Brave: The Strength of Soft Masculinity, presented by Four Mothers Collective and curated by Hank Cooper, is a call to disarm the Western “manosphere.”
In a time of intensified patriarchal power and violence, how might soft masculinity be understood through the lens of tribal matrilineal societies? Among many Southeastern tribal nations now residing in Oklahoma, masculinity can be understood through one’s spiritual responsibility to serve and sustain the greater community.
The works in this exhibition illuminate forms of soft masculinity that disrupt Western ideals of hypermasculinity and cis-heteronormativity by centering vulnerability and emotion, shared roles and queerness, and the complex relationship between nature and nurture social behavior.
Exhibit Artists
Wanageeska Williams, Britteny Cuevas, Rhiannon Schubert, Nathalie Standingcloud, Okcate Smith McCommas, Alex DeRoin, Carmen Selam, Santee Sioux McKay || Wičaḣpi Či’kala, Carmen Marie Richardville-Cummings, Bishop Denny, Jessie Haase, Marina Staubus, Jaime Misenheimer, Bradley Dry and June Carpenter.
About the Curator
Hank Cooper is a queer citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and a graduate of Haskell Indian Nations University and the University of Washington’s Museology program. Their curatorial experience includes the National Museum of the American Indian, Peabody Essex Museum, Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, Henry Art Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Native Art, and SITE Santa Fe. Hank’s practice is grounded in social justice, community, and creating space for voices too often overlooked. As a queer Indigenous person, they are particularly passionate about supporting queer Indigenous artists and expanding representation within museum spaces.
Four Mothers Collective is an Indigenous women-led art collective dedicated to uplifting Indigenous artists, creative workers, and culture bearers based in the Mvskoke Nation. Our work centers reciprocal care, community collaboration, and cultural sovereignty, creating space for Indigenous art and storytelling to thrive.
Brave: The Strength of Soft Masculinity, presented by Four Mothers Collective and curated by Hank Cooper, opens 5-9pm, Saturday, November 7, 2026, and will continue through Saturday, December 12.
PLUS: BRAVE Open Mic + Community Nite with an Artist Talk, Dance Demo, Spoken Word and Community Meal, 6-8:30pm, Saturday, November 21; and BRAVE Makers Market, 12-4pm, Saturday, November 28.
More info: linktr.ee/positivespacetulsa. Gallery hours during the exhibit: Thurs, 6-8pm; Fri, 5-8pm; Sat, 12-5pm and by appointment.
