I am a Mvskoke artist engaged in questioning, changing, and enlarging what my designation  means. My art is an expression of my personal identity interconnected with my tribal identity and  affiliation. I integrate Southeastern Native American designs into my works but am strongly  influenced by 1960s/70s Indian art, which imploded stereotypes and insisted on the creative  sovereignty of Native art as part of the wider world. I value the freedom of expression those  earlier artists earned and want to further it by eradicating artistic confines placed on us as Native  people and artists. To that end, I use form as a representation and placement of self within an  image. In this social media era, when identity is a constant construct, I want my audience to  experience a momentary sense of that timeless universality in which they feel their inherent  identity without the weight of societal, personal, or historical expectation.

Shelley Patrick, Muscogee, is a visual artist whose work includes using Southeastern Native  designs that reflect her cultural heritage. She creates works in mixed media paintings, fashion  design, installation art, and graphic design. Shelley has participated in the Santa Fe Indian  Market, several juried and gallery shows, such as the Cherokee Holiday Art Show, and sells her  work in Oklahoma and New Mexico locations. She has a bachelor’s degree in Visual  Communications and is currently attending the Institute of American Indians Arts (IAIA) in  Santa Fe, NM. Shelley is the former Social Media coordinator for the Southeastern Indian  Artist’s Association (SEIAA) and is a current member in both SEIAA and the Arts Council of  Tahlequah, OK (ACT).