Jacob and Duvall
Special Event:

About the Event:

Twenty-seven book illustrations and the accompanying text from four different full-color storybooks, painted by Murv Jacob and written by Deborah L. Duvall, and published by the University of New Mexico Press. Also included are some brand new artworks by Jacob. Paintings and signed books will be sold with half of the proceeds to benefit this great old landmark museum.

The show opens on the very evening of the Harvest Full Moon, Du-nin-di, the ancient beginning of the Cherokee New Year. We will adjourn to the lawn when that big full moon rises up over Fort Gibson… what a marvelous view from the top of Agency Hill. We sincerely hope that all of our friends and associates will join us for a most memorable evening. Please invite everyone you know.

Admission is free and dress is casual. Refreshments served, along with live music and a short reading from the soon-to-be-published novel, The Secret History of the Cherokees, co-authored by Jacob, Duvall and James Murray. Show runs through October.

It has been 18 years since Murv Jacob has had a show at Five Civilized Tribes Museum. Whole lotta of water has swept under that tore up ol’ Arkansas River Bridge in those sweet years. Since that first show Jacob has worked on over 100 book and video projects for the likes of Time-Life, National Geographic, Doubleday, Dial, Harper Collins, OU Press, UNM Press, and Discovery Channel among others. He designed the Oklahoma Centennial plate and the Frankoma Pottery 75th Anniversary plate. He has won awards for his art including several Oklahoma Book awards and twice won the Wordcraft International Circle of Native Writers Award for illustration.

In the past eighteen years Deborah Duvall has written two Tahlequah/Cherokee history books, eleven published children’s books, a novel, mastered the guitar, and written over 75 songs, and won her share of awards all without quittin’ her day job.

Together Duvall and Jacob have raised four children, gone to a lot of art shows and a bunch of music concerts and generally raised holy hell. “I know zillions of people,” Jacob laughs, “and am totally convinced Debbie and I have more fun than anybody we’ve met. We have the same crazy friends, the same damnable enemies--- even share the same blood type, O positive, that’s the hunter’s gene (daily diet must include a pile of venison beef buffalo or wild boar- nuts and berries are OK, as are tomatoes and hot peppers). Hey that’s life in Oklahoma. Don’t ya just love it here? Carrie Underwood worked her way through college at the pizza store by my art Studio- some people think we’re backwards here in Tahlequah, but I believe we’re forwards. We actually outnumber the Baptist Republicans hereabouts---but there’s just no way of outscreamin’ ‘em!”

Murv Jacob’s art studio is on Tahlequah’s main street, right by the old college, NSU. “Too many good restaurants in this neighborhood” he says, rubbing his stomach sadly. Jacob, a descendant of Kentucky Cherokees and mountain hillbillies has caught a lot of flack over the years for not having a Federal Indian card, and also is long noted for returning fire on his attackers. “Not now,” he says holding up his hands in mock surrender, “we have a truce goin’- as shaky and uneasy as it is. As long as they back off. I have work to do.” And work he does. Jacob has painted thousands of his noted paintings in the little art studio. “I don’t know where most of ‘em are and have only a vague idea where the money went, but they were good paintings, I’m pretty sure.” He laughs.

We welcome your feedback —
please send links, reviews and comments to:

 

• © 2002—2009 •