Travois is hosting a juried visual art exhibition series featuring North American indigenous artists at its headquarters in the Crossroads Art District, 310 W. 19th Terr. in Kansas City, MO. North American indigenous artists (American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians) are encouraged to respond to a call for artists for consideration in the series that has been extended through Nov. 30 here.
“Kansas City’s First Fridays events bring thousands of people to our neighborhood every month,” said Travois CEO Elizabeth Glynn. “Our goal with this exhibition series is to highlight the strength and modern-day vitality of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian artists and to stimulate art purchases and commissions for these artists. We want to expose Kansas City to new artists and their work, along with the rich culture of indigenous people and Indian Country.”
Photographer and Social Documentarian Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) is the series’ founding launch artist. Her “Seeds of Culture: The Portraits and Stories of Native American Women” exhibition was on view to the public on Friday, Oct. 6 and will continue through Friday, Nov. 3. Wilbur attended the Oct. 6 showing and gave an artist talk titled “Changing the Way We See Native America: Dismantling Native American Stereotypes.”
Travois is also hosting Maura Garcia for an interactive artist talk and performance on Friday, Nov. 3.
Maura Garcia is a dancer and choreographer who collaborates within communities to create stories of identity and place. Originally from North Carolina, Maura is an indigenous woman (non-enrolled Cherokee/Mattamuskeet) who uses her art to form connections, uplift indigenous cultural values and explore the rhythms of the natural world. She collaborates to create multimedia, interactive shows and experiential workshops involving audiences.
Preregistration for First Fridays on Nov. 3 is available on the Travois website at travois.com/news-events/first-fridays/.
A jury of artists and Kansas City industry professionals will select six indigenous artists to show work as the part of the series over the next year. Jurors for the series include: Gina Adams (Ojibwa-Lakota descent) contemporary hybrid artist and faculty at Naropa University; Bruce Hartman, executive director of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art; Gaylord Torrence, senior curator of American Indian art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; Thomas Farris (Otoe-Missouria, Cherokee), manager of Exhibit C Gallery; Sherry Leedy, artist and Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art; Rachael Cozad, Rachael Cozad Fine Art and former director of Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art; Madison Group Fine Art Appraisals; Norman Akers (Osage Nation), artist and associate professor and director of graduate studies at the University of Kansas; and America Meredith (Cherokee Nation), artist and publishing editor of First American Art Magazine.
More information about the juried exhibition series can be found at travois.com/news-events/first-fridays/.
About Travois First Fridays
Travois First Fridays is a visual art exhibition series featuring North American indigenous artists in 2017 and 2018 at the Travois headquarters in the heart of metro Kansas City. Our mission is to support and promote American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian artists through juried exhibition. Our vision is to see Native artists more prominently featured and powerfully supported in metropolitan Kansas City.