Keeper of the Story: Preston Singletary’s tale in glass
Ch’áak’ Káa (Eagle Man) by Preston Singletary
Growing up in Seattle, Preston Kochéin Singletary pretty much had one goal. Like many in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s and ’80s, he wanted to just write and play his music, and thought that was going to be his life’s work.
More than four decades later, 60-year-old Singletary is a world-renowned artist, but not in music — his work with glass has not only changed the perception of what Native American art is but is also making sure people do not forget they “are still here.”
The direction his life took is one Singletary did not see coming until he was already on the path to being a Keeper of the Story.
“I had no clue that I would be so connected to the culture and the material when I started; because, to be honest, I wanted to be a musician, and that was my main goal,” Singletary says — he still makes music on the side. “But this sort of drew me in such a way that it became such a compelling experience and very unique, I think.”
Beyond anything else he does, the title “Keeper of the Story” defines Singletary’s life and career.
“Once you become a keeper of cultural knowledge, it becomes like
a responsibility, is the way I look at it,” Singletary says. “And so that
is something that I take very seriously now that I’m getting a lot of attention from my work, and I’m trying to give a real honest and accurate sort of depiction, the way I interpret the culture.”
The story Singletary has been keeping and sharing for the past five years revolves around a Tlingit legend titled “Raven and the Box of Daylight.” The multi-sensory exhibit has been on tour across the United States since 2019, and is currently on display at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art through April 28, 2024.
Being able to bring the story of Raven to Oklahomans and to the rest of America is something Singletary, who is part Tlingit, sees as his responsibility. Before landing at the OKCMOA, the exhibit made stops in Tacoma, Washington; Wichita, Kansas; Norfolk, Virginia; and Washington, D.C.
“I feel like this is a real opportunity for me to share the culture, cultural art and the story and the perspectives with a much broader audience,” Singletary says. “The fact that it’s been traveling around the country since 2019 — a lot of people have seen it. For me, it’s a real honor to be able to share it with just so many people.”
This was not always his mindset. Even after he began to slide into glassblowing, he was just fulfilling some internal need.
“It became something that I wanted, to honor both the material itself and bring new objects into the world,” Singletary says. “But also when I was able to tether it with my cultural background, it became even that much more meaningful. So I have a real sense of purpose with what I’m doing today.”
Part of that purpose is to shine a light on Native American art and the fact that it comes in varying forms and mediums. That includes glassblowing.
“It really did give me a bit of a niche in terms of a unique perspective, and so I started getting attention for what I was doing almost prematurely,” Singletary says. “I hadn’t really developed my ability to draw these designs out in a real strong way, but people were excited. I think that people saw the work that I did before was more about European decorative arts, vases and bowls and things like that. But when I started to do this work, I think people responded to it immediately. In the first show that I had in Seattle, I basically sold every piece. And so I think that people recognize that there’s something more personal going on, and so that worked in my favor and with the popularity that I was gaining at that time.”
Everything Singletary had done during his past has culminated in the “Raven and the Box of Daylight” exhibition. With some 60 handmade pieces, it is his biggest project ever, and the last of this scale.
The idea, which was sparked by his mentor Walter Porter, took years to put together as he worked on each piece individually and gave them their own unique look.
“Walter shared with me lots of the information and details about the story. And so I tried to evoke those elements or those feelings within the story in this exhibition,” Singletary says. “So many years of developing my skills as a designer in the Northwest Coast style. And it took about three years to put this exhibition together. So I would make a few pieces and then I’d put them in storage. And then over a three-year period, I finally had all the elements for the story.”
Singletary uses dozens of glass sculptures that he created, along with projections and audio, throughout an exhibition that spans multiple rooms at the OKCMOA. Each item is meticulously placed along a path in order to retell the Tlingit origin story of Raven and how light was brought to the world by releasing the stars, moon and sun.
“Xáat (Salmon)” by Preston Singletary
“Everything I do is based on the cultural connections and stories and symbolism behind Tlingit art and culture. Raven is a big figure within that, because there are lots of stories about the things that Raven did to sort of bring order to the world,” Singletary explains. “And one of the things he did is he got the sun from this old man who is hoarding these objects in his clan house. And so the whole story … kind of talks about how Raven has powers of transformation.”
The story itself has been passed down from generation to generation. Singletary’s use of glass has taken it down a new path, but toward the same destination.
“I’m sort of continuing the culture in this new material,” he says. “So obviously glass is not a traditional medium, but I contend that the more I work with it, the more traditional it can become. So the fact is that maybe an anthropological point of view might say this was never done before, so it becomes ‘It’s not as valid as the older objects.’ But the fact is that we have the ability to progress and work with new materials.”
Besides the distinctive look glass can give when formed in Singletary’s style, he knows it will help prolong the storytelling aspect.
“Glass has the potential to last for a millennium, but it can also break in a heartbeat,” Singletary says. “So that’s really an interesting juxtaposition because that’s how I’ve come to feel about the material. We have examples of Egyptian glass going back 2,000 years, and so the potential for these objects to live for a good long time is really there. So that’s where I see my role as kind of trying out new materials and bringing it in a formidable way into the cultural art perspective.”
To learn more about “Raven and the Box of Daylight” at the OKC Museum of Art, visit okcmoa.com.