Next in the SMAC Gallery: Dakota Community Artist-in-Residence

Next in the Gallery:

DAKOTA COMMUNITY ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE (CAIR)

Supporting Artist-Led Solutions to COVID-19 Related Challenges

The Department of Public Transformation (DoPT), Dakota Wicohan, and Racing Magpie collaborated to co-design the Dakota Community Artist-in-Residence (CAIR) program — a pilot project supporting artist-led solutions to community challenges impacting the Upper and Lower Sioux Communities during the COVID-19 crisis. For the pilot Dakota CAIR program, three Dakota artists based in the 18-county Southwestern Mnisota region, Pezihutazizi Oyate (Upper Sioux Community) and Cansa’yapi (Lower Sioux Indian Community) were selected to work for two weeks “at-home” to utilize their artistic practice to design and implement a creative project addressing the impacts of COVID-19 on their community. Click HERE for a recording of an interview with the artists.

DAKOTA CAIR ARTISTS: FERN CLOUD, TALON CAVENDER-WILSON, AND LISA NEZ!

In August the Yes! House in Granite Falls hosted private viewings from the three Dakota Community Artists-in-Residence chosen for this project: Fern Cloud, Talon Cavender-Wilson and Lisa Nez. This project was supported by the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, the Southwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership and in partnership with Pioneer PBS. If you would like to learn more about all three of these projects through the informational videos that played during the Yes! House exhibit, visit: https://youtu.be/oN0HVWf8USY

Starting January 14 through February 26 the SMAC Gallery is proud to present the three works of art from the Dakota Community Artists-In-Residence. The gallery will exhibit Fern Cloud’s traditional painting on deer hide, blacksmith artist Talon Cavender-Wilson’s series of three metal bowls, and Lisa Nez’s infant-sized moccasins showcasing her traditional knowledge and artistic beading talents.

Join SMAC on Thursday, January 14th starting at 5:30 pm for a virtual artist reception and talk with the Dakota CAIR artists!

Please join from your computer, tablet or smartphone: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/623395245.

*For call-in instructions from a landline, please email info@swmnarts.org

Fern Cloud:

Cloud said “…this was really a challenge to accomplish in two weeks.” Fern created a traditional painting on deer hide called “Kinship” which tells the visual story of how “one must be a good relative because Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ (we are all related).” Fern uses brain-tanned hides, buffalo bones and willow stick brushes and only natural pigments to create her traditional hide paintings. This particular image starts with a star, which signifies the creation story at Bdote. Watch the full interview here, passcode if needed is 3PGM8S0+.

Talon Cavender-Wilson:

Cavender-Wilson said the residency was “…quite a learning experience.” He explained that he started the COVID-19 quarantine on a mountain in Sweden studying blacksmithing – and then moved home to Upper Sioux to similar quarantine conditions in his personal forge. He was heavily focused on social justice issues and their effect and heard a quote that truly impacted the basis for this project. The quote was, “If you don’t hear us when we whisper, you’ll hear us when we shout.” This made him consider the sound metal makes when struck. The project involved making a series of metal bowls: 1) a perfect bowl with clear perfect sound 2) an imperfect bowl with holes, cracks and chains and 3) another imperfect bowl with holes, cracks, chains and the addition of marbles. The message is that all three bowls make sound, but the impacts of social inequity put more and more stress on marginalized communities and so polite conversation (the perfect sound of bowl #1) are changed with the addition of holes, cracks, and the chains of inequity. The marbles represent the public outpouring of angst in the face of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police. When you strike the third bowl – the sound is short and unpleasant. Watch the full interview here, passcode if needed is 3PGM8S0+.

Lisa Nez:

Nez made a beautiful pair of infant-sized moccasins showcasing her traditional knowledge and artistic beading talents. She shared that if pushed she could probably make a pair of child mocs in 4-6 hours! An important part of this residency was a video of all the steps involved in making a pair of moccasins. This video has been shared with the community. According to Nez, “with quarantines and the pandemic, it is a good time to watch this training video and get started on this tradition.” People can get stuck in times of trial and not have the energy to do art. This project may help people get kick-started. Watch the full interview here, passcode if needed is 3PGM8S0+.

If you would like to learn more about all three of these projects through the informational videos that played during the Yes! House exhibit, visit: https://youtu.be/oN0HVWf8USY

These activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Additional funding provided by The McKnight Foundation. Minnesota thrives when its artists thrive. The McKnight Foundation supports working artists to create and contribute to vibrant communities.