Diane O'Leary

Diane O’Leary (Opeche-Nah-Se), PhD (1939–2013), was a Native American multimedia artist, half Irish and half Comanche. Her work advocates for the equality and dignity of the oppressed and misused, including Native Americans, women, and the environment.

Background Diane O’Leary was born in Waco, Texas to an Irish father and Comanche mother. Growing up during the Great Depression developed her artistic craft and style, learning to be thrifty and resourceful with what was available. These experiences were the base to her later artistic career, being recognized internationally for her weaving, quilting, lithography, printmaking and tapestry art.

O’Leary was a noted piano prodigy as a child and later went on to study Baroque literature in college. She also studied nursing and archaeology. Despite all her continued education which included Texas Christian University (BA, BS, MS), Bacone College, Harvard University (MS), and Stanford University (MA, MFA, PhD), O’Leary never had institutional training in the fine arts. She nevertheless managed to intertwine her artistic passions into her scholarly studies. While a nurse, she became a medical artist, drawing what she observed in surgeries and creating technology to improve the procedures. She also conducted environmental research on Oregon's Tillamook Bay for a Congressional proposal for wetland preservation. The project was conducted in the ancient Japanese printing technique called Gyotaku. She learned Japanese during this time in order to communicate personally with Japanese Gyotaku artists.