The Wyoming State Museum will be showcasing the art exhibition “Grounded” organized by ArtSpirit and CARAVAN from March 30 to May 20. The exhibition aims to connect viewers to the earth and foster a more meaningful relationship with other cultures. The exhibition features 15 different artists from eight Indigenous tribes, each portraying the common theme of being grounded in a relationship with all of creation.
The artists were selected for their level of art and artisanship, as well as their work’s resonance with the exhibition’s objective. Most of the work was created specifically for this exhibit, ranging from traditional contemporary portrayals using traditional art, such as beadwork, to much more contemporary expressions stylistically, whether it be oil or acrylic, and/or mixed media.
The exhibit’s single three-dimensional piece, “Mitakuye Oyasin/We’re All Related,” created by Jim Yellowhawk, an Itazipco/Cheyenne River Sioux artist, speaks directly to its theme of interconnectedness. The exhibit first opened in Lander and moved to the Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper, then to the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne, where a special program and reception will be held, including the participating artists and an Indigenous drum circle.
From Cheyenne, the exhibit will move to Jackson and then to Worland before finishing its in-state run in Rock Springs. The goal of the exhibit is to bring Wyoming artists to the world, with plans for it to travel to two venues in the US, the American University Museum in Washington, DC, and then to the United Kingdom, in London and Leicester, and finally the United Arab Emirates.
The exhibition’s objective is to promote the message of the exhibit and to learn from Native American sisters and brothers. Art is a universal language that has the ability to dissolve the differences that divide us. The exhibition’s virtual tour can be accessed at Caravan’s website, offering an interactive tour of the exhibit, including behind-the-scenes information about the art and the artist.
