New USFCAM exhibition showcases work of nine Indigenous artists
TAMPA — The USF Contemporary Art Museum, part of the Institute for Research in Art in the USF College of the Arts, will present “Native America: In Translation,” running Aug. 25 through Dec. 1, at 3821 USF Holly Drive.
Curated by Apsáalooke artist Wendy Red Star and organized by Aperture, “Native America: In Translation” assembles the wide-ranging work of nine Indigenous artists who pose challenging questions about identity and heritage, land rights, and histories of colonialism.
The exhibit probes the “legacies of settler colonialism” and photography’s complex role in representing Native cultures. Featured are works by lens-based artists Rebecca Belmore (Anishinaabe, Lac Seul First Nation), Nalikutaar Jacqueline Cleveland (Yup’ik), Martine Gutierrez (American), Koyoltzintli (Ecuadorian-American), Duane Linklater (Omaskêko Ininiwak from Moose Cree First Nation), Guadalupe Maravilla (American), Kimowan Metchewais (Cree, Cold Lake First Nations), Alan Michelson (Mohawk, Six Nations of the Grand River) and Marianne Nicolson (Musgamakw Dzawada’enuxw First Nations.
A free poster featuring the work of Martine Gutierrez will be available to visitors while supplies last.
“Native America: In Translation” expands on Wendy Red Star’s role as guest editor of the fall 2020 issue of Aperture magazine. The exhibition is organized by Aperture and is made possible, in part, with generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The USFCAM presentation of “Native America: In Translation is supported in part by the Lee & Victor Leavengood Endowment; the USFCAM ACE (Art for Community Engagement) fund patrons; and the Florida Department of State, Florida Arts & Culture. Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Special exhibition hours will be offered on Friday, Aug. 25, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Normal gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m.
The gallery has extended hours on Thursday, to 8 p.m. The gallery is closed Sundays. All exhibits and events are free and open to the public.
The museum also has some other events upcoming:
• “Native America: In Translation” exhibition walkthrough and opening reception — Friday, Aug. 25, 6:30 to 9 p.m., at the USF Contemporary Art Museum. USF Curator of Public Art and Social Practice Sarah Howard will lead a gallery tour at 6:30 p.m., followed by an opening reception. This event is free and open to all.
• ART Thursday Concert in the Galleries: Native America: Sonic Translation — Thursday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m., at the USF Contemporary Art Museum. In response to the exhibition “Native America: In Translation,” USF students, faculty, and USF Community Music Project feature performances and world premieres of original scores composed by Dr. William Linthicum-Blackhorse and USF Faculty member, Dr. Justin Giarrusso. The free event is open to all and is presented by USF Contemporary Art Museum and USF School of Music.
• “Native America: In Translation” online conversation — Wednesday, Oct. 4, 6 p.m., via Zoom. Registration is required. In this online conversation, Wendy Red Star, exhibition curator, and artists Marianne Nicolson and Koyoltzintli, will discuss concepts and approaches to Indigenous visual sovereignty in reclaiming cultural identity. The discussion will be moderated by USF Curator of Public Art and Social Practice Sarah Howard. This is a free event.
• Guadalupe Maravilla: Kennedy Family Visiting Artist Lecture — Thursday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m., at the USF School of Art and Art History, FAH 101. Transdisciplinary visual artist, choreographer, and healer Guadalupe Maravilla will present a public lecture on his creative practice. Maravilla’s work is included in “Native America: In Translation.” This event is free and open to all and is presented by the USF School of Art and Art History Kennedy Family Artist and Scholar Residency.
• What Remains: Listening to Indigenous Perspectives — Saturday, Nov. 4, 11 a.m., at Barness Hall, USF School of Music, 3755 USF Holly Drive, MUS 107, Tampa. This forum gathers the voices of an Indigenous artist, tribal cultural preservationist, and Native American civil rights and environmental advocates in dialogue with an expert in the field of anthropology to explore ways of restoring and expanding Indigenous cultural agency and honoring tribal heritage and ecological knowledge. The forum will be moderated by USF Curator of Public Art and Social Practice Sarah Howard. The program is free and open to all.
• ART Thursday, student-led exhibition tours — Thursday, Nov. 30, 6 and 7 p.m., at the USF Contemporary Art Museum. Join us for two student-led tours of the exhibition “Native America: In Translation.” The tours are free and open to the public.
About the museum
USF Contemporary Art Museum organizes and presents significant and investigative exhibitions of contemporary art from Florida, the United States and around the world. Serving as a teaching laboratory, USFCAM’s curatorial and socially engaged initiatives and educational programs are designed to present the students, faculty, and community with current issues of contemporary art practice, and to explore the role of the arts in society. USFCAM publishes relevant catalogues, presents critically recognized traveling exhibitions and commissions new projects by national and international artists. USFCAM maintains the university’s art collection, comprising more than 5000 contemporary art works. For more information, visit cam.usf.edu.
