Creative Edge
Jana Jae’s Gallery Southwest
By Savanah Mandeville
The name Jana Jae is practically synonymous with arts and culture in Grove, Oklahoma.
Known nationally as the First Lady of Country Fiddle, Jae has an impressive list of musical accomplishments under her belt. She played fiddle on the original cast of Hee Haw, she’s in the National Fiddle Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, Western Swing Hall of Fame and the Idaho Hall of Fame.
A long-time resident of Grove, Jae is the founder of Grand Lake Festivals, Inc., and is responsible for three community festivals: the American Heritage Music Festival; the Arts, Crafts, Music and Cajun Festival; and the Jana Jae Fiddle Camp & Music Fest.
On top of this, Jae continues to perform all over the country. She’s a busy woman.
That’s why she describes her Grove art gallery, Jana Jae’s Gallery Southwest, as her personal oasis.
“The gallery is a nice balance with the music – it’s a little bit of a change,” she said. “I love coming to the gallery and seeing all the pretty things.”
The sprawling gallery has five rooms featuring exquisite pieces from professional artists throughout the region. Nearly all of the work is Native American and Southwestern-inspired and run the gamut of paintings, drawings, pottery, sculpture, wood-turning, textiles, jewelry and clothing.
She has unique Native American pieces including stone fetishes and storyteller dolls.
Jane Jae’s Gallery Southwest was born when Jae first bought her home in Grove in the 1990s.
“I was looking for artwork to decorate my home, and I connected with a gentleman in New Mexico who had a nice mix of furniture and art and other home décor, and he helped me decorate my house” she said.
Jae fell in the love with the Southwestern-style pieces and began collecting more and more original artwork. Her collection eventually outgrew her home and bloomed into the gallery.
Jana Jae’s Gallery Southwest is a dive into the world of fine art, but that doesn’t mean Jae doesn’t incorporate her first love, music, into the gallery. It has a large, enclosed deck, and she’s been known to get friends and family together for a good old-fashioned jam session out back.