Berlind Symposium to explore the work of contemporary Native artists

Randolph College’s 31st Annual Helen Clark Berlind Symposium will explore the work of contemporary Native artists.

The daylong program, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, is inspired by Survivance: Contemporary Native Art, currently on display at the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College.

The symposium will include an artist talk and a panel discussion with artist Michael Namingha. The event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free and open to the public. It will also be available to attend virtually.

Born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Namingha focuses most of his work on the rapidly changing landscapes of the American west from oil and natural gas extraction.

His Altered Landscapes series juxtaposes geometric shapes in bright neon colors against black-and-white aerial landscape photographs from the Four Corners region. The work is mounted onto shaped plexiglass, creating the illusion of three-dimensional work.

“My images allow the viewer to engage with the work differently. By moving around the image, it alters the perspective of the work,” Namingha told Collecteurs Magazine. “The landscapes become much more abstract and sometimes unrecognizable. Which is happening to the landscapes physically.”

For more information about the symposium, visit https://maiermuseum.org/event/berlind-symposium-2023/.

Berlind Symposium Schedule

11 a.m.: Michael Namingha artist talk
2 p.m.: A Conversation with Michael Namingha, who will engage in an informal conversation with one of the curators of Survivance, discussing the influences, themes, and generational aspects of his creative output
3:30 p.m.: Reception