Ucross Artist Talk for “Celebrating Complexities”
Meet the artists and curator behind “Celebrating Complexities,” the current exhibition at the Ucross Art Gallery, in a special talk at Sheridan College’s Kinnison Hall on Friday, May 3, at 11 a.m.
“Celebrating Complexities” features art by the 2022 and 2023 recipients of the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists, including Gerald Clarke (Cahuilla Band of Indians) of Anza, California; Savannah LeCornu (Tsimshian, Haida, and Nez Perce) of Bellingham, Washington; Mikayla Patton (Oglala Lakota Nation) of State College, Pennsylvania; and Cara Romero (Chemehuevi Indian Tribe) of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The four talented artists work across many different mediums, including photography, sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, beading, quillwork, and basketmaking. Hailing from diverse backgrounds, geographies, and tribal affiliations, they are at different stages in their careers. Each artist explores and celebrates complex ideas in their work, looking at the specific to elucidate the universal. They emphasize their connections to their families, their ancestors, and their communities, presenting an Indigenous worldview that encompasses the past, the present, and the future. They are reclaiming materials and techniques, narratives and identities, and their work tells rich contemporary stories about people and cultures that are vital and thriving.
The exhibition is guest curated by Brenda Mallory (Cherokee Nation) of Portland, Oregon, a recipient of the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists in 2018, the first year of the program.
In the talk on May 3, Mallory and the featured artists will discuss the artworks and answer questions from the audience. The event is free and open to all, supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. Additional exhibition support is provided by the Arete Design Group and the Wyoming Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming Legislature.
Get free tickets: bit.ly/CelebratingComplexities-ArtistTalk
Then, don’t miss the Ucross Art Gallery reception later that day, at 6 p.m.: bit.ly/CelebratingComplexities-Reception
