Spiritual Borderlands: September 2-December 17, 2016
The 2016 iteration of Contemporary Indigeneity at the Great Plains Art Museum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln explores Native American spirituality through artistic interpretations of place in the Great Plains. By bringing together works incorporating a diverse range of artistic media, the exhibition seeks to create dialogues regarding interpretations of sovereignty, spiritual connections to the land, and cultural identity within the boundaries of the Great Plains
Artists with Native American heritage were invited to submit artworks that address themes of spirituality and borderlands in relation to the Great Plains, loosely defined as a region that stretches westward from the Missouri River at Omaha and Kansas City to the Rocky Mountains, and northward from the Texas Panhandle into the Canadian Prairie Provinces. Submitted works will be blindly reviewed by a panel of curators of Native American art and judged on aesthetic and technical merit as well as the relevant interpretation of the designated theme.
Thanks to the generosity of the Woods Charitable Fund, Inc. for funding the production of this catalog, now available for sale at the Great Plains Art Museum.
2016 Artists
Gina Adams
Molly Murphy Adams
Nadema Agard
Chase Kahwinhut Earles
Bunky Echo-Hawk
Robert Martinez
Henry Payer
Nelda Schrupp
Gwen Westerman
Monte Yellow Bird Sr. (Black Pinto Horse)
2016 Jurors
Netha Cloeter, Director of Education and Social Engagement, Plains Art Museum, Fargo, North Dakota
heather ahtone, James T. Bialac Associate Curator of Native American & Non-Western Art, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma
Jill Ahlberg Yohe, Ph.D., Assistant Curator of Native American Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art
First Friday opening reception: Sept. 2, 5-7 p.m.
Join us for food and drink at the Great Plains Art Museum. Part of Lincoln's First Friday Artwalk.
First Friday event: Oct. 7, 5-7 p.m.
5:15 p.m. gallery tour by curator Melynda Seaton
6 p.m. "A Brief History of American Religious Freedom & Persecution" gallery talk by Katrina Jagodinsky, UNL. Prof. Jagodinsky will present a brief history of legal efforts to curtail and then protect American Indian religious practices.
Juror panel discussion: Nov. 3, 7 p.m.
The jurors for this year's exhibition were selected for their knowledge of and connections to the contemporary Native American art community. An informal panel talk with the guest jurors will provide insight on the selection process and address topics regarding the contemporary Native American art.
Sponsored by UNL Faculty Senate Convocations Committee
First Friday event: Nov. 4, 5-7 p.m.
First Friday meet-and-greet reception with Chickasaw classical composer by Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate at GPAM; 7 p.m. premier performance* of his “Standing Bear: A Ponca Indian Cantata” at UNL’s Johnny Carson Theater. The performance is a free ticketed event through the Hildegard Center for the Arts.
Supported by the Hildegard Center for the Arts
Sponsors
The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported this program through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. Visit www.nebraskaartscouncil.org for information on how the Nebraska Arts Council can assist your organization, or how you can support the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.