Dolores is a member of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma. Her father was career Air Force and relocation became a big part of her childhood as well. However, a constant in her life was time spent with her family in Oklahoma. She remembers listening to many stories passed down and draws on those historical stories for inspiration for her art.

Dolores has expressed herself through art throughout her life. After working in a career outside the art world for many years, she began pursuing her dream by showing her work in galleries in the late '90. By 2000 her work was actively shown in some of the finest Indian Art shows in the US. Trained as a watercolorist she has several mediums she enjoys, with the historical Ledger Art among her favorite. She researched the history and art of her tribe, and discovered that some Caddo warriors were imprisoned at Ft. Marion, FL in 1875. She traced her family history and along the way became fascinated with the Ledger Art coming out of this prison. Since that time and after a lot of research, she has developed her own style of this historical medium. Dolores is known to bring humor, whimsy, and bright primary colors depicting movement, while instilling some of the sophistication as seen in the Ledger Art, particularly from the Ft. Marion prison. Many members of her family attended Carlisle and other Indian schools, and, much like imprisonment, those stories of hardship and isolation has influenced her art as well. Dolores has also researched the ancient ones from the Southeast and has found gourds to be an excellent vehicle to represent the masks found within the ancient mound sites of the Southern Cult Culture.

Dolores' work can be seen in several major galleries and top shows throughout the nation, including Santa Fe Indian Market, Eiteljorg Indian Market, Heard Indian Fair and Market and Native Treasures. She is represented by several galleries including NMAI Smithsonian in DC and New York as well as the NordAmerika Native Museum in Zurich Switzerland. She has been mentioned in articles in several publications including Southwest Art Magazine and Native Peoples. Dolores is also a member of the Standards Committee for Santa Fe Indian Market (SWAIA) in Santa Fe, NM. She calls both Taos, NM and Topeka, KS home.

Southwest Art magazine-August '04 issue-featured my work in a article titled "Starting your collection for under $5,000"; Topeka Capital Journal May 30, 1999 March 27, 2003; Native Peoples magazine mentioned me as a notable Mask Maker - Summer 2007; Native Peoples Magazine mentioned me as a notable Doll Maker - Fall 2008.

Please feel free to email me for further information.

I am available for consignments.

All images Copyright © 2000 - 2010 by Dolores Purdy Corcoran
The works represented in digital format and viewable in our databases are the exclusive copyright of the authors. It is a federal violation of copyright laws to duplicate, reproduce in any form, shape or quantity any of these images or materials not directly authorized by the authors themselves. Any use of said materials will be LEGALLY prosecuted to the FULLEST extent of the LAW.

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for information ~ Telephone: 785.224.1655 or E-mail : dpc@cox.net