America Meredith, The Thunder Boys Release Game into the World, 2011, acrylic, colored pencil, watercolor and One-Shot enamel on panel, 30 x 40 inches, Collection of Daniel McCoy Jr. Image courtesy of the artist.
The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center is holding an exhibition exploring Cherokee language and culture, entitled “Outspoken: Paintings by America Meredith”, now through May 3.
Meredith, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is an artist who speaks her mind. As a painter, independent curator, and publishing editor of the First American Art Magazine, she uses visual art and writing to address important issues in the Native community. Her work celebrates Cherokee language and culture, examines changing customs, and challenges Native American stereotypes. This exhibition draws particular attention to the importance of language in Meredith’s work, bringing together paintings that incorporate Cherokee syllabary, reference Cherokee oral histories, and pair found-object text with visual imagery. Painters, portrait artists, Cherokee language students, members of the Eastern Band, and those inspired by the natural world will especially appreciate the works on view.
Meredith received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from the University of Oklahoma and her Master’s of Fine Arts (MFA) from the San Francisco Art Institute. In 2013, she published the first issue of the First American Art Magazine, a quarterly journal devoted to promoting dialogue about Native art. Her work is in the collections of the National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC; Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma, Norman; Heard Museum, Phoenix, Ariz.; and the National Collection of Contemporary Indian Arts, Santa Fe.
The reception for Outspoken will take place on Thursday, Feb. 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the WCU Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee, NC. This event will include a gallery talk by America Meredith at 5:45 p.m. Regular museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays until 7 p.m. For information, call (828) 227-ARTS or visit https://bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.
– Western Carolina University release
