Sara Bates (born 1944) is an American mixed-media artist and member of the Cherokee Nation.
[3][4] From 1990 to 1995, she served as the curator for American Indian Contemporary Arts (AICA) organization located in Piedmont, California.
She makes these out of various plant products, like pine cones, seeds, leaves, and flowers.
"[5] Jehanne Teilhet-Fisk and Robin Franklin Nigh, in their book Dimensions of Native America (1998), wrote that Bates's work was "uniquely contemporary in form and very traditional in spirit".
[6] Similarly, Susan C. Power has noted that Bates's contemporary style is based on "poignant elements of rich historical precedents",[7] and the San Francisco Arts Commission has also argued that the artist's work is notable for "envelop[ing] elements of their cultural background with European artistic traditions".