The Earth Is a House of Stories: Works from the UNI Permanent Art Collection by Native Artists

August 23 - September 25; October 15 - November 6; and December 2 - 15, 2021

In the Mary Haskell-Hansen Room of the Gallery.

On August 24 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., UNI and Meskwaki Tribal Council Mission Stewardship Festivities will be presented. Included will be an opening reception for the exhibition, a summary of the mission stewardship campus input work session, a message to all caretakers from Meskwaki representatives, and a performance by world champion Fancy Dancer Larry Yazzie (Meskwaki/Dine).

Co-curated by UNI alumna Angela Waseskuk and Gallery Director Darrell Taylor, this exhibition highlights objects from the Collection and the UNI Museum by historical and contemporary Native artists. The title is taken from N. Scott Momaday's book, "Earth Keeper: Reflections on the American Land." Momaday (Kiowa) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and poet and recipient of a 2007 National Medal of Arts.

Showcasing these works is part of a university-wide effort to adopt a university Land Stewardship Statement while continuing to build and honor respectful and nourishing partnerships with the Meskwaki Nation and Native people in Iowa. Artists included in this exhibition include George Longfish (Seneca/Tuscarora), Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (Salish/Kootenai), Duane Slick (Meskwaki), Percy Tsisete Sandy (Zuni), and Sheila Arch (Cherokee). Works on loan to the Gallery from UNI Museum, Robert Waseskuk, the director, and the co-curator include objects by artists Maria Martinez (San Ildefonso Pueblo), Joe Campbell (Musqueam/Salish), Wendy Red Star (Crow), and Leonard YoungBear (Meskwaki).

All events are free and open to the public. Please be prepared to wear a mask and socially-distance while in the Gallery. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and by appointment. Please note, the Gallery will be closed Monday, September 6 for Labor Day.