Born near Mayetta, Aug. 11, 1896; died Topeka, June 17, 1975. Painter, specialized in Native American life. Teacher. Self-taught artist. Native American of the Potawatomi tribe. He first attended boarding school at Nadeau near Mayetta. When the school burned, he went to Haskell Institute in Lawrence, but was unhappy and ran away, then sent to Chilocco, OK, Indian School.

ShipShee left the Indian School after his father died and at 15 left home. His first paying job at Brown Palace Hotel, Denver was in the kitchen. From Colorado he drifted to California with a variety of jobs but always painting, drawing and sketching.

He served in World War I in Siberia, returned to California and worked as a house painter and interi

SOURCES:
Susan Craig, "Biographical Dictionary of Kansas Artists (active before 1945)"
Topeka Cap & Topeka J (Topeka Capital, Topeka J (aka Topeka J) newspapers—usually reports of the Kansas Artists Exhibition 1st= Topeka Cap Nov. 11, 1925 9th= Topeka J Nov. 11, 1933 2nd= Topeka Cap Nov. 10, 1926 10th= Topeka J Nov. 10, 1934 3rd= Topeka J Nov. 19, 1927 11th= Topeka J Jan. 7, 1936 4th= Topeka J Nov. 3, 1928 12th= Topeka J Nov. 11 & 14, 1936 5th= Topeka J Nov. 2, 1929 14th= Topeka J Jan. 22, 1938 6th= Topeka J Oct. 18 & Nov. 1, 1930 15th= Topeka J Mar. 10, 1939 7th= Topeka J Oct. 24, 1931 16th= Topeka J Feb. 2 & 10, 1940 8th= Topeka J Oct. 22, 1932 17th= Topeka J Mar. 8 & 17, 1941). (June, 18, 1975); Kanhistique. Ellsworth, KS, v.1 #1 May 1975-. 1975-1982 examined. (Dec. 1976); AskArt, www.askart.com, accessed Dec. 27, 2005;

This and over 1,750 other biographies can be found in Biographical Dictionary of Kansas Artists (active before 1945) compiled by Susan V. Craig, Art & Architecture Librarian at University of Kansas....