[1] Her mother's family claimed Cherokee heritage, and her maternal uncle was the internationally known sculptor Willard Stone.
After her sons were older, Rorex returned to school in 1978, studying with Dick West and Ruthe Blalock Jones at Bacone College.
[9] Many of her paintings revolve around women, their work tending children and crops, and the different phases of their life,[10][11] such as pregnancy, motherhood or friendship.
[12] She began exhibiting her art at regional events for Native American artists, winning numerous awards.
[14][15] Passage of the law meant that people who were not enrolled in recognized federal or state tribes or not tribally-designated artisans were unable to market their wares as "Indian artists".
[16] Describing herself as a "Native American artist" while selling her paintings could have resulted in fines or jail time.
Though the law made provisions for non-members to be certified as "artisans" by a recognized tribe, Rorex refused to petition the council,[5] believing such a request would imply "that her family, relatives and ancestors were all frauds"[17] and their resistance to enrollment was dishonorable.
[14] The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression took up her case and the argument of individual autonomy in violation of her First Amendment rights.
[23] The following year, another solo exhibition hosted by the Red Cloud Gallery in St. Petersburg, Florida, showcased her art.