Brent Learned

Artist Bio

Brent Learned is an award winning and collected Native American artist who was born and reared in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. Brent graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor degree in Fine Arts.

He is an artist who draws, paints and sculpts the Native American Indian in a rustic impressionistic style. He has always appreciated the heritage and culture of the American Plains Indian. He tries to create artwork to capture the essence, accuracy and historic authenticity of the American Plains Indian way of life. Although Brent has many different styles, he is typically known for his use of bold vibrant colors in his depictions of the American Plains Indian.

Brent’s work resides in museums such as the Smithsonian Institute-National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C., the Cheyenne/Arapaho Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City and the University of Kansas Art Museum in Lawrence, Kansas. He has work in private collections such as the Governor of Oklahoma Private Collection, Governor’s Mansion in Oklahoma City, the Haskell Indian University in Lawrence, Kansas and the Kerr Foundation Private Collection in Oklahoma City. Brent also has the honor of having one of his paintings displayed in the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington D.C.

Brent has a passion for being active in the community. He was one of the curators of the Wintercamp show at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. The Wintercamp show was geared toward giving new artists in the community an opportunity to show their work. Most importantly, this was the first all Native American show to feature contemporary Oklahoma Native American art. Brent has also had the honor of working with Dale Chihuly’s team on the Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick Tower (Chihuly’s tallest installation to date) that resides in the Oklahoma City Art Museum.

Commissioned artwork has been a growing part of Brent’s career in the past few years. Brent was commissioned to paint the art for the poster in the Native American Heritage Celebration in Oklahoma City in November 2005. He was commissioned by the Association of American Indian Physicians in 2004 for their annual meeting poster. Red Earth in Oklahoma City has commissioned Brent twice for his artwork. The first time was in 1997 for the Red Earth Festival T-shirt (artwork on the shirt) and the second commission was in 2003 for the Moccasins and Cleats Event in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Public Schools commissioned him in 2001 to assist with the Future Artist Mural of Sequoia. He was also commissioned in 1998 to paint the art used on the Lawrence Indian Art Market Poster.

Newspapers such as The Oklahoman, Santa Fe Reporter, Indianapolis Hoosier, Anadarko News and the Lawrence Journal World have written articles about his work. His work has also been featured in magazines such as the Native People Magazine, KU Alumni Magazine, Persimmon Hill Magazine, Nichols Hill Living, National Indian Gaming Magazine and Kiosk Magazine. Brent currently resides in Oklahoma City.