Alicia "Saltina" Marie Clark
Native American Artist
Being from a family that has an appreciation for art. Alicia's first exposure to the art world was as a toddler being pushed through museums such as the Smithsonian in a stroller on the weekends. And as a preteen frequenting the Museum of Modern Art in Boston and the Childrens Museum. Her mother embraced and acknowledged Alicia's love for art at a small age, sending her to summer and spring Art camps through out her life. In high school Alicia was awarded most talented several years in a row, as well as placing third in the state of Oklahoma for best young talent. In college, Alicia won several annual juried shows, as well as receiving honorable mentions and positive acknowledgements and publication in the city news paper, the Durango Herald in Colorado.
Alicia lived and traveled to many places while growing up. After college, instead of settling down and finding a secure job in the art world, her travel bug bit hard. She began exploring North America in different ways and meeting people with alternative lifestyles and living in primitive ways. She was taught how to tan hides, make bone jewelry, spin wool, start a fire without fire, dye natural fibers with plants, and identify wild edible plants. After five years of travel and hard nights of sleep, Alicia came back to Oklahoma where her roots are. She has settled down, and gives great thanks for the amenities she lived without for so long. It was a lesson on how to not take life for granted, and to be thankful for everything in life you have the moment you have it. Be grateful for the Earth and the Universe and the Source and all it gives to you.
Alicia has grown to embrace her heritage of being a Native American and a proud member of the Caddo Nation. Today she has gone back to her calling as an artist. She takes the colors and designs around her modern day world and blends them into the old world of her Native ancestors. Taking inspiration from stories told by her great great grandmother, and great great great grandfather, and giving these stories life with characters from her imagination. As life changes Alicia's style changes but her lines and gestural marks always remain the same, making her work recognizable to those who follow it.
