Jeanne Rorex Bridges

Cultural Background:  Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama, USA

As a child Jeanne was drawing every chance she could but was not formally exposed to “art” except on the rare visits to her uncle’s home.  Her mother’s brother, Willard Stone, was a very famous non-federal Cherokee wood sculptor and by being introduced to his work, she realized the strength of his art.  She knew that she didn’t just want to paint or draw a pretty picture; she wanted to express her ideas and her thoughts through art.   Jeanne started painting and competing in local and national art competitions over 40 years ago.  Most were Native American exhibits and competitions where she gained a national reputation for her unique colors, designs, painting style and ideas depicting her heritage.

Traveling and selling original paintings and prints with her husband, James, suddenly expanded when they discovered a process to reproduce Jeanne’s art onto ceramic tiles.  Her colors, style and subjects were a perfect fit for the affordable art tiles.  Not only were their retail exhibits enhanced, a successful wholesale business opened.  Jeanne’s reputation as an award winning artist grew when she illustrated a children’s book, “Crossing Bok Chitto” by Tim Tingle.  The book, published in 2006, won over 20 national and international literary awards and still sells well today.  It is the 2007 Oklahoma Children’s Book of the Year and she was named Oklahoma Illustrator of the Year for 2007.  The first time ever both were awarded for the same book.