The word confluence comes from the geographical term for the merging of two or more bodies of water. This idea inspired the name behind the Heard Museum’s “Confluence: Inter-generational Collaborations.”
The unique, collaborative exhibit features a variety of multimedia art collaborations from 14 Native American artists. Two generations of artists collaborated to explore the culture of Native Americans in Arizona.
The exhibit, which opened Saturday, Feb. 6, pairs seven mentors, ages 30-40, and seven mentees, ages 16-20. The artists worked over the course of three months to produce at least one individual piece as well as a larger collaborative piece. Each pair used the exhibit as their actual studio.
The art pieces look at tradition and cultural themes, including how leadership and art are connected, the exhibit’s curator Jaclyn Roessel said.
“I think people are going to be very impressed by the voices these younger modern Native people. And I think they will understand a lot more about the culture they come from,” Roessel said.
The exhibit winds through a series of rooms, with the entrance featuring pictures of the artistic process of the pairs. Inside the rooms, the artists’ work surrounds and immerses visitors–everywhere viewers turn they will be surrounded by artwork, quotes from the artists or the artists’ bios. Some of the pieces are even interactive, including a petition and a playable video game.
Kristen Dorsey, one of the artist mentors, said the immersive experience is part of what she and her mentee tried to capture with their collaborative work “Butterfly Dreams.”
“It’s kind of like a fantasy world for people to get lost in. We used things like old rusty screws and soda cans and recycled bottles,” Dorsey said. “We wanted people to think about recycling and preserving environment for the next generation.”
The Heard Museum hopes that the exhibit will help viewers will gain appreciation and insight for Native culture, said Mark Scarp, the museum’s public relations and communications director.
“Sometimes only the older forms are what’s produced by Native artists and there are artists that do that but there are also artists that do what you see in this exhibit which is much more contemporary,” Scarp said.
Dorsey also said that she hopes viewers will gain appreciation for Native culture.
“I think it will all be really positive, it will be eye opening to see what our youth is capable of and how much talent there is in our community and how diverse the art are in this exhibit, not just mediums but styles, this exhibit just feels really vibrant and alive and colorful to me,” Dorsey said. “I think that’s a really important for people to take away knowing this is what our Native communities are like. We are bright and vibrant and viable and our youth are so powerful as well.”
The exhibit will remain on display in the Heard Museum through April 17, 2016. More information can be found at the Heard Museum’s website. The Heard Museum is located at 2301 N. Central Ave.
Contact the reporter at Kara.Carlson@asu.edu
