Yager Museum Opens Exhibition of Contemporary Indigenous Art
On Wednesday, February 12, 2020, the Hartwick College Yager Museum of Art & Culture will open dadibaajimo: Two Mississauga Artists Share Stories, an exhibition featuring the work of contemporary Indigenous artists Cathie Jamieson and Luke Swinson. The Museum will mark the opening with a reception from 5 – 7 p.m., and both artists will be there to discuss their work. The event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be provided.
“We are thrilled that we can share Jamieson and Swinson’s artwork with the Hartwick community, Oneonta, and Central New York.” said Dr. Quentin Lewis, collections and programs manager for the Museum, and the exhibit’s curator. “Both artists draw on their Anishnaabe-Mississauga heritage for imagery, themes, and artistic inspiration. But like all great artists, they reconfigure those inspirations in new and exciting ways. I’m excited that the Yager Museum can continue to be a space to showcase Indigenous art and culture in the past, present, and future.”
Jamieson is a member of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and resides on the Credit Reservation in Ontario, Canada. An artist from a young age, she studied art and art history at the University of Toronto Mississauga, and since then has shown her own work and promoted other Indigenous artists in venues around southern Ontario. In addition to her artistic career, she also serves as an elected band councillor for the Mississaugas of the Credit, where she focuses on education, environmental sustainability, and health care. More information on Jamieson can be found at her artist website.
Swinson is a member of the Mississaugas of Scucog Island First Nation, and resides in Ontario. Having been raised around computers, he is primarily a digital artist and enjoys using non-traditional methods to express himself creatively. He is mostly self-taught, but has been mentored and encouraged by his father, a graphic designer. Swinson has shown his work in venues around Ontario, including several prominent outdoor murals in the city of Waterloo. More information on Swinson can be found at his Instagram page.
The Yager Museum’s galleries will be open during the reception and visitors can explore its current exhibits. On display are Earth Water Sky: Landscapes from the Yager Museum; Silent Lakes and Flashing Rivers; Of Time and the River: 12,000 Years in the Upper Susquehanna Region; From Viking to Insight: Henry Cooper and the Quest for Life on Mars; Sculptures in Silver: America’s Standing Liberty Quarters, 1916-1931; and Masterpieces of European and American Art: The Hartwick College Art Treasure Room.
The Yager is the Oneonta area’s only museum of art and culture. Admission is free and parking is available near the entrance on the first floor of Yager Hall. To reach the Museum, take West Street to Clinton Street and turn right onto Cayuga Drive. Follow Cayuga Drive to Yager Hall. Parking is available adjacent to the Museum entrance.
The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. when the College is in session. For more information, visit the Yager Museum’s Facebook page, call the Museum at 607-431-4480, or email Museum Coordinator Doug Kendall at kendalld@hartwick.edu.