Call Out for Artists: “We Were Then, We Are Now”
A call out for artists who will like to feature their work in “We Were Then, We Are Now,” an exhibit focusing on California Indians using language as a way to tell the complex beauty of perseverance. This exhibit will be at the Maidu Museum in Roseville from May 21st through September 30th, 2016. For information on how to submit contact Sigrid Benson at Benson@roseville.ca.us
We Were Then, We Are Now
Call to Artists
The Maidu Museum invites regional indigenous artists of all ages to contribute their voices to We Were Then, We Are Now, an exhibit focused on the strength and power of California Indian languages. Curated by Vincent Medina (Chochenyo Ohlone), the exhibit will run from May 21 through September 30, 2016, highlighting the continuity and permanence of the oldest languages of California.
Submission Guidelines
Community members are encouraged to make art that reflects the vitality of indigenous languages in the California landscape. Contemporary art will complement the material presented by Vincent Medina. Vincent is the Assistant Curator at San Francisco’s Mission Dolores, the Roundhouse Outreach Coordinator at News from Native California and an AICLS board member (Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival) .
- Please contact gallery coordinator Sigrid Benson at SBenson@roseville.ca.us or (916) 774-5930 to confirm your participation.
You will be asked to provide a sample of your work and have an opportunity to ask questions about the exhibit process.
- All mediums will be considered, including 2 and 3 dimensional work, digital media and performance and can include individual works, works in series and collaborations. Spoken word, song and performance will be showcased during the opening reception.
- Artwork will be received at the museum from May 3-5th, 2016. Pieces must be delivered ready to install and can be hand delivered or mailed to:
Maidu Museum and Historic Site
1970 Johnson Ranch Drive
Roseville, CA 95661
- Artists, family and friends are invited to gather for the exhibit opening on
May 21st, 2016 at 6:30 at the Maidu Museum. The evening program will include an opportunity for artists to speak!
Thoughts on We Were Then, We Are Now
With European contact, most California Indian languages were actively suppressed by colonizers; as a result many Indian languages lost speakers. Some languages were down to a handful of first language speakers, but those strong and powerful people fought diligently and purposively to keep their languages alive. One way they did that was they recorded a wealth of documentation, including written documentation and cylinder recordings that ensured their voices and their words would not be forgotten. Today, a new generation of California Indian people are reawakening these words spoken long ago, and bringing their languages back to life. There is a new generation of language speakers and learners who have passion about who they are as California’s first people and, who are committed to carrying their Indian languages forward and keeping their cultures alive.
–Vincent Medina
