Weaving History into Art: Key Themes

Sense of Self-view 2-Holly Wilson
Sense of Self
Image: "Song of Sorrow" (detail) by Shan Goshorn. Generously loaned to the exhibition by the Goshorn/Pendergraft family.
Image: “Song of Sorrow” (detail) by Shan Goshorn. Generously loaned to the exhibition by the Goshorn/Pendergraft family

Thursday, Sept 24th, 2020, at 12 PM – 1 PM
Online with Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/events/658737375027876/

Hosted by Gilcrease MuseumThe University of Tulsa and Holly Wilson Artist

Join Curator of History Mark Dolph, Jack and Maxine Zarrow Curator for Indigenous Art and Culture Chelsea Herr, and contemporary multi-media artist Holly Wilson (Delaware/Cherokee) for a virtual discussion on the upcoming exhibition, WEAVING HISTORY INTO ART: THE ENDURING LEGACY OF SHAN GOSHORN opening October 9.

This conversation will focus on key themes at play in the exhibition, including the complex histories of Native American boarding schools and their ongoing legacies today.

Im Still Here-front 1-Holly Wilson
“I’m Still Here”, detail  by Holly Wilson

ABOUT HOLLY WILSON

Multi-media artist Holly Wilson creates figures which serve as her storytellers to the world, conveying stories of the sacred and the precious, capturing moments of our day, our vulnerabilities and our strengths. The stories are at one time both representations of family history as well as personal experiences. Wilsons work reaches a broad audience allowing the viewer the opportunity to see their personal connection. Wilson works in a variety of media including bronzes, paint, encaustic, photography, glass, and clay.
She has been exhibiting her intimate bronzes, photography, and encaustic relief paintings nationally and internationally since the early 1990s. Additionally, her works are in corporate, public, and museum collections throughout the United States, as well as national and international private collections such as; The Heritage in Oklahoma City, The Central Library in downtown Tulsa Oklahoma, Virginia Museum of Fine Art, the C.N. Gorman Museum, The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School, and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
Holly Wilson of Delaware Nation and Cherokee heritage is now based in Mustang, Oklahoma. In in 2001 she graduated with an MFA in sculpture and in 1994 she earned an MA in ceramics both from Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas; she received her Teaching Certification in K-12 Art from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, in 1993; and in 1992 she finished her BFA in ceramics at the Kansas City Art Institute.
ABOUT WEAVING HISTORY INTO ART
WEAVING HISTORY INTO ART: THE ENDURING LEGACY OF SHAN GOSHORN features the art of Shan Goshorn (Eastern Band Cherokee, 1957-2018) and her legacy of influence carried forward through the works of four contemporary Native American women artists.
Shan Goshorn was internationally recognized for weaving archival documents and photographs into baskets using traditional Cherokee techniques to create historical, political and cultural commentary on Native American issues that continue to resonate in the 21st century.
Central to the exhibition is the premier of Squaw, the last work Goshorn completed prior to her passing. Squaw was inspired by the Venus de Milo, an iconic symbol of female beauty. Juxtaposing this model with the title Squaw creates a tension and contrast to the Western ideal of beauty against a pejorative used to reduce Native women to disposable sexual commodities. Squaw will serve as a catalyst for much needed conversations on why indigenous women suffer disproportionately higher rates of violence than non-Native women and the judicial system’s reluctance to prosecute these crimes.
Goshorn’s artistic legacy is also represented and complimented by the art of four Native American women whose works reflects Shan’s influence and vision: Carol Emarthle-Douglas (Northern Arapahoe/Seminole) is well-regarded for her traditional and contemporary baskets, jewelry and paintings; Anita Fields (Osage/Muscogee Creek), is nationally recognized for her unique contemporary ceramic sculptures, mixed-media installations, traditional Osage ribbon work, and as an arts educator; Lisa Rutherford (Cherokee), a textile artist, potter and maker of traditional Cherokee clothing, beadwork, and baskets; Holly Wilson (Delaware/Cherokee), a contemporary multi-media artist whose works include bronzes, encaustics, photography, glass and clay.
Through Goshorn’s hand-woven basketry, Weaving History into Art will encourage engaging, empathetic interactions with difficult subjects, including the loss of Native homelands, cultural genocide, violence directed at Native women and inappropriate cultural appropriation in a non-threatening experience that promotes informed dialogue among Native and non-Native audiences alike.