Content area
Full Text
His pieces are displayed in museums, galleries, government buildings and homes in locations around the world.
DURANT, OkIa. - To represent the tribe as a presenter at Choctaw Days at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is a huge, humbling honor, says artist D.G. Smalling of Oklahoma City, an honor that helps to affirm the skills and ideals he has dedicated his life to representing.
"Number one, to be there with the tribe is a very important thing; it validates me as an artist. It validates, too, that the nation sees value in it. That is exciting to me, that I'll be there presenting with my peers," he says.
"Second, the Smithsonian is a big thing, huge," he adds. "To be there, to just be present for this, it means a lot. I grew up as a kid going to the Smithsonian and I always get excited about it."
Creating art has been a lifelong venture for Smalling, though he's only been at it professionally for nine years. Though his Choctaw roots are prevalent in his work, his methods are varied and his influences vast. Smalling is quick to point out that his style is such that he can't be boxed into any particular category.
"I'm an artist," he asserts, "not just a 'Native artist.' I'm Native, yes, but I am adamant about not being pigeonholed with who I am as an artist. I need the flexibility."
It was this diversity that has made different cultures seek out and appreciate his work. His first piece exhibited to the public was in a Cuban gallery in Miami,...