SMU Student Showcases Cherokee Continuance Through Art and Family Storytelling

Story Submitted By James Humphrey

At Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Cherokee Nation citizen Gracyn Buckner unveiled a deeply personal exhibition titled “Continuance in Cherokee Nation Tradition and Art Making,” on view November 11–18 at the Meadows School of the Arts.

More than a traditional gallery display, Buckner’s exhibition functions as a living installation—one that grows with every visitor who steps inside. Each conversation, reflection, and shared memory becomes another thread woven into the ongoing story of her family and her Nation.

Buckner dedicates the work to her elders, especially her grandfather, whose recent passing sparked her exploration into the tension between personal identity and public expression within contemporary Cherokee life. Through photography, printmaking, and traditional craft, she examines how Cherokee people carry forward cultural knowledge in a world that often fragments, challenges, or reshapes it.

Every piece in the gallery bridges intimate family memories with collective Cherokee history, illustrating how Cherokee people continue to create, remember, resist, and transform. Her themes sit at the crossroads of survival and silence, tradition and change.

A central focus of the exhibition honors the Buckner family roots in Stilwell, Oklahoma. Several works highlight the teachings and artistry of Buckner’s great-grandmother, Clemmie Buckner, whose quilts and craftwork appear in the show and serve as guiding inspirations for the young artist.

Buckner’s research and creative work were supported by an SPHAT Family Grant at SMU. She extends special thanks to Watie Bunch, James A. Humphrey, and Lillie Vann for their guidance and support.