About the Artist

(1930-2020), Joan Hill (Chea-Se-Quah translating to "Red Bird") was a Creek/Cherokee Indian from Muskogee. Oklahoma. She studied at Northeastern State College. in Tahlequah, where she received in BA in Education in 1952. She then returned to Muskogee, where she taught at the local high school in the 1950s and was the Art and Publicity Director of the Muskogee Art Guild in the 1960s. Thereafter, she devoted herself to painting.

She was best known for her traditional flat style, but has also worked in contemporary colorism and a transitional manner. which incorporates traditional figures with a more contemporary manner of working with color. She was commissioned to paint a mural for the Department of the Interior and created illustrations for a book of poetry about the Five Civilized Tribes of Muskogee.

Having won well over 200 awards in competition including 14 grand awards. Hill was named one of the Smithsonian Institute's People of the Century. Her works are included in such noted collections as the Heard Museum (Phoenix. AZ). and the Gilcrease Museum (Tulsa, OK).

Hill was profiled in the March 1995 issue of Southwest Art magazine in an article "Joan Hill: Protecting the Past" by Judith Hughes.  Patricia Broder's book Earth Songs, Moon Dreams Paintings by American Indian Women honors Hill with two different paintings illustrated and described (pages 155-159).  Another impressive reference tool St. James Guide to Native North American Artists chronicles this artist's career on pages 221-224.

First American Art Magazine featured in indepth article titled Joan Hill:  Muscogee-Cherokee Painter in their Spring 2015 issue.