Great Plains exhibition features blended styles, imagery of Oklahoma artist

The Great Plains Art Museum will open a new exhibition featuring artworks by Robert Taylor. A native Oklahoman of Cherokee/Osage, Blackfoot, Scottish and Black Dutch descent, Taylor is a self-taught artist employing symbolism from multiple cultures to tell stories through painting.

The exhibition will run May 4 through Aug. 25 in the main gallery. A First Friday opening reception is 5 to 7 p.m. May 4, with Taylor speaking at 6 p.m.

Taylor’s heritage and life experiences result in a merger of artistic styles and imagery that blends influences such as the Northern Renaissance to Oklahoma and Texas artists from the 20th century, including Paul Pletka and John Biggers. Lessons learned from his maternal grandfather and his uncle, Wallace Hughes, a wildlife artist, also inform Taylor’s creative process. He is known for exaggerating the body’s proportions to symbolize the human connection to earth and sky. His symbolic paintings challenge the notion that Native American art should adhere to any one style.

The exhibition was made possible by Humanities Nebraska, with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

The Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q St., is open to the public 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. Free guided tours are available at other times upon request. Request a tour.