/Courtesy of Dylan Miner
Urbanization and new developments in Grand Rapids are bringing up many questions and uncertainties, while sparking conversations of gentrification and rights to public space. With these concerns, Civic Studio is inviting the public to engage in a talk, lead by Dylan A.T. Miner, a Wiisaakodewinini (Métis) artist, activist and scholar. The talk, free and open to the public, is entitled "All space is public. All land is Indigenous. All ownership is violence." The event will be held at Civic Studio (336 Straight Ave SW) on Monday, November 2 at 6:30 p.m.
His work "Anishinaabensag Biimskowebshkigewag (Native Kids Ride Bikes)" was recently exhibited at the Grand Rapids Art Museum for their ArtPrize 2015 exhibit, "Nature/Nuture." The work work drew the attention of jurors, putting it in the top five in the juried three-dimensional category. In this ongoing project, Miner collaborates with urban Native youth in an attempt to connect contemporary youth culture with traditional stories.
Miner has an impressive resume and Civic Studio is excited for him to share his uniqe perspectives. He has been featured in more than 20 solo exhibitions and has been artist-in-residence at institutions such as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, École supérieure des beaux-arts in Nantes, Klondike Institute of Art and Culture, Rabbit Island, Santa Fe Art Institute and numerous universities, art schools and MFA programs.
Miner is the Director of the American Indian Studies Program and Associate Professor in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities at Michigan State University. Miner holds a PhD from The University of New Mexico and has published extensively. His book "Creating Aztlán: Chicano Art, Indigenous Sovereignty, and Lowriding Across Turtle Island" was published in 2014 by the University of Arizona Press.
Civic Studio is a public project, taking place at 336 Straight Street SW in Grand Rapids from September through December of 2015. The studio is an applied experimental studio project started in 1999. It operates as a course in the Visual Studies program of the Art and Design Department at Grand Valley State University. The studio develops the social, educational, and institutional capacities to have art serve its public function.
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