Re-Riding History Exhibit

Above: "The Journey to Remove Color From the People," by Monte Yellow Bird Sr.

The  Crisp-Ellert Art Museum and Flagler College proudly announce the new exhibition, "Re-Riding History: From the Southern Plains to the Matanzas Bay." The exhibit opens to the public on Friday, January 16, 2015, and will remain on view through Thursday, February 28, 2015. A symposium will also take place on Thursday, February 12, 2015, to explore the topic in more depth.

This powerful exhibit, curated by Emily Arthur, Marwin Begaye and John Hitchcock, chronicles the journey of 72 American Indians - Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche Arapaho and Caddo - who were taken from their homes in Oklahoma and transported by train to St. Augustine, where they were imprisoned at Fort Marion (the present-day Castillo de San Marcos) from 1875-1878.

This action was part of the federal off-reservation boarding school policy that remained in place in the U.S. until the 1930s. Lieutenant Richard Henry Pratt commanded Fort Marion at the time, and it was here that he developed the institutionalized methods of control and assimilation that were designed to eradicate all traces of one culture by another culture by force. In 1879, Lieutenant Pratt took over the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, where he again used these methods to assimilate 530 Chiricahua Apache men, women, and children, who were held there as prisoners of war. This was where Pratt coined the phrase, "Kill the Indian, save the man."

"Re-Riding History" explores the experience of imprisonment through the eyes of Native and non-Native American artists, including descendants from both periods of imprisonment. The format of the work is patterned on the historic ledger drawings made at Fort Marion from 1875-1878, but with the added depth of contemporary perspective and heartfelt response to the historical experience.

The traveling exhibit of contemporary works on paper combines various printmaking methods with drawing, collage, and photography. Artists represented include Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Shan Goshorn, Mel Chin, Edgar Heap of Birds, Alison Saar and Monte Yellow Bird Sr.

The February 12 symposium will consist of a panel of distinguished artists and scholars who will discuss the artwork and the creative spirit, as well as the historic importance of the events.

Admission: Both the exhibit and the symposium are free and open to the public.

When? The exhibit will run from Friday, January 16, through Saturday, February 28, 2015. The museum's hours while classes are in session are Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. The symposium will take place on Thursday, February 12, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Visit here for details on the exhibit and symposium schedule.

Where? The exhibit will be displayed at the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum, which is located at 48 Sevilla St. in downtown St. Augustine. The symposium will take place at Flagler College's Ringhaver Student Center's Virginia Room at 50 Sevilla St.

This must-see exhibition and symposium is supported by a grant from the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. The events are part of St. Augustine's 450th Commemoration, which will culminate in September 2015, when the city celebrates its 450th birthday since its founding in 1565. 

For further information on the exhibition and related programs, call (904) 826-8530 or visit here.