Iroquois Indian Museum

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

PURPOSE: TO SUPPORT PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES EXPENSES IN RESPONSE TO AND RECOVERY FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

IN RESPONSE TO INCREASED INTEREST IN DIGITAL EXPERIENCES DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE IROQUOIS INDIAN MUSEUM WILL CREATE AND LAUNCH EIGHT VIRTUAL TOURS. THE TOURS WILL HIGHLIGHT IROQUOIS AND HAUDENOSAUNEE CULTURE, INCLUDING AN INTRODUCTION TO THE IROQUOIS AND ITS COMMUNITIES, ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE, EARLY TECHNOLOGY, FORMATION OF THE CONFEDERACY, ORAL HISTORY AND STORYTELLING, STEREOTYPES, AND THE UNWRITTEN LANGUAGE OF WAMPUM. THE SERIES WILL KICK OFF WITH A LIVE VIRTUAL OPENING RECEPTION OF THE MUSEUM'S NEW FEATURE GALLERY EXHIBIT, IDENTITY IDENTIFY, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN APRIL 2020. THE VIRTUAL VISITS WILL BE FREELY ACCESSIBLE ON THE MUSEUM'S WEBSITE.

THE IROQUOIS MUSEUM WILL DEVELOP AN EXHIBIT OF CONTEMPORARY IROQUOIS ART AND OFFER RELATED PROGRAMMING TARGETED AT YOUTH, YOUNG ADULTS, AND ADULTS. THE EXHIBIT WILL SHOWCASE ARTWORKS THAT INCLUDE SUSPENDED INSTALLATION AND PROJECTION, WELDED STEEL SCULPTURES, COMIC-DRAMA AND CLAYMATION, GLASS WORKS, CLAY MONOPRINTS, GRAPHIC NOVEL AND VIDEO-GAME INSPIRED ILLUSTRATIONS, ELECTRONIC MUSIC, AND DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY. RELATED PROGRAMS WILL INCLUDE THE MUSH HOLE, AN OFFSITE THEATRICAL DANCE INTERPRETATION OF THE EXPERIENCE OF INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS; AN ONSITE POP-UP WELDING WORKSHOP; THE IROQUOIS INDIAN MARCHING BAND; AND ARTIST TALKS. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, THE MUSEUM WILL DISMANTLE CONVENTIONAL ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES NATIVE ART BY INTRODUCING VISITORS TO THE WIDE VARIETY OF EXPRESSIONS AND WAYS IN WHICH IROQUOIS/HAUDENOSAUNEE CULTURE IS REPRESENTED TODAY. HAUDENOSAUNEE CREATIVES WILL BENEFIT BY PRESENTING THEIR WORK IN A DIGNIFIED AND RECEPTIVE SETTING AND BY EXPANDING THEIR NETWORK OF OPPORTUNITIES. VISITORS WILL BENEFIT BY PARTICIPATING IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF MUTUAL RESPECT AND OPEN DIALOGUE, AND ACCESSING AN ALTERNATE LENS THROUGH WHICH TO RECONSIDER OUR SHARED PAST.

THE IROQUOIS INDIAN MUSEUM WILL CREATE ?THE ART OF CONNECTIVITY,? AN EXHIBITION OF CONTEMPORARY HAUDENOSAUNEE ARTWORK TITLED MATERIAL SHIFT AND A PARTICIPATORY OUTDOOR SCULPTURE BASED ON THE GEORGE WASHINGTON/CANANDAIGUA TREATY WAMPUM BELT. DEVELOPED IN COLLABORATION WITH TWO MOHAWK ARTISTS, THE PROJECT SUPPORTS THE MUSEUM?S EFFORT TO INCLUDE IROQUOIS PERSPECTIVES AND INPUT INTO ALL COMPONENTS OF ITS OPERATIONS. ?THE ART OF CONNECTIVITY? WAS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF VISITORS WORN DOWN FROM THE RESTRICTIONS AND CONCERNS OF THE PANDEMIC TO RE-ENGAGE WITH PLAYFUL DISCOVERY AND TO FIND INSPIRATION FOR THE FUTURE THROUGH INTERACTIVE AND SELF-DIRECTED EXPLORATIONS OF IROQUOIS ART AND CULTURAL PHILOSOPHIES.

THE IROQUOIS ART ONLINE: AN EXPANDED EXPERIENCE PROJECT WILL COMPLETE AND ENLARGE THE BREADTH OF AN ONLINE SEARCHABLE DATABASE OF THE IROQUOIS INDIAN MUSEUM'S 2,200-PIECE COLLECTION OF CONTEMPORARY IROQUOIS ART AND FINE CRAFT. MUSEUM STAFF WILL ADD DETAIL TO THESE RECORDS AND WORK WITH IROQUOIS ARTS SPECIALISTS TO ADD KEY INFORMATION. FACED WITH SPACE AND SECURITY CONSTRAINTS THAT LIMIT ACCESS TO ITS COLLECTION, THE ENHANCED ONLINE DATABASE WILL INCREASE ITS ACCESSIBILITY FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOLARS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, EDUCATORS, GRADUATE STUDENTS, CURATORS, AND IROQUOIS INVESTED IN THE REVITALIZATION OF TRADITIONAL ART FORMS. MUSEUM STAFF WILL ALSO BENEFIT BY DEVELOPING INCREASED PROFICIENCY IN MEDIA AND CULTURALLY SPECIFIC VOCABULARY AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES, STITCHES, MATERIALS, AND PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLLECTION.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

TO SUPPORT THE COMMISSION OF AN INDOOR MURAL BY NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIST JAY HAVENS.

TO SUPPORT A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE: THE LIVING TRADITIONS OF IROQUOIS BASKETRY, BEADWORK, AND ANTLER CARVING.

PURPOSE: TO SUPPORT AN ARTIST RESIDENCY BY SCULPTOR MARGARET JACOBS, INCLUDING THE CREATION OF NEW WORK.