Red Raven artist wins contest for the third time 

Coffeyville Community College (CCC) student, Silas Hooper of the Cherokee and White Mountain Apache Nations won the Cherokee Holiday Art Contest graphic and pen division for the third time in three years this fall.  Hooper call’s this year’s winning piece “Old Indian Man” and drew an old chief sitting with a fan across his chest.   

“I like the whole thing,” said Hooper.  “I worked on it for five months.  It started out as a finals drawing in Mr. Greg Alan’s Drawing II class.” 

The drawing took first in a group of over 30 entries.  In 2006, Hooper won Best in Show with his art and in 2005 he took first in his category and Best in Show.  He has been drawing for 16 years. 

“Sometimes when you put a lot of time in on a picture and finally get it framed, it is like wow . . .” said Hooper. “It is fun, I get my artwork out there.  Every now and then it brings in money as people ask me to draw for them.” 

In the spring of 2008, Hooper plans to take CCC Art instructor, Michael DeRosa’s painting class.  

“I’m going to learn my colors,” said Hooper.  “I’ve never worked with color.” 

Hooper is currently working on a drawing for the cover of the Coffeyville Gathering powwow book, a drawing of two hunting dogs for a man and a tattoo design for a lady.  He attends CCC on the Native American Leadership scholarship and hopes to graduate with an Associate of Arts in 2008.  He plans to transfer to the University of Oklahoma and continue with his art. 

“My goal is to have a picture hanging in the OU art museum.”