My Day In NYC: Day 6 American Indians and Pioneers
The National Museum of the American Indian in NYC (formally the George Gustav Heye Center) has a curious location as it occupies the site of the former U.S. Customs House. It was first unusual considering the statues in the front representing the four populated continents stylized with European features. It was also unusual looking at the murals of the rotunda which featured various Europeans known for having “discovered” portions on the new world. Whether or not this is divine irony…I cannot say.
The Transformer: Native Art in Light & Sound exhibit was one that I don’t think I've ever seen before. For the first time I got to see a contemporary Native American exhibit, featuring the unfiltered voice of the artist. The audio devices included in the exhibit allowed the artists to talk in depth about their art and experiences without having to be filtered by museum staff and any kind of academic lens. Moving past the contemporary pieces, the museum contained an overwhelming buffet of mixed tribal artifacts, and a handsome collection of pottery that did a lot to highlight the depth of Native American culture and society. It would have been nice to have seen individual tribes featured more prominently, but I get the feeling that the purpose of the exhibitions was to highlight indigenous culture equally and as a whole. Perhaps with more dedicated space a better arrangement can be made.
As we moved across the river to Brooklyn for the last time, we visited Pioneer Works; a bold institution devoted to the development of creative works. Far from being an established institution, Pioneer Works intends to push the boundary on what it means to showcase the work of the artist and how that work is creative. It is at times a studio space, learning center, publisher, and gallery. Defining this place is difficult, and rightly so since the founder wanted to create a space for those creative people who needed a different kind of space outside the mold of traditional institutions.
The contrast between these two institutions couldn’t be greater, but they also showcase the different routes that artists can take with showcasing who they are and how they want to share their gifts with the world. Museums have always been about telling stories, and todays visit proves that nothing has to be done the same way, and that there is more to expect from the arts than we might reasonably give them credit for.
Marianne Nichols. The Harbinger Of Catastrophe.(2017). Glass, wood, Halogen-Bulb Mechanism. The National Musuem of the American Indian. Retrieved from http://nmai.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/item/?id=960
Pioneer Works. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/PioneerWorksFoundation/photos/a.265202756926297.58567.265193773593862/1355575264555702/?type=1&theater
