Great Falls, Montana October 18, 2023—Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art
Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art presents WITHIN: Louis Still Smoking & John Isaiah Pepion. WITHIN is drawn from the artists’ belief that the strength and success of Native American identity and culture is internally inherited and created inside of their communities. An Artist Discussion will be held Thursday, October 26, 2023.
As artists, Louis Still Smoking & John Isaiah Pepion aim to help reclaim, reinform, and redefine what it means to a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana today. By looking within, they themselves and fellow indigenous communities become whole again. The artists will collaborate to create a mural inside the museum with integrated individual works. The exhibition has a time-based element as the mural is temporary and reflects on the history of cultural erasure, while the combined individual free-standing works reflect continuity and resistance. Still Smoking and Pepion state, “We will be engaging people in a positive way leaving the space with a positive mindset of what collaboration is all about. Pushing creativity and not limiting it. The exhibition will give people a new perspective about indigenous people and their culture because the Blackfeet are still attached to this geographic region and continue to be alive and thriving. The hope is that people will see our point of view as individual artists and indigenous people from this region.” Together the artists investigate the varied meanings of being indigenous, with art and culture being at the core of indigenous education and identity.
Schedule of Events:
October 26, 2023: Artist Reception and Discussion for WITHIN: Louis Still-Smoking and John Isaiah Pepion, 5:30pm
Join featured artists Louis Still-Smoking and John Isaiah Pepion in discussion with Nicole Maria Evans, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections, as they share stories and discuss the purpose, process, and meaning behind their exhibition WITHIN
November 17, 2023: Expert Lecture: “Hiding in Plain Sight: Expanding the Canvas”, 5:30pm
Jennifer Woodcock-Medicine Horse will explore the history and social purposes of painted Blackfeet tipis and the transition to contemporary murals examined through Louis Still Smoking and John Isaiah Pepion’s body of work.
Jennifer Woodcock-Medicine Horse, PhD, is Program Director for IndigenEyes: Contemporary Native American Art of the Rocky Mountains and Plains. Dr. Jennifer Woodcock-Medicine Horse holds a PhD in American Studies, an MA in Native American Studies from Montana State University-Bozeman, and a BA in Anthropology/Archaeology from UC Berkeley
December 8, 2023: Expert Lecture: “Indigenous Education for No One”, 5:30pm
After years of being defined and designed to be something other than an Indigenous People, Sean Chandler will illustrate the significance of Indigenous Lifeways as the foundation of Indigenous Education in contemporary life. He will present a brief background on the federal government’s policy to alter and control American Indian identity. Specifically, he will discuss how Aaniiih Nakoda College has been driven to counter those past assimilationist policies to define itself as an institution grounded in Aaniiih and Nakoda Lifeways for the people of the Aaniinen and Nakoda Nations.
Sean Chandler, is President of Aaniiih Nakoda College located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. He earned an EdD in Educational Leadership from The University of Montana in Educational Leadership from The University of Montana; BFA in Art, and a MA in Native American Studies from Montana State University, Bozeman.
For more information, contact Nicole Maria Evans, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections, at nicole@the-square.org; (406)727-8255.
WITHIN: Louis Still Smoking & John Isaiah Pepion is curated by Nicole Maria Evans, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, in collaboration with Louis Still Smoking and John Isaiah Pepion. Exhibitions at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art are supported in part by the Montana Arts Council, a state agency funded by the State of Montana, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by museum members and the citizens of Cascade County, Davidson Family Foundation, D.A. Davidson, Horizon Credit Union, an anonymous donor, and Kelly’s Signs & Design. Special funding for the making of this exhibition is also generously provided by: Nina Weber, Melissa Smith and David Saslav, an Anonymous Donor, Evie Ugrin, The Gibson Hotel Great Falls Ascend Hotel Collection, Hotel Arvon, and Cathie Williamson and Mark Tronson.
About Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art
Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (The Square) is north central Montana’s only contemporary art museum. Founded in 1977 and located in Great Falls, Montana, the museum resides in the original 1896 building of the historic Central High School. The Square is known for exhibitions that feature intriguing outsider and contemporary living artists, in conjunction with offering exciting exhibition programs and studio art classes to the community.
General Information Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art is located at 1400 1st Avenue North, Great Falls, Montana. Visitor hours: Tuesday 10am to 9pm, Wednesday through Friday 10am to 5pm, and Saturday from 10pm to 3pm, Sunday and Monday Closed. Closed on select holidays. Admission is FREE to the public, ask about Membership. Visit www.the-square.org, or call 406.727.8255 for further information
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