VISIBILITY THROUGH ART 2021
Destruction of the Land | Destruction of the People
July 10th 2021 - November 17th 2021
Visibility Through Art (VTA) is a special collaborative project which brings together local artists and the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe. Their non-profit CHIRP guides this work under the direction of Shelly Covert (the Tribal Council Spokesperson and Executive Director of CHIRP). Each year we take about six to eight months to work with artists and the Tribe in different ways to create a collection of artworks that highlight different issues and themes that the Tribe wants to share with the broader community. This Project has been running since 2017, and has been featured in many local venues. Now with the opening of ‘Uba Seo, it has a permanent home.
The 2021 VTA theme was Destruction of the Land | Destruction of the People, which invited artists and viewers to consider: the impact humans have on the environment and the long-lasting impacts of the gold rush on the Nisenan people. Art opens the way for meaningful conversations around topics that are not always easy to have and sometimes can reveal solutions that may otherwise remain unseen.
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS: Nikila Badua, Andy Cerrona, Mira Clark, Rama Cryer, Jose Dominguez, Jenny Hale, Jessa Hurst, Jarod Kane, Ron Kenedi, Lori Lachman, Bishop Randall, Teighlor Renee Anderson, Jennifer Rugge, Alyssa Walz, Leilani Webb, Kavi Amador, Andres Amador, Simone Star, Tanner Connor, Chula Gemignani, Jennifer Rain Crosby, and Rachel Reinyday
VTA Talks opening night
The Grand opening was a huge success, a night of sharing art, and visibility for the Nisenan Tribe.
"Story of Oak" Jennifer Rain Crosby, jenniferraincrosby.com, Handcrafted oak gall inks and egg tempera paints on paper, 22x30” _________________________________________ The Nisenan lived in harmony with the land for thousands of years before settlers came to California. They cared for the oak groves whose acorns provided a substantial part of their diet. When gold was discovered, immigrant miners and settlers flooded the Nisenan territory, cutting down the trees for lumber, flumes, and for building towns. The loss of the land and the oaks was devastating for the Nisenan. It is my hope that in the near future the Nisenan will regain Federal Recognition, revive their Culture and restore harmony with the land. Special note: The paint and ink in this painting was collected locally and prepared by the artist. The gold and purple-grey tones were made from oak galls. The orange tone was made from earth pigment from the ‘diggins’ in an egg tempera paint. The iridescent gold was made by adding powdered mica to the egg tempera.
"Last Harvest" Jose Dominguez , thebuilders.tumblr.com, Oil on Canvas , 36x48” _________________________________________ This piece, “last harvest” is a still life of objects that symbolize colonization and the destruction of the land and the Indigenous people that lived here. The oak is depicted as a freshly cut stump by a modern chainsaw which sits on its surface, demonstrating the destruction of old growth oaks that were centuries old. By cutting down so many old growth forests not only did the Nisenan lose the food they provided, but nature lost its unique original architecture. A good portion of their diet consisted of acorns. In “History of Us” Richard B Johnson explains that an average adult would consume roughly 500-1000 lbs of acorns a year and Nevada City would need about twelve thousand producing oak trees to feed the village. The baskets allude to the people of this region that skillfully crafted them. Many of the creators of the baskets are no longer here, but their descendants still remain.
"Reciprocity" Simone Star, simonestar.com, Acrylic, Oil, and Gold Leaf, 16x20” __________________________________________ Prior to colonization and genocide, the Nisenan people lived in reciprocity and balance with the natural world. Historical depictions and representations of Nevada County glorify the “Gold Rush” culture while ignoring the violence committed by white colonizers towards both the land, animals, and original inhabitants. This piece seeks to depict the contrast between the ways that the Nisenan people lived in sustainable and harmonious relationship with the land, and the exploitation and brutality of the gold rush. On one side the image depicts an open hand in an act of giving and receiving as it touches the arc of a clear ‘Uba (Yuba) river filled with abundant gold. The other side of the image portrays a closed fist grabbing at the last remaining gold in a polluted river.
"The Land Is The Gold" Jessa Hurst & Mira Clark , miraclark.com, Acrylic and Food Wrappers on Canvas, 36x48” _________________________________________ This piece is about the exploitation of the land for profit instead of seeing it for its intrinsic beauty and value. The Nisenan people, had a very different view of, and relationship to the environment here. Mining the sacred ‘Uba, “Yuba” for its gold was a colonial settler mindset. This piece is meant to not only bring awareness to the way the land has been mistreated in the past, it also symbolizes the way in which more awareness is needed today with how we are relating to the land, animals, water, and specifically the Yuba. The Yuba river has become a hotspot for much tourism and social interaction. It is important to be aware of how we interact with this land as we visit the Yuba. We created this piece as a ritual and a prayer that people who visit the Yuba do so with mindfulness and respect, leaving no trace and taking care of this beautiful watershed.
"Aunt Doris" Leilani Webb, Watercolor on Paper, 16x20” _________________________________________ Second eldest of the six “Rose” girls. Doris Rose is featured here to celebrate her life as an honored Elder of the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan.
"Blood In The Water " Jarod Kane, Instagram: @jarodkane, Acrylic on Wood Panel, 24x30” _________________________________________ This piece represents the meeting of two opposing perspectives; value of the environment above all, versus the value of environmental exploitation.
"Real Value" Mira Clark, miraclark.com, Sand from the Yuba River, Gold Acorn, Gold Pan __________________________________________ What is truly valuable? How do we determine the value of the Earth? The oak trees provided the majority of calories for the Nisenan People. The value of the land, the forest, and the health of our natural environments should be prioritized. These resources are Sacred because they sustain all life.
‘estom yanim Lori Lachman, lorilachman.smugmug.com, 18x24” __________________________________________ This sunset photo exemplifies another aspect of this year’s theme, Destruction of the Land | Destruction of the People. ‘estom yanim is the place all life comes from and where the Nisenan go when they die, before finishing the journey in the Milky Way. The most Sacred of places has been privately owned since the 1850s and remains inaccessible to the Nisenan people. This is a prime example of the ongoing destruction of Culture, experience by the Nisenan. Regardless of continued efforts toward Cultural revitalization the inability to access this Sacred place and the inability to burn the dead stand as firm physical deterrents to our people and our Culture.
" ‘ustomah reborn " Rama Cryer, Instagram: @old.oak.flow Mixed Media, Wood burning, Acrylic, Ink 30x18” _________________________________________ ‘ustomah, Nevada City, is a land once held by many animals, such as the condor and the elk, and beings, many of which are no longer here. Take a walk down the grassy hills as they once were, or perhaps will be, when the original Indigenous caretakers set the land free. Nisenan place names: daspah = Grass Valley, 'ustomah = Nevada City, nak nak = Camptonville, kai'em pakan = Rough & Ready
"The Land Is The Gold" Jessa Hurst & Mira Clark, miraclark.com Food Wrappers on Wood with Epoxy Resin 16x24” __________________________________________ This piece is about the exploitation of the land for profit instead of seeing it for its intrinsic beauty and value. The Nisenan people, had a very different view of, and relationship to the environment here. Mining the sacred ‘Uba, “Yuba” for its gold was a colonial settler mindset. This piece is meant to not only bring awareness to the way the land has been mistreated in the past, it also symbolizes the way in which more awareness is needed today with how we are relating to the land, animals, water, and specifically the Yuba. The Yuba river has become a hotspot for much tourism and social interaction. It is important to be aware of how we interact with this land as we visit the Yuba. We created this piece as a ritual and a prayer that people who visit the Yuba do so with mindfulness and respect, leaving no trace and taking care of this beautiful watershed.
"Washed Away" Andrés Amador, AndresAmadorArts.com, Mixed, Natural Materials, Photography, Video 24”x36” ___________________________________________ In this artwork a traditional Nisenan basket-weaving motif is painted with clay onto a granite slab on the bank of the Yuba river, symbolizing the connection of earth and the Native people. The painting gets washed away by a pump fire extinguisher and a bucket using water from the Yuba, reproducing the total collapse of Culture and environmental systems through the destruction caused by mining (in this case hydraulic mining) to the land and the people. Watch a video of the artwork being washed away.
"Washed Away" Andrés Amador, AndresAmadorArts.com, Mixed, Natural Materials, Photography, Video 24”x36” ___________________________________________ In this artwork a traditional Nisenan basket-weaving motif is painted with clay onto a granite slab on the bank of the Yuba river, symbolizing the connection of earth and the Native people. The painting gets washed away by a pump fire extinguisher and a bucket using water from the Yuba, reproducing the total collapse of Culture and environmental systems through the destruction caused by mining (in this case hydraulic mining) to the land and the people. Watch a video of the artwork being washed away.
"Washed Away" Andrés Amador, AndresAmadorArts.com, Mixed, Natural Materials, Photography, Video 24”x36” ___________________________________________ In this artwork a traditional Nisenan basket-weaving motif is painted with clay onto a granite slab on the bank of the Yuba river, symbolizing the connection of earth and the Native people. The painting gets washed away by a pump fire extinguisher and a bucket using water from the Yuba, reproducing the total collapse of Culture and environmental systems through the destruction caused by mining (in this case hydraulic mining) to the land and the people. Watch a video of the artwork being washed away.
"What Remains" Kavi Amador, Colored Pencils & Watercolor, 10x12” _________________________________________ Seven year old Kavi visited two locally well known locations: Malakoff Diggins and Hirschman's Pond and drew his impressions. Both are locations radically altered during the mining days. Each is beautiful in its own way, a beauty sullied only by the knowledge of how they arrived at their current form. “At Hirschman’s I saw a spot that looked like where the cliff was blasted away. The cliff of the other side was bare and looked exactly like it looks at Malakoff. There are lots of people at Malakoff and they walk all over. At Hirschman’s people only walk on the trails and more has grown back. Both places are beautiful even though they are destroyed. What I saw inspired me and I felt determined to finish this project.” - Kavi Amador
"What Remains" Kavi Amador, Colored Pencils & Watercolor, 10x12” _________________________________________ Seven year old Kavi visited two locally well known locations: Malakoff Diggins and Hirschman's Pond and drew his impressions. Both are locations radically altered during the mining days. Each is beautiful in its own way, a beauty sullied only by the knowledge of how they arrived at their current form. “At Hirschman’s I saw a spot that looked like where the cliff was blasted away. The cliff of the other side was bare and looked exactly like it looks at Malakoff. There are lots of people at Malakoff and they walk all over. At Hirschman’s people only walk on the trails and more has grown back. Both places are beautiful even though they are destroyed. What I saw inspired me and I felt determined to finish this project.” - Kavi Amador
"Look Around" Teighlor Renee Anderson, Watercolor and Ink, A Continuing Series , 12x9” __________________________________________ In history books native people are often referred to in past-tense, though they are still here. Look around. Notice the impact of colonization. Notice the people, plants and animals around you. The Nisenan lived amongst many beings that endured the hardships that came during the Gold Rush, and they themselves did as well. The local language was nearly lost, though here you see plants and animals that persevered, as the resilient Nisenan people of nisem k'auwak' did, with the name they’ve known long before settlers walked this land.
"Look Around" Teighlor Renee Anderson, Watercolor and Ink, A Continuing Series , 12x9” __________________________________________ In history books native people are often referred to in past-tense, though they are still here. Look around. Notice the impact of colonization. Notice the people, plants and animals around you. The Nisenan lived amongst many beings that endured the hardships that came during the Gold Rush, and they themselves did as well. The local language was nearly lost, though here you see plants and animals that persevered, as the resilient Nisenan people of nisem k'auwak' did, with the name they’ve known long before settlers walked this land.
"Look Around" Teighlor Renee Anderson, Watercolor and Ink, A Continuing Series , 12x9” __________________________________________ In history books native people are often referred to in past-tense, though they are still here. Look around. Notice the impact of colonization. Notice the people, plants and animals around you. The Nisenan lived amongst many beings that endured the hardships that came during the Gold Rush, and they themselves did as well. The local language was nearly lost, though here you see plants and animals that persevered, as the resilient Nisenan people of nisem k'auwak' did, with the name they’ve known long before settlers walked this land.
"Birdie" Rachel Rein & Her Daughter, Digital Drawing, 12 x 12" ___________________________________________ This piece uses the likeness of Tribal Elder Alberta “Birdie” Rose Gallez. The format evokes American advertisements, imagining an alternate reality in which the Indigenous Nisenan people are thriving under capitalism. While many oral traditions remain, much of Nisenan traditional practices have been disrupted by colonialism, mirroring the loss of Native fire management techniques. Today Nisenan territory is under risk of catastrophic fire due to the cessation of centuries-old methods of Indigenous forest management. This loss parallels the loss of tradition and land, and the personal wealth her family members could have reaped from them. Birdie serves as a metaphor, highlighting the importance of oral history like those she passed on. The stylized sketching and colors of her skin belie the problematic nature of female product advertising icons, from the Land O Lakes "Indian Maiden" to Aunt Jemima.
"Historical Trauma" Ron Kenedi, Oil paint on canvas, ronkenediart.com, 36X48" __________________________________________ Historical trauma or unresolved grief from massive losses of lives, land, and Culture by American Indigenous peoples from European contact and colonization is the topic of this painting. Using color, (the burnt red at the heart of the work), important animals (birds of prey), natural elements (broken tree branch) and modern, local art (cement cast sculpture) I hope to convey the feeling of how a catastrophic event in the past can negatively influence generations in the present and future. The event, portrayed on the bottom of the painting, is the California gold rush, which destroyed life and Culture of our local Nisenan people and is symbolized by the central images of the broken tree branch sitting on a red field, surrounded by birds of prey. A note of hope is the unbroken sculpture.
"Northbound" Chula Linda Gemignani, Instagram @earthlyflight, Acrylic on Canvas, 24X30” __________________________________________ North home of the ancestors, a symbol of perseverance. We are all headed Northbound to be with the ancestors. Hourglass symbolizes the confines and pressure of time for a woman fighting for change and Tribal recognition. It takes a strong will to manifest dreams before the hour of our final breath when we become the memories of our manifestations. Shelly Covert A doula helping the rebirth of her invisible Tribe. A steward, reconnecting her non-native community with their sense of place. Pileated Woodpeckers Ancestors supporting and protecting her Journey. Burning hu and shacks in memory of the original descendants of this land whose bodies and homes were burned in ceremony when deceased. Bullard’s Bar Dam and reservoir built over the Sacred burning grounds of many Nisenan lifetimes. Disregarding the life of salmon and life of the Tribe. Witnessing a dam invasively cutting off living waters and so big that it makes a bear look small - we must remember to adjust our perspective, know our place, and remember the ones who came before us.
"Earth Guardians" Jenny Hale, jennyhaledesign.com, Watercolor painting on paper, 46x34” ___________________________________________ This watercolor started out as a study for the digital piece “Earth Guardians” But then the guardians just wanted me to finish it and who am I to deny them? The relationship between the photographic image and the painted image is a bridge between digital and analog cultures.
"Earth Guardians" Jenny Hale, jennyhaledesign.com, Watercolor Painting, Original and Historic Photos, Digital Collage, 36X22” _____________________________________________ Nisenan still hold the memory that the Earth is our home and our source. For every action there is a reaction and humans are not exempt from this natural system. The Earth Guardians hold up their hearts in protest. Their hands are emblazoned with Ancient symbols found on petroglyphs. Hydraulic Mining began in the Sierra Nevada in the 1850s. All the life in entire forests and mountains, was washed away in the pursuit of gold. The mineral spirits in the stones say STOP – WAKE UP - to our interdependence with life in all its forms or you will not survive. In 1884, one of the first environmental laws in the United States was passed to ban the practice of hydraulic mining.
"A Choice Between Two Worlds" Alyssa Walz, Pencil & Ink , 11x14" __________________________________________ As this year’s exhibition is themed "Destruction of the Land, Destruction of the People," I thought it would be fitting to highlight an issue that people in the Grass Valley area should know about. Currently, a Canadian mining company seeks to reopen the Idaho Maryland Mine, invading the lives of countless precious wildlife, local residents, and refreshing the wound to Nisenan culture and land with the threat of a revitalized gold rush. This piece depicts two different versions for the future of the Nisenan land and the environment surrounding the Idaho Maryland Mine. Centered on the mine silo at the intersection of Brunswick and East Bennett roads, the left side shows how reopening the mine could devastate the air, land, and animal life, whereas the right side shows plant and animal life flourishing should we leave it on its current course to revival. We must not allow history to repeat itself with another destructive gold rush. We must defend our environment and stop the reopening of the Idaho Maryland Mine.
"Interwoven" Bishop Randall, Instagram: @bishop3333, 3D Lampworked, Sandcarved Glass, 6x5" __________________________________________ The design of this piece is replicated from one of the only surviving baskets in Shelly Covert’s family. The inherently clear nature of the medium (glass) is used to represent the loss of culture, language, and continuity, taking on a ghost-like quality. Visibility, or the lack thereof, is brought to light- made visible again. Its recreation stands to bring form, visibility, and magic back to the Nisenan Tribe.
"Apocalypse" Tanner Connor, Acrylic Painting, 12×16" ___________________________________________ Mankind has been destroying the Earth for centuries, but not to the scale it is now. With the advancement in our technology over the past 100 years, and the population growing 7 fold, we are polluting the air, water, and land to extremes, killing thousands of creatures on land and our waters daily. With population growth so high, man is destroying so many crucial forests, animals, and insects in its wake to develop land. I paint primarily abstracts, with a variety of techniques. My painting is a representation of the Earth exploding while ghost silhouettes of Nisenan People and animals native to Nevada County look on.
Kit Kohler event filming and photography.
Akim Aginsky art photography.
VTA art featured here in a panel on Indigenous Justice for Nisenan Heritage Day.
Learn More About the VTA Project and Previous VTA Exhibits