[Press Release Draft for In Our Own Words: Native Impressions 2015-16.]

Roanoke, Va. (July 24, 2018)  – The Taubman Museum of Art is pleased to present In Our Own Words: Native Impressions 2015-16, a series of woodcut prints that highlight the life experiences of Native Americans currently living in North Dakota. This 26-piece collection, created by Daniel Heyman and Lucy Ganje, expresses the personal and family histories of members from four tribal nations.

The exhibition is on view July 21, 2018-Jan. 13, 2019. It is free and open to the public.

Daniel Heyman, who received his B.A. from Dartmouth College and M.F.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, has completed numerous projects that attempt to give a voice to people who have been overlooked in public discourse. His work has involved former prisoners in the Philadelphia prison system, victims of sexual assault in the military, and people of different ethnicities in Israel. Central to Heyman’s purpose is the desire to put a human face on difficult and provocative social and political issues.

In 2015, Heyman was invited to collaborate with Lucy Ganje, a professor of art design at the University of North Dakota and the founder of UND’s Native Media Center and BFA program in Graphic Design. Ganje was raised on the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation and has contributed significantly to the Native American newspapers, including articles on design and political cartoons. Her research on semiotics and visual persuasion inform her work regarding culturally appropriated images, a primary focus of In Our Own Words.

Under the guidance of master printer Kim Fink, Heyman and Ganje incorporate excerpts from personal interviews in their illuminating portfolio, crafted on handmade mulberry paper. The series consists of twelve pairs of portraits and broadsides, along with a title page and colophon. They are formatted in a way reminiscent of nineteenth-century “wanted” posters or public proclamations, alluding to a time when the ancestors of the interviewees were being physically displaced and exterminated through government–sanctioned actions.

This emphasis on the long history of displacement and the harsh assimilation into western European culture is prominent throughout the collection. The portfolio displays the forced reconciliation of past struggles and current challenges of modern reservations, resulting in a deeply personal exploration of Native American culture. Along with emphasizing neglected hardship, Heyman and Ganje underline a desire to revive traditional values of courage, honesty and generosity on reservations.

In Our Own Words: Native Impressions 2015-16 is organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and curated by Dr. Johanna Minich, VMFA’s Assistant Curator of Native American Art.

Media inquiries may be directed to Sunny Nelson at snelson@taubmanmuseum.orgor 919.452.9689.

 

About the Taubman Museum of Art

The Taubman Museum of Art is an American art museum located in the heart of downtown Roanoke, Va. Designed by noted architect Randall Stout and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Taubman Museum of Art is home to a respected permanent collection and offers 15-20 annual exhibitions showcasing work by global, national and regional artists. Museum hours are Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12-5 p.m. Additional hours include every First Friday when the Museum is open until 9 p.m. Free general daily admission is sponsored in part by Appalachian Power and Haley Toyota. For additional event, exhibition and programming information, visit TaubmanMuseum.org or call 540.342.5760.