Symposium: Indigenous Art in Britain

Symposium: Indigenous Art in Britain

April 19, 2018

  Bristol symposium: Indigenous Art in Britain 

Learn about the presence and presentation of Native American and First Nations art in the UK directly from Native artists, curators and researchers at this one day symposium 'Indigenous Art In Britain'. Speakers include Native artists Marla Allison (Laguna Pueblo), Pat Pruitt (Laguna Pueblo and Chiricahua Apache), Sarah Sense (Chitimacha / Choctaw) and George Alexander (Muscogee Creek).The symposium takes place on Wednesday 6th June at Bristol University Department of Anthropology and Archaeology and concludes with the opening of our summer exhibition Marla Allison: Painter From The Desert at Rainmaker Gallery.Click here to find out more. Click here to book.

Marla Allison, our 2018 artist in residence will be the keynote speaker at the symposium. During her residency, from 10th May - 5th June, Marla will be working from a studio space at The Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. Rainmaker Gallery is honoured to be a partner on 'Beyond The Spectacle’, a multi-disciplinary research project based at the University of Kent and the University of East Anglia, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. This symposium, artist residency and exhibition form part of this project.

“Jackrabbit & Cottontail” by Cara Romero. Photographed on the Chemehuevi Indian Valley Reservation on the California shoreline of the Colorado River in the heart of the Mojave Desert, this image presents a primarily realistic view of a mother and her two sons, whilst adding a mythical depiction of the boys as “Jackrabbit & Cottontail”, two warrior twins whose supernatural feats made the earth habitable for the first humans.

Cara Romero solo exhibition

Our current exhibition is a solo show of photography by Chemehuevi artist

. This

combines her ground breaking works from recent years with her latest creations and collaborations. It features surprising new images that highlight the lesser known cultures of the California coastal tribes. Cara Romero invites us to marvel at the beauty, colours and textures of her worldview and to understand the challenges that face Indigenous communities across the continent. Through intimate portraits and playful images, this exhibition offers an authentic view of Indigenous identities, cultures and landscapes by one of the most exciting contemporary Native artists of our time. Cara's work is always powerful, compelling and undeniably beautiful. What better way to spend an hour on a splendid spring day? The exhibition ends on 31st May 2018.

'Souls & Culture' (detail) by Tony Tiger, NATIVE COLOR exhibition ends February 28th.

  Bristol Museum & Art Gallery acquisition 

Last year Rainmaker Gallery had the honour of commissioning a unique work of art by celebrated Cochiti Pueblo potter

 for the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Diego Romero is known for ceramic vessels that elevate Pueblo life to Olympian stature. He distinguishes his work from more traditional Pueblo pottery by the use of a narrative style influenced by comic books and popular culture. Diego created a truly remarkable pot titled '

' which was delivered to the museum earlier this year. I am so proud that Rainmaker Gallery was instrumental in acquiring this important work for Bristol. Many thanks to the curators at the Museum for recognising the crucial role of contemporary Native art in the international art world.