Ucross to Host Native American Artist Talk and Reception

The Ucross Foundation invites the community to meet the artists and curator behind the Ucross Art Gallery’s current exhibition, “Field Guide: Teresa Baker + Anthony Hudson + Jessica Mehta + Eliza Naranjo Morse,” during an artist talk and reception on Friday, May 5.

The exhibition features art by recent recipients of the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists program that supports the creative process of contemporary Indigenous artists through a month-long residency at Ucross, the opportunity to present work publicly and a monetary award. The featured artists include Teresa Baker (Mandan/Hidatsa) of Los Angeles, California; Anthony Hudson (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Siletz) of Portland, Oregon; Jessica Mehta (Cherokee Nation) of Portland, Oregon; and Eliza Naranjo Morse (Santa Clara Pueblo) of Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico.

The program starts with an artist’s talk at Sheridan College’s Kinnison Hall at 11 a.m. Guest curator Andrea R. Hanley (Navajo), who serves as chief curator of the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe, New Mexico, will moderate a conversation among Baker, Mehta and Naranjo Morse, discussing the artists’ work and creative process, before inviting questions from attendees. At 6 p.m., the Ucross Art Gallery will host a reception, which will include an artist meet-and-greet, exhibition tours and refreshments by Ucross Chef Cindy Brooks. Tickets to both events are free and available at ucross.org.

“The art in ‘Field Guide,’ which was created by the 2020 and 2021 recipients of our Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists, is an excellent reminder that the scope of contemporary Native art is deep and wide-ranging,” said Ucross President William Belcher. “We are proud that several works in the show were created while the artists were in residency at Ucross, which is a further testament to the freedom of time and space we provide artists here in Sheridan County.”

In the exhibition, the four artists explore diverse cultural traditions while forging new personal identities and investigating topical issues, such as the diasporic experience, resilience and autonomy. Offering a complex view of the present and past, “Field Guide” engages in contemporary Indigenous discourse through art ranging from sculptures and paintings to video installations to a mural spanning a gallery wall.

“Field Guide” is on view at the Ucross Art Gallery, located at 30 Big Red Lane in Ucross, through July 30. The gallery is open with free admission Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.