Bunky Echo-Hawk's goal is “to truly exemplify the current state of Native America through art”.
Echo-Hawk has updated an age-old tradition of interactive live art, which he has performed from coast to coast. In his performances, audience members' comments and ideas influence the painting, and thus the community's story is captured. The event will take place on April 16th at 7:00 pm in the Kauffmann Center Great Hall. At the event, UNL’s distinguished literary journal Prairie Schooner will have copies of their Winter 2012 issue featuring Echo-Hawk’s cover art available for purchase. For more information on this and other Prairie Schooner issues, see prairieschooner.unl.edu/.
Cultural traditions and Live Art: Historically, lots of tribes would spend the winter months recounting the year’s hunting and battle exploits. The artist would facilitate the group’s stories, interpreting multiple perspectives of an incident, and applying the group’s true story on a stretched hide, creating a painting for the people. The painting would stand the test of time as a snapshot of the lives of the audience, their relationship to the universe at that time. Echo-Hawk’s live art experience is simply an updated version of this tradition.
A graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts, Echo-Hawk is a fine artist, graphic designer, photographer, writer and a non-profit professional. He has exhibited his work in major exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally, and his poetry and plays have earned nationwide success. An advocate and educator, Echo-Hawk was a co-founder of NVision nonprofit collective and is a designer for the Nike N7 line, supporting Native American youth empowerment.
The event is part of a two-day series of programs hosted in collaboration with University of Nebraska Inter-Tribal Exchange and the Residence Hall Association. UNITE will host a Dish it Up! Late Night discussion April 15th at 7:00 pm on Native American cultural appropriations, and RHA will host a student luncheon with Echo-Hawk on the 16th at 12:30 pm.
For more information on the Native American Heritage Celebration Series events, please contact Ashley DiGregorio at adigregorio2@unl.edu.
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/ekwk