Maddie Sanders, known professionally as Holatte (ho-lah-tee), is a muralist and graphic artist from Tahlequah, Oklahoma. "Holatte" means "blue" in Mvskoke, a color that has always held profound significance for Maddie. Blue represents the sky, water, and natural elements—forces that inspire her work and fuel her creativity.
Maddie’s art blends southeastern symbolism with vibrant colors and bold designs, creating a unique fusion that speaks to both tradition and modernity. With a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Design from Fort Lewis College, Maddie has spent years perfecting her skills, transforming walls across Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, and California into expansive, colorful narratives.
She is also an Oklahoma City Thunder artist for the 2024-25 season. Maddie is honored to contribute her unique vision to Thunder events, programs, and special promotions. Selected alongside nine other talented artists, she creates work that celebrates identity, connection, and the cultural vibrancy of Oklahoma City. Blending southeastern symbolism with bold, modern designs, Maddie’s art reflects her heritage while fostering connections through the Thunder Artist Group’s collaborative initiatives.
Her creative practice goes beyond murals, encompassing public installations, curation, and jewelry-making, and her work has been exhibited in museums across the U.S. and Europe. Additionally, she has been active in the fashion world since 2018, participating in numerous shows and photoshoots nationwide.
Maddie’s art is a dynamic expression of her vision, reflecting not only her heritage but also her exploration of form, color, and symbolism. As Holatte, Maddie continues to push the boundaries of her medium, creating pieces that are both visually striking and deeply meaningful.
"Creating art allows me to stay connected to my roots and express who I am. I hope my work inspires others to see how art can play a meaningful role in preserving culture and telling our stories."
More Information:
Instagram: @holatte
Contact: contact@holatte.com
RECENT ACTIVITY
Maddie Sanders Selected as Oklahoma City Thunder Artist (2024)
As an Oklahoma City Thunder Artist for the 2024-25 season, Maddie Sanders is part of a select group of 10 talented artists chosen to create diverse and meaningful artwork for Thunder events, programs, and special promotions. This unique opportunity allows Maddie to bring her vision and creativity to a wider audience while contributing to the team’s efforts to celebrate community and culture. Through the Thunder Artist Group, Maddie will collaborate with fellow artists to produce artwork that reflects the vibrant energy of Oklahoma City, as well as the team's commitment to inclusivity and diversity. The program is designed to foster connections and strengthen relationships through artistic experiences that resonate with both fans and the broader community. Maddie’s work within this group will undoubtedly showcase her ability to blend her southeastern roots with contemporary design elements, offering a fresh perspective that celebrates both her heritage and the dynamic spirit of the Thunder.
Read More: OKC Thunder Artist Group
Artists Reveal 'Droplets' Mural at Animas River Days (2024)
Project involving nine artists was a ‘massive undertaking’ to portray collective vision.
The city of Durango and nine artists unveiled the “Droplets” mural on Saturday during Animas River Days at the Santa Rita Water Reclamation Facility. The reclamation center and Santa Rita Park were bustling with residents and visitors who showed up for a day of water sports in 82-degree weather. The mural features a series of water droplets containing depictions of wildlife along the Animas River, and the personalities or styles of each artist who worked on them.
The nine artists are: Armstrong, Cindy Atchison, Chelsie Begoody, Laurie Cullum, Mariah Kaminsky, Parker Ledford, Jordanne Pelkey, Maddie Sanders and Hannah Wilson.
“Droplets” uses a color spectrum representing the seasons. The largest droplets break up the major scenes of the Animas River depicted in winter through autumn.
Durango Creates Recipient (2023)
Selected as a lead artist for this project, Maddie has created a community based mural for the local soup kitchen in collaboration with The Walls Project. Through this grant Maddie will guide volunteers through the process of creating the mural, making it a collaborative effort. The project aims to engage volunteers of all ages in the painting process, promoting community involvement and ownership of the artwork. The Manna Soup Kitchen Mural Project creates a lasting and meaningful artwork that represents the community's spirit of generosity, compassion, and unity. Through the involvement of volunteers and the collaboration between different community stakeholders, the project promotes community and a sense of pride of accomplishment for all those involved.
Read More: A Small Town Big on Art - Maddie Sanders
There Is More To It Than Beads and Feathers (2023)
(The Land and the Unfolded Map exhibit - Le Delta Brussels, Belgium - Video color, sound 9 min 44 sec)
The tutorial has become an effective weapon to evade censure on social networks. Used by oppressed groups as a digital Trojan horse, the most anodyne video thus turns into the ideal vehicle to convey a message of resistance, safe from the prying eyes of government robots. The northern cardinal is a common bird on the American continent. For Native Americans it symbolizes the ancestors who went before them; they use its glowing plumage as a decorative design in a spirituality as timeless as the creation of humanity. The soft voice of Hope Craig-Corlew offers to initiate us into making a pair of earrings with a cardinal design. Step by step the instructional images follow one another; word by word, the narration calmly diverges from its initial subject to tell another story, still relevant: the chilling history of oppression.
Colorado Art Science Environment Fellow (2023)
CASE Fellows are artists from all corners of Colorado and CU Boulder scientists who will work in teams to produce artworks that will be exhibited at the Colorado State Capitol as part of the Colorado Creative Industries Creative Capital program, May-September 2023. The exhibition, tentatively titled Coloradans and Our Shared Environment in Times of Challenge and Change, will tell the story of how Coloradans are experiencing interrelated challenges of fire, drought, and water and air quality in their communities. The CASE Fellows aim to build a sense of connection around Colorado environmental issues by co-ideating artwork with input from communities.
AWARDS
Oklahoma City Thunder Artist Group (TAG) (2024)
Maddie was selected as an Oklahoma City Thunder Artist for the 2024-25 season, Maddie Sanders joins a select group of 10 talented creatives tasked with producing diverse and impactful artwork for Thunder events, programs, and special promotions. The Thunder Artist Group is dedicated to fostering community and strengthening connections through collaborative artistic experiences. Maddie’s contributions to this initiative reflect her unique ability to blend southeastern symbolism with bold, modern designs, creating works that celebrate culture, identity, and the spirit of Oklahoma City.
Maddie served as the curator for Nameless Narratives, an art exhibit dedicated to uplifting local BIPOC artists and their communities. The exhibit was a collaborative effort with Legacy Unbound, a non-profit organization committed to erasing the margins in the book industry and amplifying BIPOC voices.
The exhibit highlighted the power of storytelling through visual art, showcasing diverse perspectives and celebrating cultural narratives and identities. Her work reflected a deep commitment to fostering representation and inclusion, creating a space that honored the vibrancy and resilience of underrepresented communities. Nameless Narratives stood as a powerful testament to the transformative role of art and literature in amplifying marginalized voices.
Durango Creates Recipient (2023)
Selected as a lead artist for this project, Maddie has created a community based mural for the local soup kitchen in collaboration with The Walls Project. Through this grant Maddie will guide volunteers through the process of creating the mural, making it a collaborative effort. The project aims to engage volunteers of all ages in the painting process, promoting community involvement and ownership of the artwork. The Manna Soup Kitchen Mural Project creates a lasting and meaningful artwork that represents the community's spirit of generosity, compassion, and unity. Through the involvement of volunteers and the collaboration between different community stakeholders, the project promotes community and a sense of pride of accomplishment for all those involved.
CASE Fellows are artists from all corners of Colorado and CU Boulder scientists who will work in teams to produce artworks that will be exhibited at the Colorado State Capitol as part of the Colorado Creative Industries Creative Capital program, May-September 2023. The exhibition, tentatively titled Coloradans and Our Shared Environment in Times of Challenge and Change, will tell the story of how Coloradans are experiencing interrelated challenges of fire, drought, and water and air quality in their communities. The CASE Fellows aim to build a sense of connection around Colorado environmental issues by co-ideating artwork with input from communities.
Durango Lodger's Tax: Arts and Culture Funding (2022)This funding project is a historic move for the creative community of Durango, Colorado. Selected artists and cultural organizations received funding opportunities to develop projects, programs, and experiences to better the city of Durango. Maddie was selected out of over 35 applicants to create a mural in downtown Durango to bring more Indigenous art to the community.
Soul of Nations Indigenous Green Architecture Project: Lead Artist: (2021)Connecting young designers from American and Africa to create art installations that highlight environmental stability, architecture, and history. Maddie's project focuses on the importance of sustainable environments, Indigenous knowledge, and reclaiming our roots.
Fort Lewis Brand Ambassador: (2019)
Promoted the Fort Lewis College brand through social media.
Soul of Nations Digital Natives: Lead Artist: (2018-2019)
This project helped bridge the digital gap that exists among Native American and Belgian migrant communities, and expands on notions of displacement, cultural identity, roots, community and multiculturalism through Communities Connecting Heritage funded by the U.S Department of States. The art project was created in collaboration between students who attend the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Belgian participants who partnered with the Institute of Sainte-Marie in Brussels, Belgium. This creative collaboration was administered by BOZAR — Center for Fine Arts Brussels and Soul of Nations. Designed and built in the 1920’s by the famous art nouveau architect Victor Horta, BOZAR – Center for Fine Arts features almost 4000 m² of exhibition space, Belgium’s most prestigious concert hall as well as various smaller theatre and multimedia spaces. The CFA welcomes more than a million visitors a year and is the arts center par excellence in the cultural landscape of Belgium, host country to the European institutions. As such it is uniquely positioned to act as an agent of cultural diplomacy and exchange in the context of today’s most pressing issues.
Cobell Scholarship Recipient: (2016 – 2021)
The Cobell Scholarship is administered by Indigenous Education, Inc. and awards Indigenous students who maintain at least a 3.5 GPA.
American Indian College Fund Full Circle Scholarship Recipient: (2017 – 2021)
The American Indian College Fund provides scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native college students seeking a degree.
United National Indian Tribal Youth 25 Under 25 Recipient: (2018)
The awards program celebrates the achievements of Native American and Alaskan Native youth ages 14 to 24 who embody UNITY’s core mission and exude living a balanced life developing their spiritual, mental, physical and social well-being.
Generation Indigenous Ambassador: (2017 – 2020)
The Generation Indigenous initiative was launched by President Obama to help provide a sustainable platform to connect, engage, and provide opportunities for Native youth. Being an ambassador enables the exchange of resources, professional network-building, and community initiative development. It also provides a platform to elevate Native youth voices into the national dialogue.
WeRNative Ambassador: (2017 – 2019)
As an Ambassador, Maddie helped create positive change in my community by promoting positive health behaviors, hosting outreach and awareness events, and represented We R Native at youth conferences.
Mvnettvlke Onaya (Youth Visionary) Award: (2016)
This award recognizes Mvskoke Youth ages 12 - 24 making an impact and inspiring their community.
PRESS
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