Dr. Michelle Jack Exhibit
Art Walk, Sat, May 14, 11-4pm, 2022
stʔiqʷ skʷkʷusnt 2017
22”x 30” (58.9cm x 76.2cm)
Mixed Media on paper.)
Twisp Art Walk – May 14, 11-4pm
Reception – Apr 28, 5:45-7pm
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Join us at Methow Arts for an opening reception, Heart Songs for the timx (Heart Songs of all Living Things) with Dr. Michelle Jack on Thursday, April 28th from 5:45-7pm. Jack will also give a presentation about her work. Appetizers and refreshments will be served.
READ DR. MICHELLE JACK’S FEATURE STORY HERE
Dr. Jack is a member of the syilx/Northern Okanagan/Penticton Indian Band. She describes herself as an abstract image maker/scholar and draws on this wide range of art forms to tell the essential stories of her people and the land.
Traditionally a nomadic people who moved with the seasons, the syilx – their families, land, and access to traditional foods – are now separated by the United States/Canada border. Dr. Jack lives and works on both sides of that border, in Omak (nisɬpícaʔ) and Penticton (snpintktn), British Columbia.
While Dr. Jack’s art making is diverse, some elements, including layering and references to the land, are a key component of much of her work. Many pieces have an elegant, translucent effect, with the layers adding complexities of texture and depth. Dr. Jack’s color palette recalls the Okanogan landscape.
In her mixed-media piece “kɬ cpəlk̓ stim̓” (“To Cause to Come Back”), Dr. Jack gives voice to the land itself. In colors that celebrate the water, earth, and mountains, Dr. Jack depicts the return of the salmon chiefs and the sun, as it breathes life back into rivers.
The translucent layers that characterize much of Dr. Jack’s work allow her to superimpose images and to depict their flow, back and forth, between times and continuums, says Jack.
Ingenuity and adaptation are central themes in Dr. Jack’s art. This adaptation is a traditional practice among the syilx, who have a long history of reusing things.
Nakaíah 2017
22”x 30” (58.9cm x 76.2cm)
Mixed Media on paper.)
Masks required at this event except when sipping. Thank you for your understanding. DATE: Reception, Thurs, Apr 28, 5:45pm-7pm. Appetizers and refreshments will be served. Free. Exhibit, through May 15. CONTACT/INFO: info@methowartsalliance.org, 509-997-4004.