Onondaga artist makes a splash on new reality TV competition: ‘Humor is medicine’

An artist from the Onondaga Nation is competing on a new reality TV show for a $100,000 cash prize — and a chance to have his own exhibit at The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Frank Buffalo Hyde, an Onondaga/Niimíipuu (Nez Perce) painter who was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and largely grew up on the Onondaga territory near Syracuse, is one of seven artists on “The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist,” six-episode docuseries airing on the Smithsonian channel and MTV. Contestants are challenged to create works of art inspired by the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and pieces from the museum’s collection with a different theme each week.

Hyde, 48, told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that most artists prefer to work organically and draw from their own inspirations but he was up for the challenge thanks to a decades-long career that’s included commissioned works, city-sanctioned murals or other art on a deadline. His paintings have been featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.; the Iroquois Museum in Howes Cave, N.Y.; the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana; the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the Longyear Museum at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., and the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.

On “The Exhibit,” though, Hyde isn’t going up against other painters. The show’s contestants include artists who work in different mediums like printmaker Jamaal Barber, designer and sculptor Misha Kahn, painter Clare Kambhu, multimedia artist Baseera Khan, video and performance artist Jillian Mayer, and painter Jennifer Warren.

Luckily, the show’s judges are from the art world, too, and understand what it’s like to be a working artist while recognizing that all art is subjective.

“My whole approach to the show was very simple. There’s that old saying, ‘Keep it simple, stupid,’” Hyde said. “I’m primarily a painter so I didn’t want to go out there and sort of become a contortionist or performance artist, you know? Some people might be wildly thrilled and impressed by that, but I decided that (simple) would be my game plan so I went out there tackling themes as they came along as a painter, and with my painter’s cap on.”

Hyde often gives a contemporary look at Indigenous life with vibrant colors, pop culture influences and satire, featuring images like buffalos and hamburgers. Does having a sense of humor make it difficult to tackle serious issues each week on the show, like justice, gender norms and the difficulties of the Covid pandemic?

“I believe that humor is medicine,” said Hyde, who was born without one arm and one leg due to a birth defect. “Laughter is medicine. And I think that’s also a way of getting into a conversation about serious topics as to add a little bit of humor to make people laugh, usually at their own expense or at themselves or at, you know, things that are that are accepted that have a built-in narrative to them. So once you bring humor in, people are a little bit disarmed and they’re willing to sort of have a conversation about some things they might not necessarily want to.”

Whether he wins or loses, Hyde hopes that “The Exhibit” viewers appreciate the importance of representation for Indigenous artists.

“First and foremost, I’m pro Indigenous,” he explained. “But you know when people hear that, they get offended so they’ll automatically assume because I’m pro something that I’m anti something… It’s absolutely not the case. I’m also, you know, pro-creativity, pro-inclusion and everybody that wants to get out there and do it you know I encourage them to do it.”

“I think people need to just take contemporary native artists, Indigenous artists seriously, you know? We are in every aspect of popular culture but also we’ve had influences on every aspect of popular culture when it comes to politics, fashion, advertisements, music, movies (and more).”

Hyde decided he would become an artist three decades ago. For others thinking of doing the same, he recommends they first think about why they want to become an artist.

“I’m in it for change, to bring positivity, and to make it a little bit easier for the artists coming behind me to define contemporary Indigenous art,” he said.

“Artists don’t create out of necessity because they need more paintings,” he added. “They create because that’s who they are and that’s what they need to do.”

Hyde, who now lives in Minnesota, still visits family in the Syracuse area often. He will return to present a solo exhibition called “Native Americana” at the Everson Museum, starting June 20.

“The Exhibit,” hosted by Dometi Pongo, airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on MTV and Tuesdays on the Smithsonian channel. Episode 5 premieres tonight (March 31) and the winner will be revealed next week.

Episodes are also available to stream on demand at mtv.com and on Paramount+.