• Tweet

Ceramic
Dimensions: 13.5 x 21 diameter
Gift of Ben Pickard, 2003
Currently on exhibit in the Betty Price Gallery

The Artwork

Influenced by Native American pottery of California and New Mexico, this vessel incorporates the large rounded body and narrow neck which are characteristic of traditional seed pots. The main design element on the vessel's body is two concentric bands of black with red undulating lines.

The Artist

Richard Bivins earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Oklahoma University in 1961 and in 1965, his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Oklahoma where in 1964 he studied at the Academia de Bella Art, Rome. From 1964 to 1997, Bivins taught for the department of art at Oklahoma State University (OSU). In the summer of 1976, his studies brought him to the University of Southern California. That same year while on sabbatical, he studied Native American pottery in California, New Mexico, and Mexico. From 1980 until 1990, Bivins served as the Head of the department of art for Oklahoma State University. In addition to his educational career at OSU, Bivins taught at the University of Oklahoma and Southeastern State College in Durant, Oklahoma. He also served as the Director of the Medical Heritage Gallery in Waco, Texas. Bivins' work can be found in many public collections including the University of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma State's Humanities Collection, the Arkansas Art Center, People's Republic of China at Taijin University in China, and First National Bank, Tupelo, Mississsipi. His work has been seen in solo, group, juried and invitational shows from California to New Jersey.