Symposium 'This is Not a Silent Movie' Overview

The symposium 'This is Not a Silent Movie' held at the Portland Art Museum, along with the artist talks and openings around Portland: I.M.N.D.N at at the Art Gym, 'This is Not a Silent Movie,' at the MOCC, and BURY MY ART AT WOUNDED KNEE at PNCA have made for a phenomenal week of contemporary american indian art exhibits and discussions here in Portland, Oregon.---- The break out talks inspired by the 8 artists who presented led to topics of dismantling and reconstructing stereotypes, essentialist notions, and romanticism that concern the gaze on native american art today. We discussed the role the institutions; academic, art gallery, museum and market place have in participating in perpetuating these antiquated constructs, while talking about how they can be pinnacle in helping instigate change through redesigning curatorial decisions. We discussed different Indigenous artists strategies to tackling and resisting the pushes and pulls of commodification and exploitation, while upholding sacred inherited tribal knowledges and powerfully reinventing and evolving voice and vision through visual art tactics.---- We came to consensus that these conversations must continue and that we need to come together more frequently and incorporate workshops where we embrace MAKING together to build our relationships, bonds, which inspire the questions and dialogue brought up at the symposium.---- Thank you artists, curators, educators, supporters, and students who came to support, listen, engage, and dialogue as community. It was an honor to present and participate. It was so great to meet you all! Sepk' eec'a S? aa Maks