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{{Short description|Native American sculptor and painter (1921–1980)}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Blackbear Bosin
| image         = 
| alt           = 
| caption       = 
| birth_name    = Francis Blackbear Bosin
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1921|6|5}}
| birth_place   = [[Cyril, Oklahoma]], United States
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1980|8|9|1921|5|21}}
| death_place   = [[Wichita, Kansas]], United States
| nationality   = [[Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma]],<ref name=nmai/> American
| native_name   = Sétkóñ:gyái (Tsate Kongia)
| occupation    = Artist (sculptor, painter), Graphic Designer
| years_active  = 
| awards        = National American Indian Achievements Award, American Indian Art and Cultural Exchange, 1976<br/>Certificate of Appreciation, American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, 1976<br/>Distinguished Service Award, State of Kansas, 1977<br/>Kansas Governor's Artist, 1977
| known_for     = 
| notable_works = ''Keeper of the Plains'', 1968-1974<br/>''From Whence All Life'', 1972<br/>''Wichita, My Son'', 1965<br/>''Prairie Fire'', 1955<br/>''Wind Spirit'', 1955
| website = {{URL|blackbearbosin.com}}
}}

'''Blackbear Bosin''' (June 5, 1921 – August 9, 1980) was a self-taught [[Kiowa]]<ref name="nmai">{{cite web |title=Painting |url=https://americanindian.si.edu/collections-search/object/NMAI_274989 |website=National Museum of the American Indian |access-date=16 June 2024}}</ref>/[[Comanche]] sculptor, [[Painting|painter]], and commercial artist. He is also known by his [[Kiowa language|Kiowa]] name, '''Tsate Kongia''' ([[Kiowa language|Kiowa]]: ''Sétkóñ:gyái'')<ref name="Poolaw 2023">Dane Poolaw (2023) [https://learnkiowa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/23GlossaryA.pdf ǥáuiđòᵰ꞉gyà–tʼáukáuidóᵰ꞉gyá : Kiowa–English student glossary].</ref>, which means "black bear."

Bosin gained notoriety for his surreal and dynamic variations on the traditional [[Flatstyle (disambiguation)|Flatstyle]] painting of the [[Plains Indians|Southern Plains Indians]], and he add depth, motion, and drama to the genre while emphasizing symbolism.<ref name="wind_spirit_metmuseum_org">[https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/643792 ''Wind Spirit,''] (tornado) (ca. 1955), [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]], [[New York City]] (image of painting, with description of it and artist)</ref><ref name="works_of_61_artists_henkes_p_11">{{Cite book|last=Henkes|first=Robert|title=Native American Painters of the Twentieth Century: The Works of 61 Artists|publisher=McFarland & Co.|year=1995|location=Jefferson, NC|pages=11}}</ref><ref name="blackbear_bosin_2022_07_13_cowboysindians_com">Glaze, Michele Powers: [https://www.cowboysindians.com/2022/07/blackbear-bosin/ "Art Gallery: Blackbear Bosin,"] July 13, 2022, ''[[Cowboys & Indians (magazine)]],''  (includes reproductions of Bosin paintings ''Prairie Fire'', ''Reflections of Rainy Mountain,'' and ''Torches of the Soul Seekers.''), retrieved December 3, 2022</ref><ref name="two_indians_glicrease_org">[https://collections.gilcrease.org/object/021649 ''Two Indians,''] by F. Blackbear Bosin, [[Gilcrease Museum]], [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], retrieved December 5, 2022</ref>

His works have been modern icons of [[Native American art]],<ref name="keeper_8_wonders_overall_kansassampler_org" >[https://kansassampler.org/8wondersofkansas-overall/keeper-of-the-plains-wichita "Keeper of the Plains, Wichita,"] "8 Wonders of Kansas Overall," ''Kansas Sampler,'' retrieved December 3, 2022</ref> and of his community ([[Wichita, Kansas|Wichita]]), county ([[Sedgwick County, Kansas|Sedgwick County]]), state ([[Kansas]]) and region.<ref name="keeper_8_wonders_overall_kansassampler_org" /><ref name="keeper_arts_wichita_gov">[https://www.wichita.gov/Arts/Pages/Keeper.aspx "Keeper of the Plains,"] Arts and Cultural Services, City of Wichita, retrieved December 3, 2022</ref><ref name="home_page_sedgwickcounty_org">[https://www.sedgwickcounty.org  Official website of Sedgwick County, Kansas government], Sedgwick County, Kansas, with official seal depicting Bosin's ''Keeper of the Plains,'' retrieved December 3, 2022</ref><ref name="keeper_30th_birthday_proclamation">[https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/media/24372/reg05-19.pdf "Proclamation"] in "Minutes: Regular Meeting, Meeting of the Board of County Commissioners: May 19, 2004," Sedgwick County Commission, retrieved December 2, 2022</ref><ref name="kansas_icons_2019_01_18_kansaspublicradio_org">[https://kansaspublicradio.org/blog/kpr-staff/kansas-cultural-icons-january-18-2019 "Kansas Cultural Icons,"] January 18, 2019, [[Kansas Public Radio]] (includes photo of ''The Keeper of the Plains,'' and link to enlarged Wolf Creek logo), retrieved December 5, 2022</ref>

==Early life (1921–1946)==

Francis Blackbear Bosin was born June 5, 1921, in [[Cyril, Oklahoma]], near [[Anadarko, Oklahoma|Anadarko]], reportedly in a [[tipi]].<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com">[https://blackbearbosin.com/about-the-artist/ "About the Artist,"], Blackbear Bosin Legacy Project, Carriage Factory Art Gallery, [[Newton, Kansas]].</ref> His father, Frank Blackbear, was [[Kiowa]], and his mother, Ada Tivis Bosin, was of the [[Quahadi]] (Antelope Eater) band, of the [[Comanche Nation]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=13}}</ref> His Kiowa name, Tsate Kongia ([[Kiowa language|Kiowa]]: ''Sétkóñ:gyái''), means "Blackbear" and belongs to his paternal grandfather, a Kiowa chief. As the oldest male child, he was sent to live with his maternal, Comanche grandparents as soon as he could walk.<ref name=":0" /> He attended [[Kiowa Six#St. Patrick's Mission School|St. Patrick's Mission School]] in Anadarko where he was exposed to the paintings of the [[Kiowa Six]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Highwater |first=Jamake |title=Song From the Earth: American Indian Painting|publisher=New York Graphic Society |year=1976 |location=Boston, MA |pages=158}}</ref>

Bosin briefly studied Anadarko High School before leaving to attend Cyril High School. At 17, Bosin married Ruth Johnson (Caddo), and the couple had two daughters, Rowena and Patricia. The [[University of Oklahoma]] offered him an arts scholarship after graduating high school, but due to his new responsibilities as a husband and a father, he turned it down. Instead, he chose to attend the [[Chilocco Indian Agricultural School]] where he trained to work with sheet metal.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=15}}</ref> In 1940, Bosin and Johnson moved to [[Wichita, Kansas]], with their daughters. It was here that the couple had two sons, Francis Jr. and Niles. Bosin found work at [[Beech Aircraft]].<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" />

To support his family, Bosin enlisted in the [[U.S. Marine Corps]] and was trained as a machine gunner. In November 1943, while stationed in [[Maui, Hawaii]], he fell ill and had to be hospitalized at Aiea Heights Naval Hospital in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]. Here he took up painting again. Before his discharge in 1945, the hospital hosted a one-man exhibition of his works (later mistakenly reported a one-man exhibition of the [[Honolulu Academy of Arts]].<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" />) Before leaving the military, Bosin briefly returned to Wichita to sign divorce papers, which marked the end of his marriage with Johnson. Bosin permanently returned to Wichita in 1946, where he worked as a color separator and plate maker for Western Lithograph and then as an industrial designer and production illustrator for [[Boeing|Boeing-Wichita]].<ref name=":2" />

== Art career (1946–1967) ==
After returning to Wichita in 1946, Bosin continued to paint. In the same year, he entered the [[Philbrook Museum of Art|Philbrook Art Center's]] first Indian Artists Annual, where he won an honorable mention for ''Green Corn Dance.''<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" /><ref name="minataree_green_corn_dance_si_edu">[https://www.si.edu/object/minataree-green-corn-dance:NMAI_275795 "Minataree Green Corn Dance,"] by Blackbear Bosin (with photo of painting), [[National Museum of the American Indian]], [[Smithsonian Institution]], [[Washington, D.C.]], retrieved December 3, 2022</ref> After his success at the Philbrook, Bosin continued to enter art competitions there and at other galleries, art centers, and museums. Between 1947 and 1948, his work was included in exhibitions at the [[Dallas Museum of Art|Dallas Museum of Fine Arts]] and the [[Detroit Institute of Arts]]. In 1951, Bosin entered an Indian art competition held by the [[Denver Art Museum|Denver Museum of Art]], where he was awarded the Purchase Prize.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=17}}</ref><ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" />

Bosin's career as an artist began to take off in the early 1950s, beginning in 1950 with a special showing of 66 of his paintings, at the [[National Museum of Natural History]], of the [[Smithsonian Institution]], in Washington, D.C.<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" /> At the [[Philbrook Museum of Art|Philbrook]]'s ''Indian Art Annual'' in 1952  he was awarded first prize for ''Death Bird.''<ref name="Blackbear Bosin">{{Cite journal|date=1995|title=Blackbear Bosin|journal=American Indian Art Magazine|volume=21|pages=52}}</ref>

While working at Boeing, Bosin met Nola Simmonds, an art teacher who would later become his wife. The two were married in 1953, after which they moved in together and Bosin became stepfather to David, Simmonds only child.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=27}}</ref> Bosin's daughters lived with the family in Wichita until they both graduated high school, and one of his sons, Francis Jr., lived with them up until the sixth grade.

Also in 1953, Bosin again secured first place at the Philbrook with ''Prairie Fire'', the piece that eventually brought him international recognition. The acclaimed painting was purchased by the Philbrook and later featured as a centerfold, with detailed description, in the May 1955 issue of ''[[National Geographic]].''<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" /><ref name="Blackbear Bosin"/><ref name="blackbear_bosin_2022_07_13_cowboysindians_com" /> The work, with its vivid depiction of action—Indians on galloping horses, and animals desperately fleeing an oncoming fire—was regarded as a turning point in the field of normally static Plains Indians art. For a time, it was displayed in the [[White House]].<ref name="blackbear_bosin_2022_07_13_cowboysindians_com" />

In 1955, his works were exhibited at the [[National Gallery]] in Washington, D.C.<ref name="blackbear_bosin_2022_07_13_cowboysindians_com" /> In 1955, ''Wind Spirit'', the companion piece to ''Prairie Fire,'' was shown at the [[DeYoung Museum]] in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], and then won the Purchase Prize at the Philbrook's Indian Annual. After the competition, the Philbrook invited Bosin to participate in a one-man exhibition.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=28}}</ref>

Bosin opened the Great Plains Studio in 1959 to expand his studio space and display his art alongside the works of other Indigenous artists. The same year, he was commissioned by the Hotel Broadview in downtown Wichita to design a mosaic mural for the Crystal Ballroom. Constructed entirely from semi-opaque glass chips and measuring an incredible 1,500 square feet, ''The Advance of Civilization in Kansas'' is the largest continuous mural in Kansas.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=72}}</ref><ref name="drury_broadview_downtown_wichita">[https://downtownwichita.org/listing/3920/drury-plaza-hotel-broadview "Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview,"] 2022, Wichita Downtown Development Corporation (WDDC), retrieved December 3, 2022</ref>

His paintings continued to be awarded by art institutions. In 1960, Bosin entered the All-Indian Show in New York, where he won both the First and Grand Prize. The following year he traveled to [[Kreuzlingen|Kreuzlingen, Switzerland]], to receive honors after he was elected Fellow of the International Institute of Arts and Letters (IIAL). In the same year, two of his former entries in the Philbrook's Indian Artist Annual were purchased by the Arts and Crafts Board of the [[U.S. Department of the Interior]].<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=18}}</ref> In 1963, the Philbrook hosted another one-man show of Bosin's work and four of his pieces were included in the [[Heard Museum]]'s Gallery of Indian Art's inaugural exhibition.

Two years later, in 1965, Bosin proceeded to win first place and the Grand Prize at the Philbrook's Indian Artists Annual.<ref name=":3" /> The same year, the [[Wichita Art Museum]] hosted a showing of 24 of Bosin's works. The museum later commissioned him to do a painting titled, ''Wichita, My Son,'' which represents the relationship between Wichita and the local Indigenous communities. Bosin also participated in an exhibition at the [[Whitney Gallery of Western Art]] at the [[Buffalo Bill Center of the West|Buffalo Bill Cody complex]] in [[Cody, Wyoming]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=35}}</ref>

Bosin was the only Native American artist to participate in the 1965 White House Festival of the Arts, when ''Prairie Fire'' was displayed at both the White House and the [[National Gallery of Art]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Highwater|first=Jamake|title=Song from the Earth: American Indian Painting|publisher=New York Graphic Society|year=1976|location=Boston, MA|pages=157}}</ref><ref>[https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/1965/white_house.html "White House Festival of the Arts Foundation,"] June 19 – July 11, 1965, [[National Gallery of Art ]], retrieved December 3, 2022</ref> The beaded bowtie and cummerbund he wore were made by his mother and attracted the attention of the [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]], [[Lady Bird Johnson]], who requested that Bosin be moved to sit at her table.<ref name="Simmonds 2012 41">{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=41}}</ref>

The U.S. Department of the Interior commissioned a series of paintings from Bosin, known as the ''Kiowa Series'', devoted to displaying the historical and religious heritage of the Kiowa. The series consisted of three works, ''Of the Owls Telling'' (<ref name="of_the_owls_telling_firstpeople_us">[https://www.firstpeople.us/pictures/art/1024x768/Blackbear-Of-The-Owls-Telling-Kiowa-1024x768.html ''Of the Owls Telling''], of the ''Kiowa Series,'' (1965-1966), (image), Native American Art, Gallery 3, FirstPeoples.org</ref>), ''Taime Man,'' and ''The Ten Grandmothers.'' Bosin completed the first two paintings between 1965 and 1966, but the final work was not finished until 1973 and the series was not publicly displayed until 1976.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=45–47}}</ref> He was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board of the Department of the Interior in 1966.<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" /><ref name="Simmonds 2012 41"/>

In 1967, Bosin was awarded the Victory Trophy at the 22nd Indian Annual hosted by the Philbrook. After receiving this award, he decided to step back from entering art competitions altogether because he believed it was time for younger artists to gain recognition.<ref name=":3" /> He was also chosen as an exhibitor, that year, for the Smithsonian Institution's American Discovers Indian Art Show.<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" />

== Later years and death (1967–1980) ==
===''Keeper of the Plains''===
Bosin had been experiencing health issues, starting in 1960 when he was diagnosed with diabetes, but his health worsened significantly in 1968. He had to be hospitalized for a period and his doctors advised that he slow down his work. A year later, Bosin suffered his first heart attack.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=53}}</ref>

While in the hospital, Elmer Hall, a friend of Bosin and employee of the '''KG&E''' plant in Wichita, asked Bosin if he would design a large-scale statue as tribute to the Indigenous peoples in the area. The statue — a 44-foot, 5-ton, [[Cor-Ten]] steel sculpture — is a giant, stylized representation of a Native American in historic dress, gesturing to the [[Great Spirit]] in the sky, and titled ''The Keeper of the Plains.''<ref name="keeper_8_wonders_overall_kansassampler_org" /><ref name="blackbear_bosin_keeper_spirit">{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=57}}</ref><ref name="keeper_arts_wichita_gov" />

It is situated near the city's center, immediately northwest of downtown Wichita, adjacent to the grounds of the [[Mid-America All-Indian Center]], 
at the confluence of the [[Arkansas River|Big Arkansas]] and [[Little Arkansas River|Little Arkansas]] rivers,<ref name=":4" />—a site sacred to Native Americans, and the former home of the [[Wichita people|Wichita]] tribe.<ref name="keeper_8_wonders_overall_kansassampler_org" /><ref name="blackbear_bosin_keeper_spirit"/>

Construction of the sculpture began in 1970 and, after multiple financial setbacks, was finally completed in 1974, ostensibly as a commemorative project in preparation for the 1976 [[United States Bicentennial]]. A ceremony with performances and blessings by local Indigenous peoples, including a blessing in the [[Winnebago language]] by Etta Hunter, and speech by U.S. Senator [[Bob Dole]], was held for the official unveiling of the giant sculpture.<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" /><ref name="keeper_8_wonders_overall_kansassampler_org" /><ref name="blackbear_bosin_keeper_spirit"/>

In subsequent years, the statue has come be the unofficial (in some cases, official) symbol of Wichita,<ref name="keeper_8_wonders_overall_kansassampler_org" /><ref name="keeper_arts_wichita_gov" /> — widely reproduced and represented<ref name="statues_invade_2017_08_19_ksn_com">Newton, Ryan: [https://www.ksn.com/news/10-foot-tall-keeper-of-the-plains-statues-invade-wichita/?ipid=promo-link-block1 "10-foot tall Keeper of the Plains statues invade Wichita,"] August 19, 2017, ''[[Kansas State Network]],'' retrieved December 4, 2022</ref><ref name="can_you_find_2020_09_11_kansas_com">Neil, Denise: [https://www.kansas.com/entertainment/article245626785.html " Can you find the 13 colorful Keeper statues that have just moved into Wichita parks?,"] September 11, 2020, ''[[Wichita Eagle]]'' retrieved December 4, 2022</ref><ref name="new_statues_2022_04_26_ksn_com">Newton, Ryan: [https://www.ksn.com/news/local/new-keeper-of-the-plains-statues-in-wichita/ "New Keeper of the Plains statues in Wichita,"] April 26, 2022, ''[[Kansas State Network]],'' retrieved December 4, 2022</ref> — and is the core element in the official seal of the surrounding county, [[Sedgwick County, Kansas]].<ref name="home_page_sedgwickcounty_org" />

The ''Keeper'' has become the focal point of a $20 million river-beautification project, with ornate, symbolic footbridges built to the site, and a park, walkways, gardens and fire pits installed around the statue, which has been mounted on a 30-foot-high rock pedestal jutting out into the river.<ref name="keeper_8_wonders_overall_kansassampler_org" /><ref name="keeper_arts_wichita_gov" /> The statue is the centerpiece of some public events, including Native American events and commemorations of the statue, itself.<ref name="keeper_arts_wichita_gov" /><ref name="keeper_30th_birthday_proclamation" /><ref name="keeper_plaza_360wichita_com">[https://www.360wichita.com/Attractions/KeeperofthePlains.html "''Keeper of the Plains'' Plaza"] (with daytime panorama video), 360Wichita.com, retrieved December 4, 2022</ref>

In 1975, two 10-foot replicas of the sculpture were installed in Wichita's [[Sister city|sister cities]]: [[Tlalnepantla, Mexico]], and [[Orleans, France]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=61}}</ref> Starting in 2017, a local business organization began commissioning dozens of 10-foot glass-fiber replicas of the statue, for installation throughout the city—each one decorated individually by local artists, usually with a locally relevant symbolic theme.<ref name="statues_invade_2017_08_19_ksn_com" /><ref name="can_you_find_2020_09_11_kansas_com" /><ref name="new_statues_2022_04_26_ksn_com" />

===Later art career===
In 1970, Bosin exhibited at the All-Indian Show, at the [[Kennedy Center]], in [[New York City]].<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" />

In the early months of 1971, Bosin held a show at the Wichita Art Association and was commissioned by the [[Farm Credit Bank]] of Wichita to paint a large-scale mural, ''From Whence All Life,'' with its signature central figure of the [[Great Spirit]].<ref name="Simmonds 2012 65">{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=65}}</ref><ref name="blackbear_bosin_savvycollector_com">[https://savvycollector.com/artists/1474-blackbear-bosin "About the Artist,"] "Artwork by Blackbear Bosin," SavvyCollector.com</ref>

Months later in September, Bosin had to undergo open heart surgery, which severely set back the progress of the mural. His recovery was lengthy, and he suffered loss of sight in both eyes that left wide, horizontal fields of darkness across his vision.<ref name="Simmonds 2012 65"/> The quality of Bosin's painting did not decline because of his vision loss, but it did make the work more difficult for him. To complete the mural on time, his wife and office staff helped paint the basic areas of the work while he filled in the details.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=66}}</ref> The mural was unveiled in 1972.<ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" />

Bosin was commissioned to create ten designs for a series of fifty sterling silver medals produced by the [[Franklin Mint]] for ''The Medallic History of the American Indian'' in 1975''.'' The double-sided coins recorded historical events ranging from prehistoric migration from Asia to North America to the completion of the transcontinental railroad, featuring the "traditional view" of the event on one side and the "Indian interpretation" on the other.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=75}}</ref>

In 1976, Bosin was honored at the American Indian National Achievement Awards in the Traditional Indian Painting category. He was also included in ''Songs from the Earth,'' an important exhibition of Indigenous art, and appointed to the Kansas Arts Commission Board.<ref name=":5" /><ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" />

The state of Kansas awarded Bosin the Distinguished Service Award in 1977. He was later appointed as Governor's Artist by [[Robert Frederick Bennett]], Kansas's governor at the time.<ref name=":5" /><ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" />

Bosin began restricting the showing of his work in 1978, but he did show in the [[Oklahoma City Museum of Art|Oklahoma Museum of Art]] and the [[New Britain Museum of American Art]] during that year. Due to the toll his loss of vision took on his ability to paint quickly, Bosin had to give up gouache in favor of acrylics. While the acrylics dried less quickly than gouache, they did not have the same layered effect as Bosin's earlier works. He produced his final painting, ''Reflections of Rainy Mountains'', using acrylics.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=75–76}}</ref>

===Final years===
In the later years of his life, Bosin began to dance at regional [[powwow]]s with his close friends. He wore traditional regalia that was adorned with his mother's intricate beadwork. Bosin led a dance to the rhythm of a song that was passed on to him by his father when he had been inducted into the Kiowa Gourd Society and O-Ho-Mahs Lodge Society years before.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=78}}</ref>

In March 1980, Bosin's mother died while living with him and his wife. Stricken by grief, Bosin struggled to complete his final commissions.<ref name=":6" />

Five months later, on August 9, 1980, Bosin died from heart problems and complications stemming from a severe gall bladder infection.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=79}}</ref><ref name="about_blackbearbosin_com" /> He was survived by his second wife, Nola Davidson Simmonds, his four children, Rowena, Patricia, Francis Jr., and Niles, and stepson, David Simmonds.

In 2012, David Simmonds published a biography detailing Bosin's life and accomplishments, titled ''Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit.''

== Art style and practice ==
===Painting and sketching===
Bosin began practicing art while attending St. Patrick's Mission School in Anadarko, where he was able to study Kiowa and European art through the school's collections. It was through his observations of historical art forms that he learned how to manipulate bodily proportions, create anatomically correct figures, and emulate the style of the [[Kiowa Six]].<ref name=":1" /> He was also heavily influenced by his mother, who was an accomplished bead worker.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Baker|first=Joe|date=2005|title=A Beautiful Resistance: American Indian Paintings at the Heard Museum|journal=American Indian Art Magazine|volume=30|pages=76}}</ref>

A self-taught artist, Bosin attributed his distinctive artistic style to his lack of formal arts training and relative isolation from other practicing artists.<ref name=":1" /> His work became increasingly complex and dynamic, reflecting the influence of surrealists and his incorporation of culturally specific scenes and subject matter.<ref name="works_of_61_artists_henkes_p_11"/> He wove a unique aesthetic combining the Southern Plains Indians' flat style of painting with modern surrealism, delivered through Bosin's favorite medium, [[gouache]], a type of opaque watercolor paint.<ref name="known_2019_10_02_ksn_com">Love, Byron J.: [https://www.ksn.com/news/local/known-for-his-keeper-of-the-plains-blackbear-bosin-was-a-prolific-artist/ "Known for his Keeper of the Plains, Blackbear Bosin was a prolific artist,"] October 2, 2019, updated October 17, 2019; ''[[Kansas State Network]],'' retrieved December 3, 2022</ref> Watercolors and gouache allowed Bosin to create a controlled layering effect that gave his canvasses their distinctive look.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Henkes|first=Robert|title=Native American Painters of the Twentieth Century: The Works of 61 Artists|publisher=McFarland & Co.|year=1995|location=Jefferson, NC|pages=13}}</ref>

Bosin was known to make several drafts of each painting, sometimes making up to ten sketches before transferring the image onto the canvas, to ensure that the composition was correct.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|last=Henkes|first=Robert|title=Native American Painters of the Twentieth Century: The Work of 61 Artists|publisher=McFarland & Co.|year=1995|location=Jefferson, NC|pages=12}}</ref> Bosin also began to include increasingly detailed backgrounds in his paintings that set the tone of the piece and constructed a sense of space.<ref name=":7" />

Although he could paint in European-style realism, Bosin found no reason to do so. In a 1975 interview, he stated: "I find it empty. I simply don't care for it. I would rather stay within the limitations of Traditional Indian paintings," going on to explain that adapting and reshaping traditional styles better represents the transient, poetic experience he is trying to capture in his work.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Highwater|first=Jamake|title=Song from the Earth: American Indian Painting|publisher=New York Graphic Society|year=1976|location=Boston, MA|pages=159}}</ref>

Bosin also frequently sketched, filling his sketchbooks with caricatures, drawings, and cartoons, all of which he signed as "Chief." The first and only time his cartoons were exhibited was in 1979 at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=85}}</ref>

=== Commercial art ===
Bosin also worked as a production illustrator and commercial artist. In 1952 when he left Boeing to work in the training aids and arts department at [[McConnell Air Force Base]], Bosin produced visual training materials for pilots. His instructional booklet, ''JetRock Jock,'' took a humorous approach to advising pilots of the various mishaps and dangers of flying. The booklet gained popularity and was distributed to other pilot training programs across the United States.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book|last=Simmonds|first=David|title=Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit|publisher=Carriage Factory Art Gallery|year=2012|isbn=978-0615715926|location=Newton, KS|pages=29}}</ref>

In 1955, Bosin left the civil service sector to pursue art fulltime. He partnered with A.E. "Waddy" Wadsworth to open a small commercial art studio where they produced visuals for local movie theaters and small businesses.<ref name=":8" />

Bosin also designed the logos for the [[Mid-America All-Indian Center]] in Wichita, and the [[Wolf Creek Nuclear Generating Station|Wolf Creek nuclear power plant]], of Kansas Gas & Electric Co. (KG&E, absorbed into Westar, later into [[Evergy]]) in [[Burlington, Kansas]].<ref name=":6" /><ref name="kansas_icons_2019_01_18_kansaspublicradio_org" />

== Awards and honors ==
* Certificate of Merit, the Philbrook Indian Art Annual, 1946
* Purchase Prize, the [[Denver Art Museum]] Indian Art Competition, 1951
* First Prize, the Philbrook Indian Art Annual, 1952
* Grand Prize, the Philbrook Indian Art Annual, 1953
* Purchase Prize, the Philbrook Indian Art Annual, 1955
* Grand and First Prize, the All-Indian Show, New York, 1960
* Fellow of the International Institute of Arts and Letters, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, 1961
* Grand Prize and First Prize, the Philbrook Indian Art Annual, 1965
* Certificate of Appreciation, the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, 1966
* Victory Trophy, the Philbrook American Indian Artists Exhibition, 1967
* Award for Traditional Indian Painting, the American Indian National Achievement Awards, 1976
* Distinguished Service Award, the State of Kansas, 1977 
* Governor's Artist, Governor Robert F. Bennett of Kansas, 1977
* Blackbear Bosin Academy, Wichita Public Schools, named for him (closed in 2012).

== Images of Bosin's art ==
Partial list. These links are to images of the original artwork, or  to reproductions/prints:

===Paintings===
*[https://www.cowboysindians.com/2022/07/blackbear-bosin/ "Art Gallery: Blackbear Bosin"], ''[[Cowboys & Indians (magazine)|Cowboys & Indians]]'' magazine, July 13, 2022:
**[https://www.cowboysindians.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Blackbear-Bosins-Prairie-Fire-in-National-Geographic-2048x1316.jpg ''Prairie Fire''] (ca.1955); also at: [https://blackbearbosin.com/about-the-artist/ "About the Artist," BlackbearBosin.com]. (A variant also depicted at: [https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/blackbear-bosin-comanche-kiowa-1921-1980-lot-is-l-91-c-4be400f8b9# Hindman (Chicago), on Invaluable.com])
**[https://www.cowboysindians.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Torches-of-the-Soul-Seekers-by-Blackbear-Bosin-2048x1361.jpg ''Torches of the Soul Seekers'']
**[https://www.cowboysindians.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Reflections-of-Rainy-Mountain-donated-by-Arlyn-and-Lois-Huesinkveld-2048x1528.jpg ''Reflections of Rainy Mountain''] (Bosin's final work, ca.1979)
*[https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/643792 ''Wind Spirit,''] (tornado) (1955), [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]], [[New York City]]
*[[Gilcrease Museum]], [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]]: 
**[https://collections.gilcrease.org/object/02535 ''Two Deer,''] (1944)
**[https://collections.gilcrease.org/object/02168 ''Two Females Bathing,''] (1955, or before)
**[https://collections.gilcrease.org/object/02371 ''Winter Hunt,''] (1955)
**[https://collections.gilcrease.org/object/021649 ''Two Indians,''] (gesturing in sign language) (mid-20th Century)
**[https://collections.gilcrease.org/object/02461 ''Eagle Dancer,'']  (mid-20th Century)
**[https://collections.gilcrease.org/object/022109 ''Indian man on lunging horse,''] (1967)
*[https://collections.rockwellmuseum.org/objects/496/winter-crossing ''Winter Crossing,''] (1963), The [[Rockwell Museum]], [[Corning, New York]]
*[https://centerofthewest.org/2016/07/30/points-west-compelling-issues-contemporary-indian-art/ ''Mandan Mother and Child,''] (ca.1963), [[Buffalo Bill Center of the West]]
*[https://www.si.edu/object/minataree-green-corn-dance:NMAI_275795 ''Minataree Green Corn Dance''] (1960–1965), [[National Museum of the American Indian]], [[Smithsonian Institution]]; also at Harris & Co. Frame Shop, at [https://shop.theworkroomict.com/blackbear-bosin-minataree-green-corn-dance.html The Work Room], Wichita, Kansas
*[https://wichitaartmuseum.org//wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1965.3-600x391.jpg ''Wichita, My Son''] (ca.1965), [[Wichita Art Museum]]; also at: [https://shop.theworkroomict.com/blackbear-bosin-wichita-my-son.html The Workroom], and at [https://www.equip-bid.com/auction/2372/item/7146 Equip-Bid Auctions]
*[https://www.firstpeople.us/pictures/art/1024x768/Blackbear-Of-The-Owls-Telling-Kiowa-1024x768.html ''Of the Owls Telling''], of the ''Kiowa Series,'' (1965–1966), Native American Art, Gallery 3, FirstPeople.us
*[https://www.theindiancenter.org/Slideshow/BosinMural.jpg ''From Whence All Life.''] (the "Great Spirit" mural, 1971–1972) (with visitors), Mid-America All-Indian Museum, [[Mid-America All-Indian Center]]; also [https://getlostintheusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Blackbear-Bosin-mural.jpg low-resolution, full-width image], at [https://getlostintheusa.com/things-to-do-in-wichita-ks/ "Things to Do in Wichita Kansas – The Old West,"], ''Get Lost in the U.S.A.''; and detail image of right-most two-thirds at: [https://blackbearbosin.com/about-the-artist/ "About the Artist," BlackbearBosin.com].
*The Work Room / Harris & Co. Frame Shop, Wichita, Kansas:
**[https://shop.theworkroomict.com/blackbear-bosin-night-singers.html ''Night Singers'']; also at [https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/night-singers-blackbear-bosin-tsate-1926168679 Worthpoint]
**[https://shop.theworkroomict.com/blackbear-bosin-the-day-the-sun-died.html ''The Day The Sun Died'']
**[https://shop.theworkroomict.com/blackbear-bosin-feather-dancer.html ''Feather Dancer'']; (also at: [https://wyld.gallery/product/untitled-indian-dancer-2/ Wyld Gallery]; and at [https://wyld.gallery/product-category/blackbear-bosin-1921-1980/]; colors apparently distorted)
*[https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/blackbear-bosin-26-x-21-3-8-in-66-04-x-54-29-cm-85-c-51c46cca90 ''The Kiowa Dancer,''], Maynards Fine Art & Antiques, Richmond, B.C., Canada; also at: [https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/dancer-by-blackbear-bosin-mid-20th-century-272-c-bf643b6a12 Garth's Auctioneers & Appraisers], [[Columbus, Ohio]], via Invaluable.com
*[https://blackbearbosin.com/wp-content/uploads/wind-song-500x745.jpg ''Wind Song,''] BlackbearBosin.com

===Drawings and sketches===
*The Work Room / Harris & Co. Frame Shop, Wichita, Kansas:
**[https://shop.theworkroomict.com/blackbear-bosin-bathing-woman.html ''Bathing Woman'']; also at: [https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/nude-native-american-woman-pencil-drawing-by-blac-124-c-b9b4f8f8a4 Little Bull Auction & Sales Co.], [[Augusta, Kansas]], via Invaluable.com
**[https://shop.theworkroomict.com/blackbear-bosin-child-w-doll.html ''Child w/ Doll'']; also at: [https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/native-american-girl-pencil-drawing-by-blackbear--123-c-7054d3cafb Little Bull Auction & Sales Co.], [[Augusta, Kansas]], via Invaluable.com
**[https://shop.theworkroomict.com/blackbear-bosin-native-man-head.html ''Native Man head'']
*[https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/blackbear-bosin-tsate-kongia-untitled-horse-1969-310-c-e6f400083e untitled (horse)], Santa Fe Art Auction, via Invaluable.com

===Sculpture===
*[https://photocontest.smithsonianmag.com/photocontest/detail/keeper-of-the-plains-1/ ''The Keeper of the Plains''] (daytime), contest photo, [[Smithsonian Institution]]
*[https://www.wichita.gov/Arts/Pages/Keeper.aspx ''The Keeper of the Plains''] (daytime), panorama, [[Wichita, Kansas|City of Wichita]]
*[https://www.360wichita.com/Attractions/KeeperofthePlains.html "''Keeper of the Plains'' Plaza"] (daytime panorama video), 360Wichita.com
*[https://www.kwch.com/2021/04/30/keeper-of-the-plains-will-be-relit-saturday-for-first-time-since-beginning-of-pandemic/ ''The Keeper of the Plains''] (twilight, with torches), [[KWCH-TV]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GyMcx6yhv4 " Wichita Kansas Keeper Of The Plains Fire,"] (twilight) video, Wichita Webmasters Web Design & Hosting
*[https://pixels.com/featured/the-keeper-of-the-plains-on-fire-joe-montiel.html ''The Keeper of the Plains on Fire,''] (nightfall, facing downtown) photograph by Joe Montiel
*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/jcsullivan24/29380057742/in/photostream/ ''Keeper of the Plains'' and other local images, day and night], [[Flickr]]

===Commercial art===
*[http://www.e-yearbook.com/yearbooks/Wichita_State_University_Parnassus_Yearbook/1975/Page_1.html Cover], ''Parnassus'' Yearbook, Class of 1975, [[Wichita State University]]
*[https://kansaspublicradio.org/blog/kpr-staff/kansas-cultural-icons-january-18-2019 logo:] for the [[Wolf Creek Nuclear Generating Station|Wolf Creek nuclear power plant]], Kansas Gas & Electric Co. (KG&E, absorbed into Westar, later into [[Evergy]]), at [[Kansas Public Radio]].

== Public collections ==
*[[National Museum of the American Indian]], [[Smithsonian Institution]], [[Washington, D.C.]]
*[[Bureau of Indian Affairs]], [[United States Department of the Interior]], [[Washington, D.C.]]
*[https://www.doi.gov/iacb/SPIMRosemaryEllisonGallery Rosemary Ellison Gallery], [https://www.doi.gov/iacb/southern-plains-indian-museum Southern Plains Indians Museum], [https://www.doi.gov/iacb Indian Arts and Crafts Board], United States Department of the Interior, [[Anadarko, Oklahoma]]
*[[Metropolitan Museum of Art]], [[New York City]]<ref name="wind_spirit_metmuseum_org" />
*[[Buffalo Bill Historical Center]], [[Cody, Wyoming]]<ref>McClure, Nancy: [https://centerofthewest.org/2016/07/30/points-west-compelling-issues-contemporary-indian-art/ "Compelling Issues in Contemporary Indian Art,"] July 30, 2016, ''Points West Online''; originally published in ''Points West'' magazine, Summer 2000; "Multiple Influences: Compelling Issues Contemporary Indian Art," by Sarah E. Boehme, (former Curator, [[Whitney Western Art Museum]]), at [[Buffalo Bill Center of the West]] (includes detailed image and backstory of Bosin's painting ''Mandan Mother and Child,'' ca.1963), retrieved December 5, 2022</ref>
*[[Denver Art Museum]], [[Denver, Colorado]]
*[[Heard Museum]], [[Phoenix, Arizona]]
*[[Gilcrease Museum]], [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]]<ref name="two_indians_glicrease_org" />
*[[Philbrook Museum of Art]], Tulsa, Oklahoma
*[[Wichita Art Museum]], [[Wichita, Kansas]].<ref name="wichita_my_son_wichitaartmuseum_org">[https://wichitaartmuseum.org//wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1965.3-600x391.jpg ''Wichita, My Son''] (ca.1965), [[Wichita Art Museum]]</ref>
* Wichita Art Association Gallery, Wichita, Kansas
* [[Mid-America All-Indian Center]], Wichita, Kansas<ref name="tsate_kosinga_theindiancenter_org">[https://www.theindiancenter.org/Pages/Exhibits.aspx ''Tsate Kosinga: Walking in Two Worlds, The Life of Blackbear Bosin''] (exhibit), [[Mid-America All-Indian Center]]</ref><ref name="bosin_ourchanginglives_com">[https://ourchanginglives.com/honoring-the-natives-of-our-lands/ "Blackbear Bosin,"] in "American Indians – The True Native People," ''Our Changing Lives,'' (includes photo of museum exhibit on Blackbear Bosin)</ref>
* Private Collection, Anonymous, Wichita, Kansas
* Private Collection, Stevan Allen, [[Morgan Hill, California]]
*[[Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art]], [[Indianapolis, Indiana]]
* The [[Rockwell Museum]], [[Corning, New York]]<ref name="winter_crossing_rockwellmuseum_org">[https://collections.rockwellmuseum.org/objects/496/winter-crossing ''Winter Crossing,''] 1963, The [[Rockwell Museum]], [[Corning, New York]]</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*[[Kiowa Six]]
*[[Native American art]]
*[[Plains Indians]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090127050423/http://theindiancenter.org/Museum/Artists "Blackbear Bosin (1921-1980)"], [[Mid-America All-Indian Center]]
*[https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/blackbear-bosin/11985 "Blackbear Bosin,"] ''Kansapedia,'' [[Kansas Historical Society]]
*[https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=BO033 "Bosin, Francis Blackbear (1921–1980)"] ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture,''  [[Oklahoma Historical Society]]
*[https://carriagefactoryartgallery.com/blackbear-bosin-legacy-project/ The Blackbear Bosin Legacy Project], Carriage Factory Art Gallery, [[Newton, Kansas]]
*[https://www.indiansinaviation.com/storyline3 ''Tsate Kosinga: Walking in Two Worlds:'' The Story of Blackbear Bosin] (documentary film), Producer: [https://www.indiansinaviation.com/about Douglas A. Robertson] / [[Mid-America All-Indian Center]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpPbcc9Ir5I "Blackbear Bosin children's time, October 18,"] 2020, (educational video about Bosin, for children) Family Foxhole, Wichita, Kansas, on YouTube.

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bosin, Blackbear}}
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:Kiowa people of Comanche descent]]
[[Category:Kiowa painters]]
[[Category:Native American sculptors]]
[[Category:Native American United States military personnel]]
[[Category:People from Caddo County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Artists from Wichita, Kansas]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Marines]]
[[Category:20th-century American sculptors]]
[[Category:American male sculptors]]
[[Category:20th-century American painters]]
[[Category:American male painters]]
[[Category:Native American male artists]]
[[Category:20th-century American male artists]]
[[Category:Sculptors from Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Kiowa male artists]]
[[Category:Kiowa people]]
[[Category:Painters from Oklahoma]]