Co-Curator Welana Queton

Bio

Welana Queton is from the Osage, Muscogee, and Cherokee Nations. Her Osage name is Me-tsa-xe, meaning Sacred Sun, and is a member of the Bear Clan and the Osage Zon-zo-lin District. Welana has over twenty years of experience working within museums and collections. She specializes working with American Indian ethnographic collections as it is her joy to work with cultural materials of her ancestors. She developed and co-curated the inaugural exhibition, WINIKO: Life of an Object, at the First Americans Museum featuring a loan from the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of the American Indian. Welana recently created the Wahzhazhe Puppet Theatre and currently serves as the Artistic Director.

Curatorial Statement

Welana Fields Queton

Beyond the Whitewash brings together Native, Black, and White artists to engage in a significant visual conversation about Race. The Lead Co-Curator and visual artist Shelby Head has invited artists from the Oklahoma Native community, Black community, and her own White community to respond to her artworks, An Infrastructure of Silence, a series confronting her ancestral colonial heritage. In her series, she deconstructs the complex histories and realities of her white supremacist descendants complicit in indigenous removals and enslavement.

The genocidal actions of Indian removals by Unite States Policy have left traumatizing generational effects loss of cultural practices, and identity for our Native people. Since first contact with Caucasian explorers, we have been experiencing the consequences of racism. The colonial powers used the idea of Race to divide, rank, and control our people. Because our skin was red, it was seen as dirty, thus classifying Native people into a lower order of humankind which validated their dehumanizing treatment of Native people. This colonial ideology continues to exist today, and people of color continue to receive dehumanizing and unjust treatment. It is up to each one of us to end harmful colonial ideologies and practices.

There is a global movement amongst indigenous peoples, especially the younger generations, to "Decolonize." We are signifying an effort to dispute Western-centric narratives and ideologies by repositioning indigenous thought, histories, and knowledge into the mainstream. It is time to decolonize Race to regain our cultural identity, freedom, and humanity.

As the Native Co-curator for the exhibition, I have chosen three artists whose work exemplifies decolonization. Their work interrupts the notion of Race by creating visuals and sounds that break free from the marginalization of Native art. Most often, but not always, identity and cultural experiences inform creative articulations. Today, Native people are experiencing the most freedom they have had since the first Native ancestors began fighting for humane treatment and equal rights. This freedom has provided more opportunities for Native artists to explore contemporary mediums, styles, and materials. At the same time, the artists are concurrently paying respect to their ancestral heritage in some large or small way.

Mvskoke Creek visual artist Bobby Martin is responsible for telling his own story by exploring the theme of identity. He draws inspiration from his treasured family photos to create artworks symbolizing a continuum of his Native identity. Bobby describes it as a collaboration with his family. Within his works, he uses various techniques, such as encaustic painting, photo etching, and drypoint, to enhance the familial images and awaken their memory. Layered in many of his pieces are maps to create a sense of place and its significant connection to Native identity. Bobby believes maps contain a structure of power and history. The maps of Indian Territory, Oklahoma, and Mvskoke Territory represent the current and historic homelands of his Mvskoke family and Oklahoma Native people. These places hold cultural aspects that give us identity. We have an important connection to place; they are places where our language exists, traditional dances are strong in spirit, and they provide a sense of belonging within a societal structure. I compare Bobby's “accumulated layers of paint, ink, or wax” method to the complexity of Native identity. Like his work, these places represent layers of histories, generations, and memories. He is evoking comforting feelings and reminding all of what is important in life- family.

Accompanying this exhibition is the composition of indigenous sound artists Warren Realrider (Pawnee, Crow) and Nathan Young (Delaware, Pawnee, Kiowa). Beyond the Whiteawash is honored to receive its first collaborative sound project together. Their family relationship has provided them the years of opportunity to inspire each other’s work and exploration of sound. Both reflect their experiences as Oklahoma Native people in their visual and sound works. As distinct artists, they have each created works framed in noise, improvisation, droning, and experimental composition. Using their shared sonic language of improvised sound and noise pieced together, Realrider and Young draw the listener into an engaged auditory dialogue. As the listener confronts empty space, they immerse themselves with a visceral and emotive sound that evokes concepts related to disappearance, freedom, free jazz (black activism), family, and their shared pari pak?ru’ (Pawnee language). They also aspire for listeners to provoke reflection on the surrounding artworks and contemplate their relationship with Race.

Together, the works of the featured Native artists address aspects of identity, family, freedom, and place. These essential aspects remain important to every one of us on Earth. We all desire and deserve a happy ending in life. So, why would one interrupt or disrupt another? We ask the audience to question their privilege, attitude, and knowledge for humankind moving forward onto a positive path. Let us transform our relationship with Race, decolonize our minds, and break free from the hierarchal ideology instituted upon us.

I applaud Shelby for her courageous spirit in organizing this collaborative exhibition in what can be considered a difficult conversation. Yet, she understands her roles and responsibility within humanity. Shelby works to improve conversations about Race while reconciling her complex ancestral history of white supremacy and including the voices of people of color.

Let us move Beyond the Whitewash of truth, history, understanding, stereotypes, misconceptions, generational traumas, institutional policy, and the list goes on and on. Raise one's racial consciousness to co-exist peacefully within humanity.

Tulsa Artist Fellowship The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition #tulsaartistfellowship #ovacgrants #ovacprograms #ovacok #artsfunding #oklahomaartist #thrivegrants #exhibitions #artactivism #installationart #multidisciplinary #art ?

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