SCUA features prominent author’s original art

April 20, 2026

Five years after acquiring the publisher's archive of N. Scott Momaday's "In the Presence of the Sun: A Gathering of Shields," the OSU Libraries has brought a piece of Oklahoma literary history to campus. The collection is now on display in the new gallery next to the Paul Miller Room.

Momaday was a Kiowa author and Oklahoma native whose work gained national prominence. The collection includes a signed, boxed copy of the volume, correspondence between Momaday and the publisher, and the original printing plates for the illustrations, along with matching prints hand-colored by Momaday himself. The book was printed in black ink only, and because it was produced as an art book, just 140 copies were made.

The collection features the book with its slipcover, 16 plates and the hand-colored prints.

It can be viewed during the OSU Libraries Special Collections and University Archives open house April 24 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the SCUA Gallery on the second floor of the library. Archivists will be available to discuss the works currently on view.

To schedule an appointment, contact Special Collections and University Archives. For more information, contact Mary Larson, associate dean of Distinctive Collections.

URL: https://library-dep.okstate.edu/news/latest-news/scua-features-authors-original-art

Last Updated: 24 April 2026