By Rose Eason, Executive Director of gallupARTS
G
allup has many resident artists—one in four of our community members is an artist! But it has never before Indigenous identity through portraiture work of the most crucial part had an Artist-in-Residence. What’s the difference? An artistof Diné culture, the matriarchs.” Hannah says that having grown in-residence program is a paid opportunity, providing an artist the up partially on the Navajo Nation but mostly in an off-reservation resources (i.e., space, time and materials) to create original works of city, she struggled with her identity: “I questioned if I was a ‘true’ art. In turn, it is a chance for the public to pull back the curtain on the Native or not, and that haunted me for years.” Now, Hannah wants creative process, to see artworks being made and to engage directly with to empower Indigenous people to be proud of themselves however an artist. they identify by honoring who she sees as culture-bearers: the mothers, This summer, one local artist will get that opportunity and Gallup aunties, and grandmas who raised her. “Matriarchs are the backbone will get that chance when gallupARTS launches its inaugural Native of the Indigenous culture,” she says. “By taking portraits of these Artist-in-Residence program at ART123 Gallery in downtown. important figures, I want to bring forth how strong and important these Thanks to a $10,000 “Challenge America” grant from the National women are and how many different forms they take. Some may be Endowment for the Arts, as well as to contributions from the Southwest businesswomen, firefighters, politicians, athletes, and aspiring artists. Indian Foundation, gallupARTS board members and private donors, We all don’t wear traditional clothing but we all respect and carry gallupARTS is excited to announce Diné photographer Hannah important Diné teachings.” Manuelito as its summer 2018 Native Artist-inThis May through July, Hannah will work in Residence. her studio inside ART123 Gallery in downtown gallupARTS received 16 very worthy, moving, and Gallup, creating a series of bold, powerful, inspiring applications for this program from artists beautiful, and intimate photographic portraits of across the region, from Gallup to Zuni to Window the influential Indigenous women in her life. For Rock. The selection was made by a majority-Native her project, she will be drawing on the style and committee through a Request-for-Proposals and methodology of Baroque era painting: “Thinking interview process. back to early art history; the Baroque period Originally from Ganado, Arizona, Hannah had many depictions of saintly women. Using recently graduated from Arizona State University dramatic lighting, Baroque paintings emphasize (ASU) with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in women’s strength. I would love to do the same Photography. At ASU, Hannah explored the with my portraits, placing Diné women in the convergences and divergences between the cultures scenery around the Diné Nation and staging and and places in which she grew up: rural and urban, lighting them to show their grandeur.” Navajo and non-Navajo, “traditional” and nonCheck out Hannah’s work at traditional. Hannah now works for the Native hannahmanuelitophotography.com or on American clothing brand OxDx clothing, utilizing Instagram @itshannahduhhhhh. her fine arts background to create innovative high Get more information about gallupARTS’ fashion photographs for the company. Native Artist-in-Residence Program at www. As gallupARTS’ Native Artist-in-Residence, galluparts.org/native-air or by following @ “Womanhood” by Hannah Manuelito Hannah will strive “to bring light and truth to ART123Gallery on Facebook.
The community is invited to engage with Hannah and her project through the following programs:
• Attend an “Artist Talk” at ART123 Gallery: “Artist-to-Artist: Create without Fear” on Tuesday May 22 at 4:30pm “Portrait of the Artist as a City Girl” on Tuesday, June 19 at 4:30pm “Residency Reflection” on Tuesday, July 17 at 4:30pm
• Catch Hannah at work in her studio at ART123 Gallery during “Open Studio” hours starting May 15: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00pm – 4:00pm (“Open Studio” hours will run through July 26).
• Meet Hannah at ART123, see a live demo or maybe even have your portrait taken during the May, June and July ArtsCrawls. In addition to the above, Hannah will be leading youth photography workshops in Gallup, Zuni and Thoreau this summer.
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May 2018
