Artist Statement
Histories on many spectrums—ancestral, artistic, material, personal, and cultural—fuel my practice.
My studio is a flux of mediums and objects in constant conversation with each other: A small original gouache painting gets printed on custom fabric, which goes into a mixed media collage, informing a piece of wearable art, or adding to the composition of a new gouache painting. Nothing is off-limits to being repurposed and reimagined.
A member of the Cherokee Nation, this process is a personal narrative of the Native American Diaspora. Being a product of Cherokee, Scottish, Swiss-German, and other diaspora, I am, in the very makeup of my DNA, a collage of cultures, values, histories, and personal aesthetics. I react by collaging materials from my ancestors, contemporary community, and personal life experiences. Graphic design, fine art, and fiber are all woven into my ancestral tapestry the same way I weave in and out of mediums in my studio. Sometimes, literally weaving materials.
I illustrate personal narratives by inventing compositions driven by a theme or experience, translating them through the lens of abstracted patterns I’ve built out of my cultural research of Cherokee and other native arts. These personal illustrations are a hybrid of being culturally grounded, while also being far from native upbringing; a life influenced by various sources to the point of abstraction. There is a feel of beadwork or sewing, but the painting may contain neither. I view each piece I create as its own individual entity, yet all contributing to a visual language I am inventing.
Sometimes my compositions are cropped. These flow from me instinctively; yet, I see my subconscious expressing core feelings that the people in my life, at any given time, only see one part of me. One part of my surroundings, heritage, upbringing, or expat experiences. There is not one individual in my world who has seen my life influences holistically, or even every house I’ve lived in. Cropped images feel like cropping a piece of culture- ambiguous but beautiful; informed by elements unseen. I'm a woman who is constantly picking which cropped piece of my life I’m operating out of, while still trying to maintain them all and present myself to the world as a whole.
I desire my art to open conversations and be a starting point to discussing tribes, Native Americans past and present, and the many nuances of being descended from Native cultures in a world growing increasingly diverse in numerous ways with every generation. For myself, this also includes my time in Southeast Asia and friendships I’ve made globally.
Cultivating and presenting a joy of cultural differences, influences, and histories allows hope to exist for where we might go in regards to tribes, countries, and personal communities in the future.
CV
b. 1990, Fowler, Kansas
Lives and works in Peoria, Illinois.
Education
2021 • MFA, Bradley University, Peoria, IL
2012 • BA, summa cum laude, Graphic Design, Tabor College, Hillsboro, KS
Exhibitions
Solo/Two Person Exhibitions
2026 • (upcoming) Regier Art Gallery, Bethel College, Newton, KS
2025 • Resilient Joy, McHenry County College, Crystal Lake, IL
2025 • Resilient Wonder, Freeport Art Museum, Freeport, IL
2024 • Future Directions, two person exhibition with Lisa LaRue Baker, 785 Arts, Topeka, KS
2024 • Inheriting Joy, Cameron University, Lawton, OK
2024 • Gathering Joy, Gardiner Gallery of Art, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
2023 • Narrating Joy, Trusler Gallery, Emporia Arts Center, Emporia, KS
2023 • Recollecting, Foster Art Gallery, First United Methodist Church, Peoria, IL
2023 • Connected, Ebel Gallery, Tabor College, Hillsboro, KS
2023 • Joy Intwined, Contemporary Art Center, Peoria, IL
2022 • Gallery Homes Exhibition, Peoria Heights, IL
2021 • Intertwined: MFA Exhibition, Bradley University, Peoria, IL
2021 • Bound Together: Cultural Patterns, Peoria Art Guild, Peoria, IL
2020 • Heuser Gallery Exhibition, Bradley University, Peoria, IL
2020 • Artist of the Month Exhibition, Casa De Arte, Peoria, Illinois
2019 • Sacred, MA Thesis Show, Prairie Center of the Arts, Peoria, Illinois
Select Group Exhibitions
2026 • Ancestral Futures, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL
2025 • Femme Pop, Gerald Peters Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2025 • Impressions, printmaking, Gallery 200, West Chicago, IL
2025 • Creative Capitol: This is Native Art, Tread of the Pioneers Museum, Steamboat, CO
2025 •. Through Her Eyes, Red Earth Art Center, Oklahoma City, OK
2025 • Camp To-Sha-Ka, Morris Gallery, Noto Art Center, Topeka, KS
2025 • Woven Worlds- Thread as Language, South Shore Arts, Munster, IN
2025 • 61st Annual Rennick Art Exhibition, Peoria Riverfront Museum, Peoria, IL*
2025 • Fantastic Fibers 2025, Yeiser Art Gallery, Paducah, KY
2025 • Creative Capitol: This is Native Art, Golden History Museum, Golden, CO
2025 • Art Under the Oaks, Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Muskogee. OK *
2025 • 54th Annual Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale, Cherokee Cultural Center, Tahlequah, OK *
2025 • 39th Bradley International Juried Print and Drawing Exhibition, Bradley University, Peoria, IL
2025 • Galex 58, Galesburg Community Art Center, Galesburg, IL
2025 • Birds of a Feather, Peoria Public Library, Peoria, IL
2024-2025 • Creative Capitol: This is Native Art, Denver Capitol Building, Denver, CO
2024 • Small Art Show, The Paseo Arts Association, Oklahoma City, OK
2024 • Redefining Indigenous: Indigenous Art of the Past, Present, and Future, The Arts Council of Fayetteville, Fayetteville, NC
2024 • Cherokee National Holiday Art Show, Tahlequah, OK
2024 • Window Shopping, Purple Window Gallery, Chicago, IL
2024 • 29th Cherokee Homecoming Art Show, Cherokee Cultural Center, Tahlequah, OK
2024 • 10 Year Anniversary Miniature Exhibition, Exhibit C Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK
2024 • Expo Chicago 2024, Center For Native Futures booth, Chicago, IL
2024 • 55th Red Cloud Indian Art Show, The Heritage Center, Pine Ridge, SD *
2024 • 53rd Annual Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale, Cherokee Tahlequah, OK *
2024 • Stitched, Woven, Hooked, Lubeznik Center for the Arts, Michigan City, IN
2023-24 • Native Futures, Center For Native Futures, Chicago, IL
2024 • Stitched, Woven, and Hooked, Lubeznik Center for the Arts, Michigan City, IN
2023 • Excellence in Fibers, San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose, CA
2023 • Fiber Worlds, Arts Council Fayetteville, Fayetteville, NC
2023 • 28th Cherokee Homecoming Art Show, Cherokee Cultural Center, Tahlequah, OK*
2023 • Material World, Arts Council Fayetteville, Fayetteville, NC
2023 • Fantastic Fibers 2023, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY
2023 • 52nd Annual Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale, Cherokee National History Museum,
Tahlequah, OK *
2023 • Tenuous Threads, Atlantic Gallery, New York City, NY
2022 • Small Matters, 437co Gallery, Colorado Mesa University, Junction City, CO
2022 • Spot on #3, D’art Gallery, Denver, CO *
2022 • Still Here Still Native, Arts Council Fayetteville, Fayetteville, NC
2022 • 27th Cherokee Homecoming Art Show, Cherokee Cultural Center, Tahlequah, OK*
2022 • Shape of the Environment, Arts + Literature Laboratory, Madison, WI
2022 • Drawn Exhibition, Indiana University Kokomo, Kokomo, IN
2022 • 64ARTS, Buchanan Center for the Arts, Monmouth, IL
2022 • Innovations in Printmaking and Mixed Media, D’art Gallery, Denver, CO
2022 • 10th Annual Bridgeport Art Center’s Art Competition, Chicago, IL
2022 • Fantastic Fibers 2022, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY
2022 • New Appalachia, Vestige Concept Gallery, Pittsburg, PA
2022 • 51st Annual Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale, Cherokee National History Museum, Tahlequah, OK*
2022 • Key of Dreams, Van Der Plas Gallery, New York City, NY
2022 • Excellence in Fibers, Schweinfurth Art Center, Auburn, NY
2022 • Midwest Issue #155, New American Paintings, Juried Exhibitions-in-Print
2022 • Excellence in Fibers VII, Fiber Art Now, juried exhibition in print, Winter Issue
2021 • State of Contemporary Drawing, Hilliard Gallery, Kansas City, MO
2021 • RSVP Exhibition, Carl Sandburg College, Galesburg, IL
2021 • Seen but not Felt, Bradley University, Heuser Gallery, Peoria, IL
2020 • Carry Weight, Hold Light, Collaborative Installation Exhibition, Contemporary Art Center, Peoria, IL
2019 • 2019 Emerging Illinois Artists, McClean County Art Center, Bloomington, IL
2016 • Christmas Exhibition, Thai Christian Artists Collaborative, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2014 • 45th Annual Smoky Hill Art Exhibition, Hays Arts Council, Hays, KS
Select Awards/Grants
2025 • 1st & 2nd Place contemporary weaving/textiles, 3rd place watercolor/gouache, Eiteljorg Indian Art Market, Indianapolis, IN
2025 • 1st place basketry, 30th Cherokee Homecoming Art Show, Cherokee Cultural Center, Tahlequah, OK
2025 • 2nd place, 61st Annual Rennick Art Exhibition, Peoria Riverfront Museum, Peoria, IL
2025 • Honorable Mention, Fantastic Fibers, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY
2025 • Creative Catalyst Grant recipient, to cover the cost of an online mural training course, Illinois Arts Council
2025 • Honorable mention in Basketry, 54th Annual Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale, Tahlequah, OK
2025 • Honorable mention in textiles, Art Under the Oaks, Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Muskogee, OK
2024 • 1st Place contemporary weaving/textiles, Eiteljorg Indian Art Market, Indianapolis, IN
2024 • 1st place Abstract Art, 55th Red Cloud Indian Art Show, The Heritage Center, Pine Ridge, SD
2024 • 1st place basketry, 53rd Annual Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale, Tahlequah, OK
2024 • 3rd place miniatures, 53rd Annual Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale, Tahlequah, OK
2023 • First Place Contemporary Basketry, 28th Annual Cherokee Homecoming Show, Tahlequah, OK
2022 • Honorable Mention, Spot on #3, juried by Doug Kacena, D’Art Gallery Denver, Denver, CO
2022 • First Place Contemporary Basketry, “Clothed in Celestial Grace” ribbon weaving, 27th Annual Cherokee Homecoming Show, Tahlequah, OK
2022 • Operating Expenses Grant, Fiber Art Now Magazine
2022 • 1st Place Emerging Artist, 51st Annual Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale, Tahlequah, OK
2021 • Sky Art Peoria, “Effervescent Connections” awarded a rotating billboard
around Peoria and East Peoria, Big Picture Peoria, Arts Partners, Peoria, IL
2019 • Dean’s Award: Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts, 2019 Student Scholarship Expo, Bradley College, Peoria, IL
2010 • Honorable Mention, Sandzen Memorial Gallery Juried Exhibition, Lindsborg, KS
Representation
- Exhibit C Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK
- Wyld Gallery, Austin, TX
- Spider Gallery, Tahlequah, OK
Collections
• University of North Dakota
• University of Notre Dame
Public Art
2024 • *in progress* 5 artworks licensed and printed on vinyl for large installations in the OKANA Waterpark, OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark, Oklahoma City, OK
2021 • Hello Peoria Building, Public Art, spool paintings placed within mural, Peoria, IL
2021 • Community Mural, Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair, “Illuminate” oil painting used for a public participation mural for event,
displayed in downtown Peoria permanently
Curatorial
2021 • (Co-curator) Seen But Not Felt, collaborative curation, Bradley University, Peoria, IL
2019 • (Co-curator) Christopher Holbrook: His Own Private Circus, collaborative curation, Bradley University, Peoria, IL
Press/Media/Publications
2024 • Linda Weigel, The Beacher, Stitched, Woven, and Hooked, April 18
2024 • Emily Christenson, Art Focus, Joyful Returns// Hattie Lee Mendoza at OSU’s Gardiner Gallery, Winter 2024
2024 • Radio Aula Mundi, Hattie Lee Mendoza “What Are You Working On Right Now?”, January 20, podcast platforms
2023 • Native America Calling, Live radio interview “Friday, September 15, 2023- Imagining Indigenous
futures in art”, interview about the opening exhibit for the Center for Native Futures
2023 • Sixty Inches from Center, Native Futures: An Artist-Led Gallery Reclaiming Indigeneity, October 18,
https://sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/native-futures-an-artist-led-gallery-reclaiming-indigeneity/
2023 • Instagram weekend takeover as invited artist, Fiber Art Now
2023 • Fiber Art Now, Excellence in Fibers VIII, juried exhibition in print, Winter 2023
2022 • New Visionary, Issue 4, two-page spread, October 2022
2022 • New American Paintings, Juried Exhibitions-in-Print, Midwest Issue #155
2022 • Fiber Art Now, Excellence in Fibers VII, juried exhibition
2021 • Featured artist for November, Soul City Fine Art & Photography, St. Louis, MO
2021 • Mae Gilliland Wright, The Worlds of Hattie Lee, Peoria Magazine, September,
https://www.peoriamagazines.com/pm/2021/sep/worlds-hattie-lee
2021 • Selected artist for Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair promotional materials and community mural
2021 • Lori Waxman, New City Art, 60wrd/min COVID Edition: Lee Robson Spence, Boom Bloom, Seen But Not Felt,
May 7, www.art.newcity.com
2021 • Lori Waxman, 60 WRD/MIN ART CRITIC, “Seen But Not Felt” Covid-19 exhibition review, April 28,
https://60wrdmin.org/artwork/4895267-SEEN-
2021 • Harry Croton, 25week.com, Local Nonprofits Team Up to Build Fruit Stands for Students in Local Schools, artwork on produce stand featured in local news segment, June 25,
2021 • Sky Art Turns Seven, Peoria Magazine, June, https://www.peoriamagazines.com/pm/2021/jun/sky-art-turns-seven
2021 • Peoria TV Show, Bound Together: Cultural Patterns, solo exhibition at the Peoria Art Guild featured as set for an episode, Peoria, IL
2021 • Out and About Podcast, WCBU and Arts Partners of Central Illinois, NPR.org, podcast platforms, “The Peoria Art Guild Presents Bound Together: Cultural Patterns”, April 2
Select Lectures, Panels, Visiting Artist Invitations
2025 • Freeport Highschool & Freeport Art Museum- two artist presentations in conjunction with exhibition at Freeport Art Museum, Freeport, IL
2025 • Olli Study Group, artist talk, Peoria, IL
2025 • FB chapter of the women’s PEO group, artist talk, Peoria, IL
2024 • Indigenous Design Panel Discussion, collaboration with the Center for Design and Material Culture, Arts and Literature Laboratory, Madison, WI
2024 • Cameron University, Artist Lecture in conjunction with exhibition, Lawton, OK
2024 • Oklahoma State University, Artist Lecture in conjunction with exhibition, Stillwater, OK
Workshops
2025. • Freeport Highschool, art class workshop in conjunction with Freeport Art Museum exhibition Freeport, IL
2024 • Cameron University, student workshop in conjunction with exhibition, Lawton, OK
2024 • Oklahoma State University, student workshop in conjunction with exhibition, Stillwater, OK
Commissions
2025 • Ten plate paintings for installation on University of North Dakota campus and permanent collection
2025 • Original painting on a fiberglass bison statue, commissioned by Peoria City Hall for Peoria County’s Bicentennial celebration. Finished bison is on display to the public in the foyer of City Hall.
2021 • Original painting on a wooden produce stand for Big Picture Peoria and Peoria Grown for a fresh fruit outreach at schools in Peoria
Other Professional Experience
2022 • Participated in an online Native American non-profit fundraiser by the Dreamcatcher Foundation, two paintings for auction
2019 Collaboration with artist Eugene (Nana Ekow) Maison, resulting in collaborative work exhibited in his solo exhibits:
• Fragments at the Buchwald Center, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Mount Vernon, OH, 2019
• Historical Consequences- Knyame Maison, Collaborative piece, Peoria Art Guild, Peoria, IL, 2021