2019 Whitney Biennial
Tiffany Bradley
About Tiffany Bradley
Posts by Tiffany Bradley:
The Art of Politics
How do we talk politics? Many months away from the presidential election, I’m already tired of our current discussion. The news is full of conversations that don’t work: recaps of overcrowded debates, endless fact checking, and GIFs of candidates’ faces. Also not helpful for political inspiration: long policy papers that no one but reporters and political junkies will read. And certainly the least useful: the screaming and shouting led by reality-show candidate Donald Trump.
Color Critic: Lauren Chief Elk
I knew that I had to see “The Plains Indians: Artists of Earth and Sky.” And I knew that I had to take Lauren Chief Elk with me.
The Plains Indians show took a long road to New York: art lovingly created over centuries in the heartland of America (often before the existence of the United States.) These pieces traveled through the hands of many: into institutions and private collections in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States. The exhibition originated at the Musée du quay Branly, Paris, was curated by Gaylord Torrance of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and was organized by Judith Ostrowitz, Ph.D. at the Metropolitan Museum. I was beyond excited to see a culture that is often parodied and misunderstood, but rarely respected, in the halls of the Met.
And my clique had to come too! Art can be an individual or communal experience, but I wanted to hear from a modern Plains Indian.
Lauren Chief Elk, a Nakoda/Lakota writer, activist, and data artist, was just the voice. Both tribes are part of the Oceti Sakowin (or Sioux) Nation. Chief Elk is a true digital native, indigenous to both the Internet and the Americas. She ties together these identities in a way unique to our generation. Chief Elk uses technology tools to continue conversations about tribal sovereignty and women’s rights. Her fierce tweeting and incisive data collection describe the struggles of her community. You may not agree with everything she says, but you can’t deny that she’s one of the most passionate voices online today.
I’m proud to welcome Lauren Chief Elk as the inaugural Color Critic. You can learn more about her work on the Save Wįyąbi Project and Model View Culture. We’ll be tweeting about this episode using the hashtag #digitalnatives.
Universal Design for Cultural Institutions
Earlier this week, I was able to attend the fall Cool Culture fair. Cool Culture is an organization that works with Head Start families to increase access to the arts. Founded by two dynamic educators, the organization has welcomed 50,000 underserved families in the New York City area to various cultural institutions. The organization uses a network of community liaisons to break down visitation barriers and provide free visits to New York’s cultural gems. This week’s fair was a chance for the Cool Culture stakeholders—child educators, community liaisons, and cultural organizations—to share best practices and highlights.