NACF Hosts “Where Waters Come Together” Exhibition
This post is a press release from the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation (NACF)
CENTER FOR NATIVE ARTS AND CULTURES OPENS GALLERY WITH “WHERE THE WATERS COME TOGETHER” EXHIBITION
PORTLAND, Oregon, April 21, 2022 – The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) is pleased to announce its inaugural exhibition at the Center for Native Arts and Cultures (the Center). “Where the Waters Come Together” opens on Friday, April 22, 2022, with an opening reception from 4 pm to 9 pm. The exhibition explores Indigenous perspectives on our relationships to rivers and oceans, with work from Native artists responding to fundamental questions around cultural buoyancy, biodiversity protection, food sources and material necessities. It also addresses the realities of the colonial reshaping of traditional access to waterways and shorelines.
“Where the Waters Come Together” features the artwork of Greg Archuleta (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde), Sean Gallagher (Inupiaq), Lehuauakea (Kanaka Maoli / Native Hawaiian), Brenda Mallory (Cherokee Nation), Andrew Michael (Yupik/Inupiaq/Polish), Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos), and Shirod Younker (Enrolled with Coquille Indian Tribe).
Native artists across the country are responding to social and environmental issues, drawing increased attention to Native perspectives in shifting a national narrative of invisibility. Clear in all of this work are our essential relationships to land-base. Through this lens, Native artists in the exhibition employ several mediums, including two and three-dimensional works, installations, and multi-media works, moving fluidly between contemporary and traditional practices.
“ This exhibition and related community programming is an opportunity to highlight the cultural traditions and creative artistry of nationally acclaimed Native artists who reside in the Portland Metro area, inclusive of members of local tribes as well as those who are part of the broader Indigenous diaspora. It is our hope that the Center becomes a welcoming place to exchange stories and strengthen relations throughout the region as well as throughout the nation,” says Barbara Mumby-Huerta, Vice President of Programs and Partnerships for the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation.
The public is also invited to attend the Open House at the Center on Saturday, April 23, from 11am – 4pm which will include refreshments, an artist talk, interactive art activities, traditional storytelling, dance and music.
OPENING NIGHT EVENT – FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022
WHERE: Center for Native Arts and Cultures, 800 SE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
4:00pm: Doors open for exhibition viewing
6:00pm: Networking + light refreshments
6:30pm-8:00pm: Reception
EXHIBITION HOURS: Wednesday – Friday, 11am – 6pm and Saturdays, 11am – 4pm through June 30, 2022
OPEN HOUSE – SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022
WHERE: Center for Native Arts and Cultures, 800 SE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
HOURS: 11:00am – 4:00pm
About the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation and the Center for Native Arts and Cultures
The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation’s mission is to advance equity and cultural knowledge, focusing on the power of arts and collaboration to strengthen Native communities and promote positive social change with American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples in the United States. In February of 2021, NACF took ownership of a historic building in southeast Portland, known as the Yale Union Laundry building. Our vision for the Center includes spaces for exhibitions, events, places to practice culture and make art, and areas for cultural ceremonies and celebrations to create a vibrant gathering place for Indigenous artists.
To learn more about NACF visit https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/center-for-native-arts-and-cultures
Photo credit: Brett Sayles, via Pexels
