Curator Talk | Transformer: Native Art in Light & Sound

Museum associate curator Kathleen Ash-Milby (Diné) and guest co-curator David Garneau (Métis) discuss the exhibition “Transformer: Native Art in Light and Sound.” Afterward, be among the first to see the exhibition.

The works of “Transformer: Native Art in Light and Sound” are electric, both literally and figuratively, providing timely expressions of Indigenous worldviews. Contemporary Indigenous art often reflects tradition, but it is commonly misinterpreted to exist solely as part of the past. This exhibition demonstrates the continuing adaptability of tradition to find a place within today’s society. “Transformer” features 10 artists and nine installations that employ a variety of media, including light, digital projection, innovative sound technology and more, to provide thought-provoking and unforgettable experiences composed for the digital age.

The artists showcased in “Transformer” are Jordan Bennett (Mi’kmaq), Raven Chacon (Diné), Jon Corbett (Métis), Marcella Ernest (Ojibwe), Stephen Foster (Haida), Nicholas Galanin (Tlingit/Unangax̂ [Aleut]), Keli Mashburn (Osage), Kevin McKenzie (Cree Métis), Julie Nagam (Anishnawbe/Métis) and Marianne Nicolson (Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw).

The exhibition will be open Friday, Nov. 10, through Jan. 6, 2019, in the East Gallery of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center in New York.











When: Thu., Nov. 9, 2017 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: National Museum of the American Indian
1 Bowling Green
212-514-3700
Price: Free
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Museum associate curator Kathleen Ash-Milby (Diné) and guest co-curator David Garneau (Métis) discuss the exhibition “Transformer: Native Art in Light and Sound.” Afterward, be among the first to see the exhibition.

The works of “Transformer: Native Art in Light and Sound” are electric, both literally and figuratively, providing timely expressions of Indigenous worldviews. Contemporary Indigenous art often reflects tradition, but it is commonly misinterpreted to exist solely as part of the past. This exhibition demonstrates the continuing adaptability of tradition to find a place within today’s society. “Transformer” features 10 artists and nine installations that employ a variety of media, including light, digital projection, innovative sound technology and more, to provide thought-provoking and unforgettable experiences composed for the digital age.

The artists showcased in “Transformer” are Jordan Bennett (Mi’kmaq), Raven Chacon (Diné), Jon Corbett (Métis), Marcella Ernest (Ojibwe), Stephen Foster (Haida), Nicholas Galanin (Tlingit/Unangax̂ [Aleut]), Keli Mashburn (Osage), Kevin McKenzie (Cree Métis), Julie Nagam (Anishnawbe/Métis) and Marianne Nicolson (Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw).

The exhibition will be open Friday, Nov. 10, through Jan. 6, 2019, in the East Gallery of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center in New York.

Buy tickets/get more info now