Story and images provided by OSU Museum of Art
Opportunities to view indigenous peoples through the eyes of indigenous photographers are rare and recent. Our People, Our Land, Our Images, now open at the OSU Museum of Art, presents the works of three generations of indigenous photographers from the North America, South America, the Middle East, and New Zealand.
The exhibition showcases newly discovered, 19th-century trailblazers, well established contemporary practitioners, and emerging photographers from the next generation. The 51 works in the exhibition tell their stories through differing photographic approaches, ranging from straightforward documentary to aesthetically altered images that combine overlays and collage. The images stand united, however, in exploring their creators’ connections to their land, community, and traditions. Artists’ statements accompanying the exhibition convey a variety of indigenous voices and concerns.
The many perspectives represented in the exhibition offer an open-ended experience that asks audiences to think about how the camera in the hands of indigenous peoples becomes a tool with the power to confront and analyze stereotypes, politics, and histories. Our People, Our Land, Our Images also demonstrates the longevity and continuing vitality of native photographic traditions.
The exhibition is toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. ExhibitsUSA sends more than 25 exhibitions on tour to more than 100 small- and mid-sized communities every year. Mid-America is the oldest nonprofit regional arts organization in the United States. More information is available at www.maaa.org and www.eusa.org.
Our People, Our Land, Our Images is on view from Sept. 1, 2016 – Jan. 7, 2017. Entrance to the exhibition and all related programming is free to the public.
About the OSU Museum of Art
Exhibitions and programs at the Oklahoma State University Museum of Art are sponsored by OSU Museum of Art Advocates, OSU/A&M Board of Regents, and the Oklahoma Arts Council. For more information about the OSU Museum of Art, visit museum.okstate.edu or call 405-744-2780.
Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU is America’s Brightest Orange. Through leadership and service, OSU is preparing students for a bright future and building a brighter world for all. As Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, highquality teaching, research, and outreach. As America’s Healthiest Campus, OSU is committed to the health and well-being of its students, employees and the community. OSU has more than 36,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 25,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 120 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated around 255,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.
