Remaking Blue Dawn
Through May 3, the Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center presents Outspoken: Paintings by America Meredith, an exhibition of work from Cherokee artist America Meredith. The Museum will host a reception on Thursday, February 21, from 5–7 p.m., with a gallery talk by Meredith at 5:45 p.m.
Meredith, whose Cherokee nickname “ahalenia” means “loudmouth,” is an independent curator and publishing editor of the First American Art Magazine, a quarterly journal devoted to promoting dialogue about Native art. The artist holds a BFA from the University of Oklahoma and an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Outspoken highlights the importance of language in Meredith’s work, with paintings that incorporate Cherokee syllabary and reference Cherokee oral histories. “Outspoken is part of an ongoing effort by the Museum to further the discourse on contemporary Native American art and to position the Museum as a forum where important conversations take place about Native cultures, histories, and experiences in the Americas,” says Carolyn Grosch, curator of collections and exhibitions at WCU Fine Art Museum. The WCU Fine Art Museum acquired more than 30 works of art by Native artists in 2018 and held five exhibitions featuring work by Native artists. “This exhibition is a great opportunity to learn more about Cherokee language and culture, to reflect on humanity’s place in the natural world, and to be inspired by an artist who is committed to building bridges across culture,” Grosch says.
The WCU Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center is located at 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee. Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays until 7 p.m. For information, call 828.227.ARTS or visit BardoArtsCenter.wcu.edu.
