"This award honors a woman who has championed the rights and issues important to all women and who, through her lifestyle, exemplifies the character, strength, and values of the Chickasaw Nation and its people," said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. "It is my honor to recognize Brenda Kingery."
Kingery received her master's degree in fine arts and art history from the University of Oklahoma, post-graduate studies in fine arts from Ryukyuus Daigaku University in Okinawa, Japan, graduate studies in Chinese language at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, and is writing a master thesis on the folk art of Ryukyuus.
She returned to Oklahoma to teach painting and drawing, later teaching art history for the San Antonio College. In 2007, she was appointed by President George W. Bush to the board of trustees of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). She was reappointed to another six-year term in 2012 and currently serves as vice-chair of the board.
Kingery is a founding member of Threads of Blessings and travels to Honduras, Mexico, and Africa to teach textile and design workshops to help encourage women to use their Indigenous art skills.
As an artist, she sees life as textural patterns that can be described as narrative symbolism. Sometimes her paintings have as many as 25 layers of paint. Her goal is to create paintings full of life's breath, just as with her Chickasaw grandmother's stories.
During the presentation ceremony, Kingery remarked: "I want to thank all of you, and as I look around this room I'm so grateful to be a Chickasaw and so grateful for all of the faces I know. It's a tremendous blessing."
IAIA Board of Trustees Chair Loren Kieve (Cherokee) said that "IAIA and the nation are honored to have such a distinguished artist and creative public servant."
IAIA President Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee) commented: "As one of our Trustees, Brenda has been a passionate advocate and supporter of IAIA's mission, programs, and especially our students."
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