.
