Tonya Holmes Shook

1)1939 Sketching, painting in watercolor, pastel, ) 2)1946 First oil painting 3) l948 Quay County Fair, Tucumcari, NM: Blue Ribbon 4)1948-49 Drew weekly cartoons for Tucumcari, NM Newspaper 5) l954 University of NM: Beginning Jewelry (John Poore) Beginning Painting (Howard H. Schleeter) 6) l955 Univ. of NM: Layout/Design (Mallory), Figure Drawing (Kenneth Adams) 7) l962 Illustrated English text book for the Migratory Workers of New Mexico (plural/singular nouns) 8) l967 Began Sepia-tone oil body of works 9) l981 First Solo: Wichita Falls, TX; Represented by Major Art Collections, Inc., Austin, TX (one of 30 shown in 'The Best of Texas' 10) l981-86 Art Shows: Houston, TX; Albuquerque, NM; OK Historical Soc. Museum Solos - Perry, OK/Old Central at Stillwater, OK; Burkburnett, TX; Wichita Falls, TX; Leslie Powell Gallery, Lawton, OK; Trail of Tears Art Show, Tahlequah, OK; Webb Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, Afternoon Tea, oil painting on temporary loan at Texas State Capitol 11) l983 A fourteen minute television documentary was taped of my art for airing at Eastern N.M. University - KENW-TV, 'Things You Should Know', hosted by Don Criss of Portales, NM 12) l984 Goals Committee for the city of Wichita Falls, TX,; field of Emergency Medicine. Introduced first glucometer to Wichita Falls for public purchase through Dan Rivkin Drug Stores; Coordinated a 1st meeting of 30 First Responders for a Paramedic Emergency Medical System 13) l986 Wrote, edited, indexed, illustrated, published and marketed, 'Displaced Cherokee: Come Home, Come Home' which took First Place in the l986 OK State Fair in an Open Class Category. Endorsed by the Ok. Dept. of Libraries. 14) l987 Compiled lifetime writings into manuscript for the late Kate Routh Harris, 'Days Eye, Philosophical Time Line of One Woman's Experience'. 15) l996 Taught art lessons at our Art Gallery/Gift Shop in Hastings, OK Wrote a weekly human interest/Americana column for Comanche Times, Comanche, OK. Served on Board of Directors for Chisholm Trail Museum, Waurika, OK Served on Steering Committee for the Tri County Chisholm Trail Commission, Hastings, OK Processed wool, spun, original designs . Wool fiber (product from fleece to finish) at Oklahoma Public Schools Aug. 5, l996, accepted invitation to speak from Dr. Mitchell Land, Director of Mayborn School of Journalism at North Texas University, Denton, TX, to his class of Creative Writers on the "Motivation of My Creativity," wrote "God's Breakfast Nook";Write poetry) A guest author/presenter for Oklahoma's first Red Dirt Book Festival Oct. 17th/18th, 2003. Shawnee, Ok.;) Wrote and presented new standards and codes petition for Livestock Guardian Dogs to the Oklahoma Sec. of Agriculture, Jan. 23, 2004 ' 18) 2004 Guest author; Chisholm Trail Museum Book Festival, Waurika,) Asst. Judge of poetry sponsored by ASGOG, Feb. 17,) Short Story published by Spring Hill Review "Remember Me") 2004 Honorable Mention; The Importance of Blank Spaces, Kansas Writers Association.)The Drifters: A Christian Historical Novel about the Melungeon Shanty Boat People (originally Pub.2005 Marquette Books, purchased back copyright and republished on CreateSpace. Who's Who in the World, 2005-2006 2006-2007 Who's Who for Women in America; 24) Speaking programs/signings 25) Guest author/speaker; 2005 Western Writers Roundup at Waurika Chisholm Trail Museum, Waurika, OK. Co-authored book with Frank L. Barnes-"The Tabernacle in the Wilderness: A Portrait of Christ"- Pub. 2006. Manuscript written "Anyone Can Be A Wool Spinner"-unpublished.

Republished "The Drifters"2009,(Melungeon/Cherokee Shantyboat People history)

Published Sequel Historical Fiction "Canady" 2009

Published "No Soft Place to Fall" Nonfiction 2009

Director/Coordinator/designer of the format for 3 innovative, author-friendly book festivals in Oklahoma.

In Major solo art show at Breckenridge, Texas Art Center March 2019. Selected to be in a juried art showing in 2019, Given Lifetime Achievement Award by Who's Who in America in 2018 and Professional Artist Award in 2021, Featured in leading story of Who's Who in America's magazine, Millennium, in 2021, Juried and accepted by the Quayside Art Gallery in Pensacola, Florida, Nov. 2021 where Tonya and her husband Del Johnson relocated. Her professional name continues to be, T. Holmes Shook. Art can be seen at this gallery or an upcoming website. The new location is 722 Valley Ridge Way, Pensacola, Fl 32514.