"The remarkable artwork and story of the Kiowa Five – Spencer Asah, James Auchiah, Jack Hokeah, Stephen Mopope, Monroe Tsatoke, and Lois (Louise) Smoky – depicts aspects of traditional Kiowa culture, and the artists and their work gained international acclaim in the early 20th century. Today, their work continues to influence contemporary American Indian artists.
The Kiowa Five received their earliest art instruction from former Fort Marion tribe elders whose ledger art depicted narrative drawings and paintings on paper or cloth. Under the mentorship of University of Oklahoma Professor Oscar Jacobson, the Kiowa Five were among the first Native artists to be artistically trained in a university setting.
At the end of their art instruction, Jacobson released a portfolio of the artists’ combined work entitled, “Kiowa Indian Art,” garnering them international attention."