"We have some major, monumental figures in art from our region," says Brenda J. Child, co-author of Dreaming Our Future, a companion piece to an art exhibit featuring native artists currently on display at the University of Minnesota.
Along with testimony and full-color visual works from 29 regional native artists, the book (co-authored by Howard Oransky) encapsulates the history of regional native artists and the struggles regarding visibility and recognition. "We have a lot of absences when it comes to Native art," says Child. "Where are the places that we do not see American Indian art." To this point, Child focused on the recent conversation around the Minnesota State Capital building and the artwork displayed therein. "It's our goal to make Indigenous Arts more visible in Minnesota."
Dreaming Our Futures can be found at various booksellers and through the University of Minnesota Press online. The exhibit can be viewed at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery at the University of Minnesota through March 16th. In the spring, the exhibit travels to Rochester. Those in the Northland can look forward to seeing the exhibit at the Tweed Museum in Duluth this Fall.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
