The Coming Weather by Jerome Tiger (Muscogee/Seminole) will be featured in "Life and Legacy: The Art of Jerome Tiger" at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Image provided

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63, will open "Life and Legacy: The Art of Jerome Tiger" on Aug. 25, with the exhibition running through May 13, 2018.

Born in Tahlequah, on July 8, 1941, Tiger was a Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole painter who lived in Eufaula and Muskogee. Leaving school at age 16, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving in the Reserves from 1958 to 1960.

Tiger found formal schooling unsatisfying, encouraging him to pursue his passion of drawing and painting.

His first steps into the art world came in 1962 after submitting several paintings to the American Indian Artists Annual at Tulsa’s Philbrook Art Museum. This jump-started his career and allowed others to recognize his talent and unique style. During the next five years, he produced hundreds of paintings, bringing a number of honors.

Tiger’s style is said to be a combination of “spiritual vision, humane understanding, and technical virtuosity” with traditional subject matter and composition.

Tiger died in 1967 at the age of 26.

Fifty years later, the museum commemorates the anniversary of his death with the new exhibit. Although his career was cut short, he is recognized today as one of the most distinguished Native American artists of all time – and his work continues to be shown in museums across the nation.

“It is a great honor to display the coveted works of Jerome Tiger at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum,” said Curator of Ethnology Eric Singleton. “As a museum and educational institution, it is our responsibility to teach and preserve the history of the American West, and Tiger’s story is one that will be told for generations to follow.”

Tiger’s daughter, Dana Tiger, will give a presentation at the museum’s Brown Bag Lunch Series on Sept. 13. She will share stories from life with her father, who became an art legend in five years. Bring your lunch or purchase one at The Museum Grill. Reservations are not required; admission is free to the lunch series.

This exhibition is organized by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

For more information about this exhibition and related programming, go to nationalcowboymuseum.org.