Lecture Series: Contemporary Issues in Northwest Coast Native American ArtA public lecture series presented by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, with support from the Walter Chapin Simpson Center for the Humanities, University Book Store, and the Canadian Studies Center.
This public lecture series will
accompany the Burke Museum's major exhibition, Out
of the Silence: The Enduring Power of Totem Poles, on display from
October 3, 2002 through September 1, 2003. The chief focus of the exhibit
will be the dramatic history of Northwest Coast Native art over the last
50 years -- with the story told through a variety of voices and media.
Selected Tuesdays
Please note: unless stated otherwise, all events occur at 7:30 pm. All lectures in Kane Hall, on the University of Washington campus Admission: $5 general; $3 seniors, UW staff/students; free to Burke members; Holm lecture on Jan. 14 free to all
Lecture DetailsThe Exploration of Northwest Coast Indian Art: 1774 to 2003
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 Panel: What Is Innovation in Traditional Art?Tuesday, January 21, 20037:30 pm; Room 110, Kane Hall, University of Washington Campus Moderator: Steve Brown, UW Lecturer in Art History Panelists: Stephen Jackson, Tlingit; Marvin Oliver, Quinault/Isleta; Susan Point, Coast Salish (Musqueam) Contemporary Northwest Coast artists discuss the juxtaposition between tradition and innovation in their work. Back to Calendar Artist Presentation: Robert DavidsonTuesday, January 28, 20037:30 pm; Room 120, Kane Hall, University of Washington Campus Comments and introduction by Dr. Robin K. Wright Robert Davidson is one of Canada's most respected and important contemporary artists. A Northwest Coast native of Haida descent, he is a master carver of totem poles and masks and works in a variety of other media as a printmaker, painter and jeweler. He is also a leading figure in the renaissance of Haida art and culture. He has always taken seriously his trusteeship of his Haida knowledge and much of the focus of his life has been in reclaiming both the visual artforms and the old songs and stories. With his younger brother, Reg, he founded the Rainbow Creek Dancers group, which performs at major ceremonies and potlatches. Robert Davidson is best known as an impeccable craftsman whose creative and personal interpretation of traditional Haida form is unparalleled. Davidson will present and discuss his art and the influences on his artistic development, with comments by art historian Dr. Robin K. Wright. Back to Calendar Totem Poles in an Era of Empowerment and RepatriationTuesday, February 4, 20037:30 pm; Room 110, Kane Hall, University of Washington Campus Moderator: Dr. Robin K. Wright, Curator of Native American Art, Burke Museum; Professor of Art History, UW Panelists: Nathalie Macfarlane, Director, Haida-Gwaii Museum, Skidegate, BC; Nika Collison, Curator, Haida Gwaii Museum, Skidegate, BC; and Cindy Boyko, Archipelago Management Board, Skidegate, BC Traditionally, the most important moment in the life of a totem pole is the time of its raising and the accompanying potlatch, which proclaim the status and identity of the owners. Poles were then allowed to age naturally in place, and new ones were constantly raised as the old ones decayed. Since the late 19th century, many poles have been removed from their villages -- sometimes sold by their owners and sometimes stolen -- and taken to museums around the world. At the same time, new poles were no longer being carved for a variety of reasons, among them, missionary and other social pressures, and a Canadian law (1885-1951) making potlatching illegal. Since the anti-potlatch law was dropped, many new poles are being raised, and repatriation is now returning some of the poles to tribes. Native communities are regaining control over their cultural properties, which is creating new challenges and new relationships between tribes and museums. This session will present case studies examining some of the issues involved, including 1) the recent repatriation of eight Tlingit poles taken by the Harriman expedition in 1899 and returned to their tribal owners in Cape Fox, Alaska, last year; 2) the repatriation of poles to Haida Gwaii; and 3) the management of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve in BC. Back to Calendar The Indian Arts and Crafts LawTuesday, February 11, 20037:30 pm; Room 110, Kane Hall, University of Washington Campus Moderator: James Nason, Curator of New World Ethnology at the Burke Museum and Professor of Anthropology, UW Panelists: Robert Anderson, Director, Native American Law Center and Associate Professor of Law, UW; Roxanne Chinook, Director, Art Marketing Program, Northwest Indian College; Preston Singletary, Tlingit artist The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 is described by the Department of the Interior, which administers it, as "essentially a truth-in-advertising law designed to prevent marketing products as 'Indian made' when the products are not, in fact, made by Indians as defined by the Act." While the law does address an ongoing concern of Indian communities in the U.S. and Canada, it is also another federal law that defines who is and who is not Indian without reference to a definition developed by Native organizations. It has required both artists and gallery owners to consider ethnicity in ways they have not before. Their views, and those of legal and academic experts, will be presented by this panel as it addresses the "Indianness" of Indian art from a variety of perspectives. Back to Calendar Museums and Native Artists: A Vision for the FutureTuesday, February 25, 20037:30 pm; Room 120, Kane Hall, University of Washington Campus Presenter: Dr. George MacDonald, Director, Burke Museum With more than two decades of experience in developing and transforming major museums, Dr. George MacDonald is internationally recognized as a visionary leader in the museum profession. Dr. MacDonald began his academic research career here in the Pacific Northwest, with archaeological studies of Native village sites in British Columbia and Alaska and in years of working with Indian elders and artists to understand, interpret, and display their work. Through a distinguished series of exhibitions and educational programs, he developed "a strong interest in seeing exhibits in museums that effectively change the public image of indigenous peoples." In this presentation, he will briefly review the historical relationship of museums and Northwest Coast Native peoples and project a role for that relationship in the future. Back to Calendar |
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