After opening a vintage and upcycled boutique in Santa Fe, Amy Denet Deal wants to use her skills and connections to empower young Native artists.
Artwork by graphic designer Peyton Alex. She focuses on Native women and skating in her designs. Alex spray-paints bags, T-shirts and jumpsuits on sale at 4Kinship.
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Between Worlds is a masterpiece of Chilkat weaving, but it is not fully traditional. The fringed cape-like robe crafted by Alaska Native artist Lily Hope is made from a typical intertwining of cedar bark and mountain goat wool. Its design, however, renders traditional faces and figures abstract. The piece is dedicated to Hope’s mother, the renowned Tlingit weaver Clarissa Rizal, who taught her the craft. When Rizal died in 2016, says Hope, it was like an “elbow in the rib cage, of like, you’re it, this is your life’s work from now till your last breath.”
Hope and her sister, Ursala Hudson, are carrying on their mother’s legacy in “Sharing Honors and Burdens,” the 10th installment of the biennial Renwick Invitational at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery. For the exhibition, Native artists were asked to submit works that spoke to both honors and burdens—complex concepts with multiple meanings.
Along with pieces by the two sisters, the exhibition includes works by Joe Feddersen (of the Arrow Lakes/Okanagan tribes), Erica Lord (Athabaskan/Iñupiat), Geo Neptune (Passamaquoddy) and Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe). All of these artists bring their cultural, spiritual and artistic traditions to bear on their crafts, though the works are also thoroughly contemporary.
“The relationship between tradition and innovation has to be much more explicit for Native artists,” says guest curator Lara M. Evans, a member of the Cherokee Nation who is the director of the Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “Makers who are working with acrylic or oils aren’t expected to explain in detail the nature of painting or the entire history of painting as a practice the way that Native artists are expected to explain, for example, the history of beadwork or basketry.”
Social Distancing series, Joe Feddersen, 2021, mirrored and blown glass, six vessels: approx. 16 × diam. 8 in Anonymous, Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA, Gift of the artist; and Courtesy of the artist and studio e, Seattle, Washington. Photo by Mario Gallucci.
Feddersen makes a similar point in a video that accompanies his work. “It’s an honor to represent your people,” he says. But, he adds, “Sometimes it’s a burden to have to explain your culture to everybody.” His installation Social Distancing is a series of tall mirrored glass cylinders that feature traditional pictographs on the exterior. The figures do not touch—they are distant. Like other works in the invitational, it speaks to the Covid-19 pandemic and other diseases and contagions that have disproportionately harmed Indigenous communities. “Like his ancestors and earlier artists, Feddersen is communicating through symbols and signs about lived experiences and current events,” writes Anya Montiel, a juror for the invitational and a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian who is of Mexican/Tohono O’odham descent, in the exhibition catalog.
Along with themes like grief, trauma, community and personal loss, the works in the invitational also explore knowledge and wisdom gained from teachers and ancestors, fusing past with present. For Lord’s The Codes We Carry, the Alaskan artist transformed a type of elaborate embroidered blanket that sled dogs once wore in ceremonies. Called “tuppies,” these blankets fell out of use in the 1940s, but Lord was struck by them when she viewed them in historical collections. Each dog’s blanket is a beaded replica of the actual genetic code for one of seven conditions: diphtheria, smallpox, tuberculosis, diabetes, ovarian cancer and the SARS-CoV-2 virus. To make each blanket, Lord created a pattern board, using four-millimeter-square glass beads to match the color code of the genetic sample.
Erica Lord’s embroidered “tuppies,” representing the genetic code for conditions including diphtheria, smallpox, tuberculosis, diabetes, ovarian cancer and the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Sara Snyder / Smithsonian American Art Museum
Similarly, Lord transforms burden straps—woven belts used to carry heavy loads or babies—into colorful beaded representations of DNA and RNA microarrays for various diseases, including leukemia, diabetes, breast cancer and multiple myeloma.
Thompson—a textile artist who learned quilting, knitting, crocheting and sewing while growing up in Minneapolis—also addresses community loss in a piece called On Loving. Created for the exhibit, it features three beaded star quilts sewn onto vinyl purposely shaped to look like body bags. The bags were created in honor of the Native Americans who died from Covid-19.
I Get Mad Because I Love You, Maggie Thompson, 2021-22, glass beads and filament, 48 × 72 × 1 in. Courtesy of the artist and Bockley Gallery. Image courtesy of the artist.
Thompson’s I Get Mad Because I Love You, looks from a distance like a shimmery piece of fabric stolen off an haute couture runway. A closer look reveals the words “I get mad because” and “I love you” repeated as if written by a student in detention. The words “I love you” are fabricated with white beads, whereas the words “I get mad because” are fashioned from clear beads that appear a bit opaque. Thompson notes that she chose the contrasting colors “because when you’re in a psychologically abusive relationship it’s really hard to differentiate what’s actually being said and the intentions behind what’s being said.”
Neptune’s stunning and colorful baskets—woven from the branches of the disappearing black ash trees—are both firmly rooted in Passamaquoddy traditions and imbued with modernity. The nonbinary artist learned basketry from their grandmother, Molly Neptune Parker, a National Endowment for the Arts national heritage fellow. They have continued making baskets in their grandmother’s traditional style, but also they’ve branched out—literally, for instance, in Feast of the Hummingbirds, adding a small tree adorned with flowers to the top of a traditional basket. Neptune also uses commercial dyes to achieve purples, pinks, yellows and other colors not seen in prior generations’ basketry. “I am giving it a new birth,” says Neptune of the Passamaquoddy tradition.
Apikcilu Binds the Sun, Geo Neptune, 2018, ash and sweetgrass with commercial dye, acrylic ink, and 24-karat gold-plated beads, 16 1/2 × diam. 9 in. Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, ME, Museum purchase, The Philip Conway Beam Endowment Fund. Photo by Luc Demers.
Tideland Warrior, Ursala Hudson, 2021, headpiece: merino, feathers and mother of pearl; shawl: merino, silk, mountain goat fur, and mother-of-pearl; wrap: merino, silk, leather, and Tencel Courtesy of artist. Photo by Kahlil Hudson.
Hudson, like her sister, Hope, draws on the skills and wisdom she learned from her mother, employing both the Chilkat and more geometric and mathematical Ravenstail techniques to create clothing that carries both symbolism and style. She also employs new materials—such as merino wool and commercially dyed fabrics—which she considers an evolution, but not out of keeping with tradition. “For the last 300 years, we’ve been incorporating trade materials coming from afar,” she says. “If we can get something from the other side of the planet, then it’s traditionally Tlingit to do so.”
Even so, Hudson acknowledges, she had doubts when she started displaying her work in galleries. “At first, I was really, really scared that I wasn’t doing the right thing—that I was taking the sacred art form and giving it to the wrong audience.” But she and her sister both say they’ve resolved such concerns. They want Tlingit works to be recognized as fine art, and they also want to see the tradition continue.
As curator, Evans agrees. She hopes that visitors will be inspired to think about “their own relationships with traditions”—how they’re preserved and passed on, as well as how they lead to new innovations. As she puts it, traditions are not “a frozen practice.” The works in the Renwick Invitational show how each generation can make age-old practices feel brilliantly new and alive.
“Sharing Honors and Burdens: Renwick Invitational 2023” is on view at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum through March 2024.
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At the first Summer Social event, writers in All My Relations Arts’s Native Authors Program read a variety of their pieces.
Attendees of Rock the Garden look out over the event at the Walker Art Center on July 22, 2017.
The first installation of the 2023 Green Roof Poetry series, curated by All My Relations Arts, took place at the Walker Art Center on June 22.
All My Relations Arts (AMRA) is a nonprofit organization serving as a hub for contemporary Native art. Their Native Authors Program, established in 2020, supports writers of all genres and creates a space for growth, community and support.
Though the event was moved indoors due to heat and poor air quality, it still flourished in a bright and supportive environment.
When AMRA reached out to Art Coulson and asked if he would want to be the 2023 program mentor, he eagerly agreed. Coulson has published over a dozen books, but he still learns from the 12 cohort members just as they learn from him.
“It’s a great mixture of writers — we have poets and creative nonfiction writers and fiction writers — so it’s a really good group to mix it up and talk about genre and form,” Coulson said.
Cohort members meet each month over Zoom to discuss their current projects, aspirations and roadblocks. Though each writer has their own unique topics and writing style, there is an undeniable benefit in coming together to share the joys (and hardships) of their art.
“Writing is a really solitary process, so it’s nice to be around folks who all have goals and aspirations to get their work out there and have simultaneously committed to uplifting others,” said An Garagiola, a current member of the cohort and graduate student at the University of Minnesota.
Like Garagiola, the other cohort members have busy lives. Nicholas DeShaw, who works as an outreach coordinator for the Department of American Indian Studies at the University, explains how AMRA intertwines with his professional life.
“The main part of my job is to find ways to outreach the department to the wider community, both on campus and off campus,” DeShaw said. “I’m planning to bring some of the [AMRA] artists to campus to speak about their work, and also just to let students know about All My Relations and the cool work they do.”
Curating and reading at Green Roof Poetry was special to the cohort members. After the pandemic made virtual meetings the norm, the group’s first full in-person gathering took place at the Walker.
“It’s really important for the work that these writers are doing to get out into the broader community,” Coulson said. “Nobody wants to be in an echo chamber — you don’t want to just write for a small group of people.”
Green Roof Poetry attendees gathered in Cargill Hall, a large open space with massive windows that look onto the hill. DJ Austin Owen spun some records as people trickled in. Then, Megan Leafblad of the Walker and AMRA director Angela Two Stars gave introductions that officially got the reading rolling.
Rosetta Peters is a poet and author, but she is also an engaging performer. Her story about family, forgiveness and loss was moving in its out-loud form. Peters would be an excellent audiobook reader.
Coulson shared an excerpt from his middle grade novel called “Chasing Bigfoot,” which follows a young Cherokee boy on a summer roadtrip with his storytelling uncles and cousins. Though geared toward kids, adult attendees seemed more than happy to “put on their 13-year-old ears,” as requested by the author.
Unfortunately, writers Annastacia Cardon and Tashia Hart were unable to make it to the event, but Cardon’s cousin and Two Stars read their work for them. Cardon’s in-progress fantasy novel and Hart’s contemporary romance displayed the diversity of the art being created by AMRA’s authors.
According to Coulson, going out into the community is great because it shows the public all the unique art coming from the Native community.
“They’re going to see that there are Native writers writing about a lot of different topics in a lot of different forms and genres. We’re not some monolith. We’re out there creating like all other authors do,” Coulson said.
There are two more nights of Green Roof Poetry to catch before the summer is over, with curation by authors Tish Jones on July 13 and Danez Smith on August 3.
PAC NYC Exterior by Iwan Baan
Radically Flexible Performance Spaces Support Artists’ Creativity Across Theater, Music, Dance, Opera, Film and More
Performances with Globally Renowned Artists Begin September 19
Mike Bloomberg, Chair of the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) board of directors, joined Executive Director Khady Kamara and Artistic Director Bill Rauch to announce the span of inaugural programs at the new performing arts center at the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. PAC NYC (251 Fulton Street) is a dynamic new home for the arts, serving audiences and the creative sector through flexible venues enabling the facility to embrace wide-ranging artistic programs. The inaugural year will feature commissions, world premieres, co-productions, and collaborative work across theater, dance, music, opera, film and more. The vision for PAC NYC began when then Mayor Mike Bloomberg and his team worked to ensure the plan for rebuilding the World Trade Center site included a performing arts center.
Bloomberg said, “The opening of Perelman Performing Arts Center is going to add light and hope to the World Trade Center site in a manner that respects its role as a place for reflection. PAC NYC’s impact will extend far beyond downtown, as we know the impact of the power of the arts – bringing energy and excitement to bolster neighborhoods, spur investment and build a stronger city. I congratulate Khady Kamara, Bill Rauch, and their entire team for developing such a meaningful, multifaceted artistic program to welcome everyone in this city and beyond. There will be something for everyone at PAC NYC.”
Khady Kamara said, “We believe the arts can inspire and unite us, and we are honored to fulfill this important role as the cultural cornerstone of the World Trade Center site. We will celebrate the diversity and humanity of all five boroughs of New York through ambitious and accessible programming, including free lobby performances on our Clare and Vartan Gregorian Stage, and in everything we do.”
“We have invited some of the most compelling talents in theater, opera, music, and dance to work with us and with each other, to create and present new works that bring PAC NYC to life, here in the world capital of performing arts,” said Bill Rauch. “Our program, which celebrates and brings together an array of artistic disciplines, will anchor a robust and diverse inaugural season that will inspire, entertain, and engage all audiences.”
The inaugural year programming will feature commissions, world premieres, partnerships, festivals and co-productions. The artistic programs will range from World Premieres of Laurence Fishburne’s one- man tour-de-force play Like They Do in The Movies, to a fabulous reimagining of CATS set in the competitions of New York City’s Ballroom culture, to new multi-disciplinary work Watch Night from the acclaimed artistic team of Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones, poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph, composer Tamar-kali, and dramaturg Lauren Whitehead. PAC NYC has also partnered with Creative Artist Agency (CAA) to present conversations with renowned celebrities such as Kerry Washington and will host the 2023 Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition, the most prestigious competition of its kind.
Grand Opening
PAC NYC will open its doors with Refuge: A Concert Series to Welcome the World – a five-evening event featuring a vibrant mix of acclaimed musicians from around the globe curated around the theme of refuge. All concerts will be Pay-What-You-Wish.
Additional details on PAC NYC’s opening programs, including free community open houses, will be announced soon.
Musical Theater and Opera
Watch Night (Nov. 3-18, 2023) – This newly commissioned World Premiere is a genre-defying exploration of justice and forgiveness that fuses melodies rooted in spirituals, percussive breath, and fiery opera with the urgency of slam poetry.
Artists:
Bill T. Jones, co-conceiver, director and choreographer
Marc Bamuthi Joseph, co-conceiver, and librettist
Tamar-kali, composer
Lauren Whitehead, dramaturg
Number Our Days (April 12-14, 2024) – A multi-media oratorio based on Jamie Livingston’s “Photo of the Day” series, which explores our era’s strange alchemy of technology, memory, and community.
Artists:
David Van Taylor, conceiver and librettist
Kamna Gupta, conductor
Ty Defoe, director
An American Soldier (May 12-19, 2024) – A new opera based on the powerful true story of U.S. Private Danny Chen will receive its New York Premiere.
Artists:
Huang Ruo, composer
David Henry Hwang, librettist
Carolyn Kuan, conductor
Chay Yew, director
Cats (June – July 2024) – The season ends with a fabulous reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s beloved musical, based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, re-envisioned within the dance-rich setting of Ballroom culture, that roared out of New York City over 50 years ago and still rages on runways around the world.
Artists:
Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, directors
Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles, choreographers
Josephine Kearns, dramaturg and gender consultant
Theater and Comedy
The Following Evening (Feb. 1-18, 2024) – An intimate portrait of a couple creating what may be their final performance together after a lifetime at the heart of the experimental theater scene. A unique collaboration between two theater-making couples a generation apart.
Artists:
Ellen Maddow and Paul Zimet of Talking Band
Abigail Browde and Michael Silverstone of 600 Highwaymen
Between Two Knees (Feb. 3-24, 2024) – The Indigenous sketch comedy group The 1491s (Reservation Dogs) presents the outrageously funny play which spans 90 years in the life of a fictional Native American family.
Artists:
The 1491s, writers
Eric Ting, director
Good Medicine (Feb. 9, 2024) – An all-Native stand-up evening event featuring Indigenous comedians from across the country, curated & hosted by Jackie Keliiaa.
Like They Do in The Movies (Mar. 10-31, 2024) – A World Premiere of the one-man tour-de-force written and performed by the Tony & Emmy Award winning artist Laurence Fishburne.
Artists:
Laurence Fishburne, writer and performer
Leonard Foglia, director
Dance
Is It Thursday Yet? (Dec. 8-23, 2023) – A commissioned solo dance work tracing Jenn Freeman’s neurodivergent journey through a stunning tapestry of dance, live music and home video footage.
Artists:
Jenn Freeman, co-creator, co-choreographer and performer
Sonya Tayeh, co-creator, co-choreographer and director
Holland Andrews, composer and performer
March by Big Dance Theater (Dec. 10-16, 2023) – An evening of contemporary dance in three parts, that explores our compulsion to move together in time.
Artists: Tendayi Kuumba, Annie-B Parson and Donna Uchizono, choreographers
Motion/Matter: Street Dance Festival (Jan. 5-14, 2024) – A celebration of the multitude of street dance movements emerging from New York City and from around the world including legendary DJs, epic battles and concert dance premieres.
Music
In addition to the Refuge concert series, music programming will include a recital by Easter Island’s pioneering pianist Mahani Teave (Sept. 28) and an intimate evening with Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell (Oct. 5).
2023 Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition (Oct. 14 & 15, 2023) – The most prestigious competition of its kind is moving from Washington, D.C., to New York City, presented in association with PAC NYC.
Circle Songs: A Holiday Concert Series (Dec. 20-23, 2023) – A four-evening concert series lighting up the shortest days of the year with an opportunity to see world-class artists in a uniquely intimate in-the- round setting.
Anthony Roth Costanzo & Friends (Dec. 20)
Toshi Reagon (Dec. 21),
Time For Three (Dec. 22)
Orfeh and Andy Karl (Dec. 23)
Film
PAC NYC and Tribeca Festival will partner to present several film screenings, panel discussions,
performances and special events at PAC NYC in conjunction with the 2024 Tribeca Festival.
Speakers Series
In partnership with leading entertainment and sports agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), PAC NYC will present Conversations at PAC NYC, a series of engaging conversations with award-winning authors, bestselling storytellers, and cultural changemakers from the worlds of arts, entertainment, media, and politics. Featured speakers include the following with more to be announced.
Award-winning actor, producer and activist Kerry Washington (Sept. 26). Actress and creator of the “Red Table Talk” series Jada Pinkett Smith (Oct. 16). TODAY show co-host Jenna Bush Hager with Barbara Pierce Bush (Nov. 13).
Family & Lobby Programming
Additional programming, including family performances, programming collaborations and free performances in the lobby on the Vartan and Clare Gregorian Stage, will be announced in the coming months.
PAC NYC
The inaugural season showcases the unparalleled flexibility of three performing arts venues inside PAC NYC: the John E. Zuccotti Theater (seating up to 450 people), the Mike Nichols Theater (seating up to 250) and the Doris Duke Foundation Theater (seating up to 99). The venues can be used individually or combined (total capacity up to 950 seats) with configurations that include theater-in-the-round, end stage, thrust and traverse, to accommodate artistic innovation that can engage and delight audiences in new ways at every visit.
Named for businessman, philanthropist and benefactor Ronald O. Perelman, the Perelman Performing Arts Center is a 138-foot-tall, cube-shaped building with radically flexible capabilities designed by the architecture firm REX, led by founding principal Joshua Ramus. REX’s design, created in collaboration with executive architect Davis Brody Bond, theater consultant Charcoalblue and acoustician Threshold Acoustics, is conceived for an artistic program that will have vast and varied needs to serve New York’s extraordinarily diverse arts community. The building is wrapped in nearly 5,000 half-inch thick marble tiles which have been book matched to create a symmetrical pattern, which is identical on all four sides of the building. The marble façade allows light to radiate in during the day and glow out during the evening. David Rockwell and his architecture and design firm Rockwell Group designed the interior of the lobby and restaurant with a dynamic, glowing ceiling visible from the street to create an inviting entry experience. The lobby’s restaurant by chef Marcus Samuelsson, along with the bar and outdoor terrace, offers a new gathering space for the Lower Manhattan community.
Tickets & PAC NYC Individual Memberships
PAC NYC Memberships starting at $10 for the inaugural season are available now. Members are provided early access to purchase tickets and other perks. For more information or to learn how to support PAC NYC, visit PACNYC.org.
Tickets start at $39 and are available online at PACNYC.org or by calling 212.266.3000. All performances are at 251 Fulton Street.
“Citi has a deep and meaningful connection to the World Trade Center, where many of our colleagues were working on 9/11,” said Edward Skyler, Executive Vice President, Citi. “We were proud to help finance its reconstruction and have been a founding supporter of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Now, we are honored to help bring art, creativity, and passion to Lower Manhattan through our sponsorship of the Perelman Performing Arts Center, as the World Trade Center enters its next stage of renewal.”
The public can sign up for important updates from PAC NYC at PACNYC.org/sign-up.
Citi is the official card and a proud sponsor of PAC NYC.
PAC NYC is grateful for the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies
Accessibility
PAC NYC is committed to providing an enjoyable and inclusive experience for all patrons and ensuring that all audiences have access to our programs and performances. PAC NYC meets or exceeds the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA Entrance at PAC NYC is sponsored by Citi. For more information on accessibility, please visit PACNYC.org/accessibility.
Information provided is accurate at the time of printing but is subject to change.
Over Memorial Day Weekend, Art & Soul: Hamptons curated a soulful event consisting of four events including an Art Walk, VIP Brunch, Art Exhibition, and Sipping Experience. The event was attended by artists, art curators and collectors, business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, and the cultural elite of the Hamptons. The series of events supports and connects artists with art curators, collectors, and supporters.
ART & SOUL: Hamptons was created by Yaya Reyes to celebrate influential and emerging BIPOC artists living in the Hamptons.
The Art Walk kicked-off the unofficial weekend of summer with the first stop at the Southampton African American Museum (SAAM), founded by Brenda Simmons. SAAM is currently featuring international contemporary artist Demarcus McGaughey, who has a residency through July 22, 2023.
The second stop during the art walk was at the Southampton Arts Center (SAC), where A MOMENT IN TIME: ICONIC IMAGES BY HARRY BENSON can be viewed through July 15, 2023.
The third and final stop of the art walk was at Hidden Gem NY – a home decor and lifestyle boutique, owned by sisters Tanya Willock and Temidra Willock-Morsch.
ART & SOUL: Hamptons hosted a SOLD-OUT brunch at 75 MAIN on their private outdoor patio. Some of the Hamptons’ and NY’s socially connected Black and Brown women were in attendance.
There was a special presentation by Demarcus McGaughy, who gifted guests with his limited-edition print of ‘Cool Cat’, a mix media collage print of his uncle John Crenshaw (brother of his grandmother).
Demarcus created the original painting during his Fall 2022 Artist Residency at Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio located on the Shinnecock Reservation.
The Art Exhibition was held at Raindrop’s Café, a cozy event venue owned and operated by members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. Featured art included original artwork by: Alvin Clayton-Fernandes, Errin Whitacker, Tohanash Tarrant, and Kim Wright.
Guests had the opportunity to meet all of the artists in a space filled with a rich history of the Native American Shinnecock Tribe’s contribution to the Hamptons community.
The day wrapped up with a sipping experience held at Raindrop’s Café, with an organic wine bar sponsored by Ettore Wine (produced in California), flavored sparkling water sponsored by SOVANY, and delicious Native American bites catered by Poppin Patties, owned by Deana Smith.
A 360 camera, as well as a LED light photobooth, was sponsored by VBA the Media Group, which added some fun and entertainment for the guests.
Guests also walked away with tons of luxury swag bag products. Luxury Gift Bag Sponsors include Borghese, StriVectin, EVE LOM, CAUDALIE, BIONOVA, Imperial DAX Company, Andrew Fitzsimons, NatureLab Tokyo, Daily Dose, SELECT by Curaleaf, Wendy Williams Med Spa & IV Drip Bar, and SOVANY.
If you’ve heard or have sung along to these lyrics – “If all of the kings had their queens on the throne/We would pop champagne and raise a toast” or “Oh, she’s sweet but a psycho/A little bit psycho/At night, she’s screamin’ I’m-ma-ma-ma out my mind” – then you know who Ava Max is.
Pop sensation and Milwaukee native Ava Max brought those hits and more to the BMO Pavilion last night during the final day of Summerfest weekend two, and the concert couldn’t have been more powerful. From a giant diamond centered on the stage to small CGI light diamonds – hinting at her latest album, “Diamonds & Dancefloors” – from the guitarist and drummer’s performances to her dancers’ epic moves and the star of the night herself, Ava Max gave Milwaukee a night of “Heaven & Hell” with her show-stopping set.
Thanks to my 13-year-old sister, who is an Ava Max fan, I was ready to sing along to her songs and rock out at the BMO Pavilion. What I wasn’t ready for, though, was the fact that the pop star came on stage ready to give it her all without hesitation, a true performer who loves her fans and won’t stop at anything to give them the best.
The concert began with a short automated opener speaking to the fans before she made the stage, preaching, “Let’s make it a night of dangerous beauty. A night that will live forever. A night of heaven and hell. A night of diamonds and dancefloors.”
Right away, Ava Max started to sing the crowd-banger “Diamonds & Dancefloors” to get the night off on the right foot. The stage was dark with a hue of blue light that shined over Ava before the lights flashed and fans went crazy. Ava appeared on stage glammed in a flashy crop top, white tank top, dazzling black and white skirt with black platform wedge shoes.
Fans, singing their hearts out and dancing the night away, were then met with a smooth transition between “Diamonds & Dancefloors” and “My Head My Heart.” The energy of the pavilion increased, with everyone jumping around – with Ava’s encouragement – singing and dancing with everyone around them. The energy last night was contagious, and nothing could stop anyone from having a good time.
One early takeaway from Saturday’s show: Ava Max is a natural-born performer, and her voice was incredible. Usually, when you’re about to see an artist perform, you have to prepare yourself for the good and the bad of their live performance. That wasn’t the case for Ava. Immediately her voice sounded just as good, if not better, than listening to her music on Spotify. Seriously, if you listen to her music, go to one of her concerts. She won’t let you down – and she will raise your standards for the next concert you’re dying to see.
While it’s obvious that power lies in the hands of a queen, her performance brought everyone together. Ava is a seamless artist that keeps the crowd roaring; even if she made mistakes, you couldn’t have known. Honestly, I didn’t notice any mistakes last night – even when she kept claiming that the bugs were after her last night, with one even getting in her eye, she performed as if nothing happened.
The alleged bugs clearly didn’t stop fans from enjoying their night, either. Ava Max’s music is for everyone; it doesn’t matter how young or old you are. I loved how there wasn’t a certain type of crowd or generation of people who were at her concert: It brought all sorts of kings and queens together to party all night.
At one point, Ava mentioned that she had just finished her first world tour, and she was very excited to kick off festival season at her “birthplace of Milwaukee.” Fans cheered with excitement, and some were even shocked, apparently having no idea she was a Milwaukee native. Hopefully her rise gives other upcoming artists from the area hope that they could headline a stage at Summerfest and beyond as well.
While the energy of the pavilion seemed to be at the best it could be, Ava changed that right away when she ran off stage after thanking everyone after “Hold Up (Wait a Minute).” A few moments later, an epic drum solo began with a few notes from her hit “Kings & Queens,” followed by her dancers entering the stage to meet Ava, now dressed in a cloak with a queen’s gavel. She started with the lyrics, “If all of the kings had their queens on the throne/We would pop champagne and raise a toast.” When the lights faded up and flooded the stage, everyone lost their mind.
“Kings & Queens” was one of those songs that nobody could resist; everyone in the crowd Saturday night was singing word for word with the entire song. Plus, Ava’s dancers really added to her concert with their impeccable choreography. It’s clear that Ava and her dancers work really well together; it gave the best touch to the concert. They gave the type of energy that passionate performers will only have.
Ava intentionally writes songs that reflect on her life; personally, I found them to be super relatable and easy to digest even though they pack a powerful punch. Songs like “Weapons” and “Maybe You’re the Problem” gave the audience reassurance that you shouldn’t let anyone put you down or make your life harder with toxic influences.
Then there was “One of Us,” performed acoustic with an insane amount of emotion. Ava asked the audience to help her with the song because it’s “a true story and likes to re-open old wounds.” The crowd felt that one, and the amazing performance was presented flawlessly by her and her guitarist. The emotions and shift in energy were completely apparent, as the audience had goosebumps listening to the song.
Of course, you can’t go wrong with a mash-up performance – so Ava added some spice during the night with a rockin’ dance remix of “Belladonna,” “Not Your Barbie Girl” and “Salt,” resulting in a crowd-favorite mashup. I found myself wowed by how smoothly she transitioned from each song, using the dance routine to making it clear she’s “Not Your Barbie Girl.”
As her concert was nearing the end, the stage crew brought out a white long sofa, and the lights dimmed to an intriguing green shade. Ava mentioned, “I know it’s really hot; we are going to turn it down just a little bit,” before beginning “Dancing’s Done.” The sensual song was packed with heat and a steamy performance that made the audience fall even further head over heels with the pop star. The song had me at: “If you’re gonna leave me hangin’/Then you’re going to leave me dead/I’m never going home. If you’re not there/I wanna give into your dark temptation.” A super relatable and sexy song that made you feel the euphoria of romance.
Yet it wasn’t the end, as Ava Max closed out with “Million Dollar Baby” and gave the audience an encore of “Sweet But Psycho” and “The Motto.” These danceable songs gave fans one last rave session before it was the end of her concert, leaving everyone completely satisfied and still singing. You know when a concert is good when you leave with several new favorite songs and even listen to that artist some more on the ride home.
“Diamonds & Dancefloors”
“My Head My Heart”
“Who’s Laughing Now”
“Hold Up (Wait a Minute)”
“Kings & Queens”
“Weapons”
“Maybe You’re the Problem”
“Ghost”
“Cold As Ice”
“Belladonna”
“Not Your Barbie Girl”
“Salt”
“One of Us” (acoustic version)
“Dancing’s Done”
“Sleepwalker”
“Million Dollar Baby”
Encore
“Sweet but Psycho”
“The Motto”
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The Denver Art Museum (DAM) proudly welcomes Desert Rider: Dreaming in Motion, a new exhibition that will feature artworks exploring lowrider and skateboard culture in Denver and across the American Southwest.
Organized by Phoenix Art Museum, Desert Rider at the DAM will center and examine the diverse ways that artists who self-identify as Indigenous and Latinx express identity, pride and sense of community by transforming vehicles associated with the American West. These transformations challenge stereotypes and embody joy and hope. By exploring the imaginative interpretations of both automotive and skateboarding subcultures, Desert Rider centers Latinx and Indigenous artists’ perspectives that have defined the identity of the Southwest.
Desert Rider will kick off on Sunday, July 9, with an all-day free-admission event, featuring arts celebration at the museum; more information about this event will be shared at a later date. On view through Sept. 24, 2023, in the Hamilton Building’s Anschutz Gallery, Desert Rider will be included with general admission, which is free for members and all visitors 18 and under.
“We are grateful for this fruitful collaboration with our colleagues at Phoenix Art Museum, highlighting the inventive and energetic Southwest.” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the DAM. “We hope visitors will feel joy and inspiration as they experience this powerful presentation, which has been expanded to engage Colorado artists and showcase their work.”
Created and curated by Gilbert Vicario, former curator of contemporary art at Phoenix Art Museum, Desert Rider features works presented against the backdrop of civil unrest at the time and tie together ideas of history, place, resistance and empowerment. Images of customized vehicles racing through the wide-open landscapes of the U.S. Southwest became symbols not only of freedom and power, but also rebellion and nonconformity. Curated at the DAM by Victoria I. Lyall, Jan and Frederick Mayer Curator of Arts of the Ancient Americas, the Denver presentation of Desert Rider adds works by Colorado artists representing their communities in Colorado and the American Southwest.
“The themes and ideas explored in Desert Rider are universal, but uniquely presented through the viewpoints and experiences of Latinx and Indigenous artists, communities deeply connected to and impacted by the region’s complicated past and their experiences,” said Victoria I. Lyall.
“Counterculture, customization, queerness, community, survival, pride and reclamation are concepts that create powerful connections for artists and visitors alike. We are thrilled to present diverse works including several by Colorado artists including Carlos Frésquez, Juan Fuentes, Tony Ortega and Daniel Salazar.”
Desert Rider showcases large-scale installations, prints, sculptures and more by artists including Margarita Cabrera, Nanibah Chacon, Liz Cohen, Justin Favela, Douglas Miles and Cara Romero. Cruising just a few inches above the pavement, a lowrider’s candy paint, chrome rims and tuck and roll upholstery reflect its owner’s style and identity.
“These vehicles also evoke a history of community empowerment and have become symbolic of these artists’ identities. It’s about pride in the ride,” said Lyall.
Desert Rider begins by centering the “Lowrider” section on Denver artists, including a commission by photographer Juan Fuentes that celebrates the city’s four-decade history of cruising low and slow. Like other lowrider makers, Justin Favela’s large-scale car sculpture celebrates its owner’s identity as a queer Chicanx artist. Using materials associated with Mexican piñata—tissue paper and cardboard—Favela’s lowrider celebrates queer icons and pays homage to the recent shooting in Colorado Springs’ Club Q victims.
A section highlighting women and cars features women artists whose work challenges the perception that customized automobiles are a male-dominated pastime. With Stories Better Told by Others (Cindy Corrales) [Historias mejor contadas por otras (Cindy Corrales), a series of color inkjet prints with hand-painted lettering and lithographs, Liz Cohen celebrates the Lowrider Magazine cover models whose labor, personas and contributions to popularizing lowriding globally have been ignored.
In “Skating on Native Land,” artists Dustin Craig, Gregg Deal and Douglas Miles use skateboards as moving canvases to reassert control over their own histories and landscapes. “Horsepower” plays on the idea of the horse in the American west. Artists Laurie Steelink and José Villalobos consider the horse from a personal perspective. Villalobos’ customized saddles evoke the gleam of lowriders while reframing the flash and flamboyance as a celebration of queerness. Steelink’s car hood altar connects her to her Indigenous identity in a patriarchal society.
Artists featured in “La Frontera” (the borderlands), use automobile imagery and irreverent humor to highlight issues of migration and femicide. Margarita Cabrera’s Agua que no has de beber dejala correr (Water That You Should Not Drink, Let It Run) calls out the devastating impact of U.S. automotive “maquiladoras,” factories based on the Mexican side of the border, where mostly female employees perform low-wage assembly work and are exposed to harmful chemicals and hazardous work conditions.
In addition to engaging with such important issues, visitors of all ages will have a chance to have fun with hands-on activities including “skating” with miniature finger
skateboards in a scaled-down skatepark, modeled after the Downtown Denver Skatepark; making customizable miniature paper lowriders that can be posed and “driven” around a model of significant lowrider spots in Denver; and exploring an interactive map of the Denver metro area highlighting points of significance specific to skateboarding and lowriders, to which visitors can add their own reactions and stories.
The intention of this interpretive space is to inspire intergenerational creativity and sharing. Furthermore, the map will aid guests in making connections between personal and community histories and experiences in Denver.
Desert Rider: Dreaming in Motion is organized by Phoenix Art Museum. It is presented with generous support from the Adolph Coors Exhibition Endowment Fund, U.S. Bank, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.
Planning Your Visit
The most up-to-date information on planning a visit to the Denver Art Museum can be found online under the Plan Your Visit tab. Use this page to find details on ticket pricing, public transit options, and access information. General admission for museum members is free every day. Youth aged 18 and under, regardless of residency, receive free general admission everyday thanks to the museum’s Free for Kids program. Free for Kids also underwrites free admission for school and youth group visits.
COVID-19 Protocols
The safety of visitors and staff remains a top priority, and the museum is continually updating its COVID-19 safety and security protocols based on advice from the CDC and federal and local guidelines. Current protocols can be found in the “Visit” section of the museum’s website: denverartmuseum.org/visit
About the Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum is an educational, nonprofit resource that sparks creative thinking and expression through transformative experiences with art. Its mission is to
enrich lives by sparking creative thinking and expression. Its holdings reflect the city and region—and provide invaluable ways for the community to learn about cultures from around the world. Metro residents support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a unique funding source serving hundreds of metro Denver arts, culture and scientific organizations.
For museum information, visit www.denverartmuseum.org or call 720-865-5000.
Lehuauakea’s name means rain falling on the lehua flowers, a blossom born of legend.
Ancient Hawaiians used its wood to make kapa (bark) cloth beaters, as boards for pounding poi and for building structures and statues. They also used the flowers for medicinal purposes.
