Virginia Stroud

The family of Virginia Stroud announces her passing on Friday, November 8, 2024, with great sadness. We are planning a memorial service in the coming months. In lieu of flowers, we ask for donations to the Murrow Indian Children’s Home in her honor. Virginia Alice Stroud, a cherished Cherokee-Muscogee Creek painter and beacon of Native American art and culture, passed away at the age of 73 on November 8, 2024, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, due to complications from COPD. Born on March 13, 1951, in Madera, California, Virginia’s journey led her to Muskogee, Oklahoma, following losing her mother, Eliza Beaver, when she was thirteen. She found solace and purpose in the vibrant tapestry of her cultural heritage and the loving embrace of her sister, Elizabeth Higgins, and brothers Don and Roger Stroud. In 1971, Virginia was ceremonially adopted, in the Kiowa way, by Kiowa parents, Jacob and Evelyn Ahtone, with adopted siblings Levon Ahtone (French), Sharon Ahtone (Harjo), Deborah Ahtone, Howard Ahtone, and Harding Ahtone. Virginia began her artistic journey drawing and creating at a very young age, and sold her first painting at the age of thirteen at the Philbrook Annual American Indian Art Show. This early success was a testament to her innate talent and passion for expression. Her educational journey saw her graduate from Muskogee High School in 1969 and further her education at Bacone College, where she studied art with Professor Richard West. Virginia’s artistic prowess continued to flourish at the University of Oklahoma, setting the stage for a remarkable career that celebrated and preserved Native American culture. In 1970, her Kiowa sister, Sharon Ahtone Harjo (Miss Indian America XII – 1965), told Virginia of her experience as Miss Indian America and encouraged her to compete. The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma was still in its early stages of re-establishment. A committee was appointed, consisting of Wynona Day, Anna Gritts Kirkpatrick Smith, Marie Hays Wadley, and Elizabeth Walters (Higgins), to choose a style of dress for Virginia to wear representing Cherokee tradition, which led to the creation of the first iconic “Tear Dress.” And yes, this ‘new Tear Dress’ was made for Miss Cherokee Virginia Stroud and worn when she was crowned Miss Indian America XVII in 1970. The dress, crafted by her sister, Elizabeth Higgins, became a cherished emblem of Cherokee identity. Additionally, Virginia was the first Miss Cherokee to wear the white turkey feather cape made by Wynona Day and gifted to her at the 1970 Cherokee National Holiday. Her grace and representation of Cherokee tradition captivated many while she held these leadership roles. Virginia’s artistic medium of choice ranged from acrylic and gouache to fine art printmaking. She also ventured into writing and illustrating children’s books, drawing from ancient pictographs and historical ledger art, designing for Pendelton Woolen Mills and the Porcelain American Indian Life and Legends Company, and published by Book Partners, LLC; her narrative style was distinctive, featuring minimal facial details and exuberant floral backgrounds. Virginia’s artistry extended to kinetic wooden sculptures and fine art furniture, each piece a narrative of her people’s legacy. Her contributions to the art world in prestigious art collections include the Gilcrease Museum, Millicent Rogers Museum, Philbrook Museum of Art, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Cherokee Heritage Center, National Museum of the American Indian, and Cherokee Nation Entertainment, to name a few. Virginia’s philosophy was simple yet profound: “I paint for my people. Art is a way for our culture to survive… perhaps the only way.” This ethos, a testament to the depth of her commitment to her people and culture, earned her numerous accolades, including being the youngest Native artist to win first place in the Woodlands division of the Philbrook Museum’s annual juried art show in 1970, Artist of the Year by the Indian Arts and Crafts Association in 1982, Master Artist by the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in 1986, and the prestigious Cherokee Medal of Honor, Trail of Tears Award in 2000. Most recently, she was featured alongside Oklahoma Native Female artists at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Lighting Pathways: Matriarchs of Oklahoma Native Art, which shined a Spotlight on Seven Indigenous Women Trailblazers. This show honored and celebrated Virginia as one of the trailblazing artists whose achievements were shown in the 1985 national traveling exhibition Daughters of the Earth, curated by Virginia. Her loving family carries Virginia’s legacy forward: her devoted son Tsali Jacob Cross of Portland, Oregon; her sister Elizabeth Higgins of Tahlequah, Oklahoma; her brothers Roger Stroud (Ann Eggersgluss) of Defiance, Iowa and Don and (Harriett Stroud) of Tahlequah, Oklahoma; and her adopted sisters and brother and brother-in-law, Sharon Ahtone Harjo and Amos Harjo, Deborah Ahtone, and Harding Ahtone, and extended family Mary Adair, and Mary Catherine HorseChief. She is preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Walter Stroud and Eliza Beaver; her adopted parents, Jacob and Evelyn Ahtone; her brother Howard Ahtone, sister Levon Ahtone French; her brother Kenneth Walters; and her daughter, Tananeese Cross. Virginia Stroud’s life was a vibrant tapestry of art, culture, and dedication to her heritage. Her spirit, creativity, and thoughtful nature will continue to inspire and influence future generations. She leaves a rich legacy that will resonate in the hearts and minds of all who had the privilege of knowing her and experiencing her art. Virginia’s journey through life was one of purpose, passion, and profound impact—a true testament to the enduring power of cultural expression and the human spirit. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to Murrow Indian Children’s Home in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Philbrook Museum of Art United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma Dacoda Wahpekeche KOCO Abigail Ogle Cherokee Nation Cherokee Phoenix Tsali Cross Murrow Indian Children’s Home (The Official Home Page) Bacone College Hyperallergic ARTnews #virginiastroud #nativeart.  (Virginia was an artist featured in the Miss Indian America Collective Art Show at the Sage Gallery in June 2024.)