Harleigh more creates beadwork and other traditional items for the gallery through her own company Salt Creek Beadwork. Harleigh is Osage and grew up on the Osage Nation Reservation. She has a B.A. Degree from Oklahoma State University in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. In her day job, she works for the Osage Nation as the Food Sovereignty Coordinator.
Harleigh was awarded the Robert E. Stewart Engineering Humanities award in 2020. This award recognizes an outstanding student nationally for their contributions to the advancement of the interaction of the profession and the humanities, including the arts, foreign languages, English, history linguistics, music, philosophy, religion, or theater.
Harleigh has been beading since 2009. She has taught beadwork to young people with the Woodland Public School System. She is a traditional Osage Ilonschka Dancer.
For Harleigh, her beadwork is a way to feel connected to her Wah-Zha-Zhi heritage. Her beadwork ranges from traditional items such as moccasins to western belts and everything in between. She learned at an early age that individuality, creativity, and self-expression are essential to love yourself. She hopes to pass her artistic passions to the next generation so that our traditional beadwork does not get forgotten.
