UMD News: June 21, 2012

Communication Associate: Public Relations | Lori Melton | lmelton@d.umn.edu | (218) 726-8830

Mni Sota: Reflections of Time and Place is on display until Aug. 26

The exhibit Mni Sota: Reflections of Time and Place is on display at the Tweed Museum of Art located on the campus of the University of Minnesota Duluth through Sun., Aug. 26. It features the works of 17 American Indian artists from the Minnesota region. The exhibit was developed by All My Relations Arts, an initiative of the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI), and has traveled throughout Minnesota since Nov. 2011. The Tweed is the last stop on the tour.

Two special events will be held in connection with the show. On Sat., July 21 from 2-4 pm, a community event will be held at the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) at 202 W. Second Street in the old YWCA building in downtown Duluth. Some artists whose works are included in the Tweed exhibition will be on-site to give demonstrations and talk about their art. This event is free and open to the public. Art activities for all ages will be offered. Light refreshments will be served.

On Sat., Aug. 25 from 2-4 pm, the Tweed Museum will host a Family Day in conjunction with the exhibit. Some artists whose works are included in the Tweed exhibition will be on-site to give demonstrations and talk about their art. This event is free and open to the public. Art activities for all ages will be offered. Light refreshments will be served.

The name "Minnesota" comes from the Dakota words "mni sota" interpreted as "clouds reflecting in water," "smoky water," or "cloudy water" and helps to illustrate how one's sense of place is often defined by one's surroundings. Here the words are used as an analogy to describe shifts in traditional arts throughout time to reflect current experiences and perspectives.

Tweed's literature about the show states, "As a culture whose arts are generally expected to evoke the past, it is not often that innovation is at the forefront of discussion regarding Native American arts. In fact, the historical objects we are so familiar with are only a snapshot of time and represent a small fraction of the creative arts of Native peoples. Each generation's work has built upon what has been established by the previous generations, incorporating new materials and media. Innovation is the soul of living art. Each generation, from historic times to the present, was creating contemporary art. The works included in the Mni Sota exhibit illustrate the importance and necessity of both tradition and innovation in sustaining cultural continuity."

One of the show's curators, Dyani Reynolds-White Hawk, believes that the line that has historically existed between traditional and contemporary begins to dissolve when innovation is recognized as a tradition. "That's what makes this exhibition so exciting," Reynolds-White Hawk said, "by exploring the ideas of traditional art through a lens that recognizes innovation as a central theme, we are able to feature a wide range of artists, some without any previous exhibition experience, yet all truly worthy of such accolades. There are so many profoundly talented artists in the Native community, yet they often remain tucked away out of the public eye as 'traditional' arts are rarely recognized in the gallery system."

Artists featured in this exhibit include: Ahmoo Angeconeb, Lac Seul First Nation Ojibwe; Greg Bellanger, White Earth Band of Ojibwe; Todd Bordeaux, Sicangu Lakota and Dakota; Carol Charging Thunder, Oohenunpa and Oglala Lakota; Pat Kruse, Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe; Denise Lajimodiere, Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe; Orvilla Longfox, Assiniboine; Melvin Losh, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe; Cheryl Minnema, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe; Wanesia Spry Misquadace, Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe; Norval Morrisseau, Sandy Lake First Nation Ojibwe; Sandra Panachyse, Canupawakpa Dakota and Mishkeegogamang Ojibwa; Joe Savage, Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe; Chholing Taha, Cree First Nations; Cecile Taylor, Spirit Lake Dakota and Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe; Gwen Westerman, Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota; Delina White, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe; Bobby Wilson, Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota; and Francis Yellow, Itazipco Lakota.

The Tweed Museum of Art is free and open to the public. Museum hours are Tues. 9 am-8pm, Wed.-Fri. 9am-4:30 pm, Sat. and Sun. 1-5 pm. For more information, visit the Tweed Museum of Art website.

The Mni Sota exhibit is funded in part by the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) which was a fiscal year 2011 recipient of a Folk and Traditional Arts Touring Exhibition grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. All My Relations Arts of NACDI is made possible by grants from the McKnight Foundation, Target Foundation, Rosemary and David Good Family Foundation, ArtsLab, and Two Feathers Fund of the St. Paul Foundation.

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