Dolores Purdey Corcoran

Caddo Nation of Oklahoma
Native American Artist

Art is more than a creation…It is an extension of the soul

I am a member of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma Located near Binger, Oklahoma. I remember listening to my stories passed down and told by the family and found it all enthralling. The stories of my ancestors are always in my mind and I find myself drawing and painting some of the old articles and historical sites the family would talk about.
I have always love art, any form of art. In fact, I cannot remember a time I have not worked with some form of an art medium. After raising children and working outside the home, I found time to take lessons in watercolor from Diane Lawrence, a Topeka professional. I moved on to develop and experiment with different with different techniques within transparent watercolor. I also enjoyed working with gourds and I have studied and researched the Mound Builders extensively and I make masks that resemble those found within some of the earth works. The Caddo people are direct descendents of the Mound Builder culture with pottery and a mound area named after the Caddo Nation. I have found that each gourd has it’s own personality and spirit that will reveal to me what they want to become.
My work can be seen in several major galleries in the United States. The Smithsonian of American Indian in Washington DC museum shop and NordAmerika Native Museum in Zurich Switzerland also represent me. I exhibit in many of the top shows in the nation including Santa Fe Indian Market, Eiteljorg Indian Market, Haskell Indian Art Market, and Tersoro Foundation Indian Market. I have been blessed to win numerous awards and honors. I was selected by the Governor of Kansas to make a decoration for the White House Christmas tree in 2002 that is now in the permanent collection.