Southeastern to induct three artists in Native American Artists Hall of Fame

September 30, 2026

DURANT, Okla. – Three Oklahoma artists will be inducted into the 2026 Semple Family Museum Native American Artists Hall of Fame at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in recognition of their work preserving and celebrating Native American culture, history, and traditions.

The Semple Family Museum of Native American Art will honor Paul King, Merlin Little Thunder and Jon Tiger during a Hall of Fame ceremony on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. in the Southeastern Ballroom in Hallie McKinney.

The annual Hall of Fame recognizes Native American artists whose work and contributions help preserve and celebrate Indigenous culture and artistic traditions.

Paul King earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and a graphic design diploma from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. He spent 36 years in career and technical education, teaching graphic design and serving in student activities and career advising roles at Charles Page High School and Tulsa Tech. Since retiring in 2012, King has returned to his artistic roots, creating work inspired by his Choctaw heritage and sports. His work has been exhibited at museums and cultural institutions throughout Oklahoma and is included in permanent collections at the Choctaw Cultural Center, Choctaw Judicial Center and Choctaw Nation Headquarters. He also serves on the Tulsa Tech Education Foundation and Jim Thorpe Memorial Foundation.

Merlin Little Thunder was raised in the Cheyenne community of Fonda, Oklahoma, and began creating art at an early age, inspired by an uncle who also was an artist. His work ranges from poetic realism to expressionism and near abstraction, with subjects including Cheyenne lifeways, families, wildlife and spiritual themes. His landscapes are known for their nuanced skies and vivid colors, while his medicine paintings explore spiritual themes and messages. A longtime Tulsa resident, Little Thunder remains active in the Cheyenne community and participates in traditional ceremonies in west-central Oklahoma. His work has received honors at the Santa Fe Indian Market and Heard Museum Indian Market and is included in collections at the National Museum of the American Indian, Crystal Bridges, Gilcrease Museum, Philbrook Museum of Art and other institutions.

Jon Tiger is a Muscogee artist, storyteller, cultural organizer and Heneha of the Eufaula-Canadian Tribal Town whose work is rooted in Muscogee history, family and community. A lifelong resident of Eufaula, Oklahoma, Tiger was raised by his grandmother, Susie Scott, whose instruction to “Never forget your ancestors” continues to influence his art and service. The great-great-grandson of Jackson Lewis, a respected medicine man, healer, stickball player and Creek National Council member, Tiger has worked to preserve his family’s history through storytelling, cultural programs and community events. An artist for more than 50 years, Tiger has exhibited his work locally, nationally and internationally, including in Celle, Germany. His paintings draw on traditional design, spiritual experiences and family memories, reflecting the living character of the Muscogee community. Beyond his artwork, Tiger has organized Native arts gatherings, storytelling events and cultural programs focused on preserving Indigenous history for future generations.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame ceremony are available for purchase, and sponsorship opportunities are available for those interested in supporting the event. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit se.edu/hoftickets.

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