Johnny Tiger, Jr.

Johnny Tiger, Jr. was born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capitol of the Cherokee Nation, and grew up in Eufala and Muskogee, Creek County.

Johnny is full-blood Creek-Seminole and a member of the Creek tribe. Research for many of his paintings began when he was still a child as he trveled with his maternal grandfather, Coleman Lewis, a Baptist Missionary. Traveling throughout Indian Country on long rides through the backwoods to churches, Coleman taught his grandson the history of the Creek people in his native Creek language.

Since beginning his career in 1967, Johnny's awards are 1st place, Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Muskogee, Oklahoma, from 1967 through 1970. In 1977, Johnny won the Governor's Award at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, and in January 1978, as Artist of the Month, his paintings hung in the State Capitol Building in Oklahoma City. Also in 1978, he was awarded 1st and 2nd place awards at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial Show. In 1978, Johnny swept the Five Civilized Tribes Museum Annual Exhibition, winning five awards including Grand Prize, 1st Place/ Seminole Division, and the Heritage Award. Since being declared Master Artist by the museum, he has won several awards in MAster competition, including the 1993 Heritage Award, and 1994 Best of Show Award. Other first place awards came from the Southland Art Fair, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Seminole Nation Art Show, Wewoka, Oklahoma; Red Cloud Indian Art Show, Pine Ridge, South Dakota; and the Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial Show.

Johnny has exhibited his paintings and held one-man shows thorughout the nation. The Highgate Literary Institute in London, England, hosted Johnny for an exhibition in 1987. Like his paintings, Johnny's sculptures have taken first place awards at numerous shows. His "Seeker of Vision" won first place, Bronze at the Oklahoma City Indian Heritage Art Show.

Currently, Johnny's paintings and prints are in galleries across the world, including work on permanent display at the Russian Cultural Museum, Togliatle, Russia. Johnny paints and sculpts in his studio southeast of Muskogee in Oklahoma's Green County.