Original Painting "Eagle Dancer" [SOLD]

In the pueblos of New Mexico, the impersonation of the eagle is enacted during night ceremonies or in the early spring time. The impersonators have achieved imitating the step, motion, and cry of the eagle to absolute perfection. Many other tribes nationwide carry out similar ceremonies, as the eagle is an important part of their lives.

Fred Beaver, in the instance of this painting, has chosen to paint an eagle dancer that may be of Seminole origin. Although he was a Creek Indian, he often painted scenes from Seminole life.

Beaver was born in Eufaula, Oklahoma in 1911. In 1931, he graduated from Eufaula High School where he was an All-State football and basketball player. He attended Bacone College and in 1935, graduated from Haskell Business College. He worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Army Air Corps until 1960 when he retired in order to pursue a career of painting full time.

In 1963, he won the Phillips Outstanding Indian Artist Trophy. He was commissioned to paint a number of murals in businesses including the Thunderbird Restaurant and Motel in Oklahoma City, and the Seminole Arts and Crafts Center in West Hollywood, Florida. His awards are too numerous to list here, but several of them are: Outstanding Indian of the Year (1979), Outstanding Oklahoman of the Year (1976), and Designated a Master Artist (1973).