"Native Visual Sovereignty" Book Celebration

Saturday, May 2, 2–5pm, join Forge Project for an afternoon of readings, presentations, a performance, and a screening to celebrate the Mahicannituck Valley launch of Native Visual Sovereignty: A Reader on Art and Performance. 

This anthology—born from the 2023 exhibition Indian Theater: Performance, Art, and Self-Determination since 1969—is the first to focus on performance and performativity in contemporary Native art. With 48 contributors, the publication includes newly commissioned essays, artist notes, reprinted critical texts, oral history interviews, exhibition artworks, and performance documentation, highlighting the shift from visual to performative sovereignty.

Reader editor Candice Hopkins will moderate a conversation between renowned scholars and artists Jolene Rickard, Paul Chaat Smith, Kite, and Sky Hopinka, tracing the throughlines of visual sovereignty in their research and practices. The program will also include focused presentations on the development of visual sovereignty by Jolene Rickard and the performance practice of James Luna by Paul Chaat Smith; a performance of Kite’s score Iktómiwiŋ; a screening of Sky Hopinka’s Sunflower Engine Siege; and a reading by Brandee Caoba.

While at Forge, visitors are invited to take time to see the art collection and walk the land. Light refreshments and snacks will be served. Copies of Native Visual Sovereignty will also be available for purchase on site.

Please note: This program is free, but space is limited. We kindly ask that you RSVP thoughtfully and, if your plans change, please update your RSVP so we can offer your spot to someone else—we’d love to welcome as many people as possible.