The Exchange Tour

Saint Paul, Nett Lake Village, Red Lake, Crookston & Cass Lake / circa 2019

The EXCHANGE TOUR is dedicated to building appreciation for the arts by sharing digital stories across communities in the state of Minnesota.  Between June 2019 and October 2021 artwork was exchanged between five communities and then brought together in collective exhibits and screenings. Look below to find out more about each exhibit below.

WE SING OUR SONGS

CURATOR - Cecilia martinez, Bois Forte Nation

We Sing Our Songs is a powerful photography exhibit representing life on the Bois Forte Reservation.   Digital storytelling has been taking place here since 1987.   This exhibit in particular presents the people of our community walking towards their futures with open eyes, unafraid, and strong enough to survive almost anything.  It honors our Anishinaabe spirit, culture, and life as it is lived here and now.  Together, the images present the voice or our community and honors creative    expression that honors our past while influencing positive change for future generations. Curator - Cecilia Martinez

OUR RED LAKE SPIRIT

CURATORS - KAREN BARRETT & REYNA CRUZ, RED LAKE Nation

The exhibit “Our Red Lake Spirit” pays tribute to community healing through the drum and traditional practice. Our Red Lake Spirit  represents the significance of  Love, Humility, Bravery, Courage, Truth, Honesty, Respect, and our way of life in Red Lake.  In the modern day life here at Red Lake Band of Ojibwe our women, children and our warriors live and feel the effects of what our ancestors faced and lived through hundreds of years ago. It is in our DNA, the blood that runs through our veins generation after generation. Today we witness our tribal people struggle with modern day genocide like drugs and alcohol and addictions.  We live here and we can see, we can feel, we can love, and be Red Lake’s strength that lives on in all of us. We receive this strength from our land and lake and spiritual beliefs. It is in our humanness of beauty, resiliency, we share with each other. It gives us what we want and need to be who we really are.  We will love one another and heal from any obstacle because this place we call home holds us together as a tribal people. We will always be here in some form or another.  Curators - Karen Barrett & Reyna Gonzalez Rivera- Lussier

HOMEFORMING

CURATOR - Melissa vang, saint paul

The exhibit “Homeforming” provides an intergenerational perspective on what is 'home' and what the anatomy of a home would look like if it isn't a physical space. When the idea of home takes no root from the land, but to how one creates their home where the heart and soul is able to go and come back to.  Homeforming gives an intergenerational perspective on what is 'home' and what the anatomy of a home would look like if it wasn't a physical space - when the idea of home takes no root from the land.  It expresses how one creates home where the heart and soul is able to go and come back to.  Curator - Kazua Melissa Vang

WE STAND TOGETHER

CURATOR - Nicole stapLes, leech lake nation

The exhibit “We Stand Together” provides insight into the connectedness of children with their families, communities and tradition practices.

Growing up, I noticed little of our native ways.  Maybe my eyes were closed to seeing it. I don’t  know. . . .  Now that I’m older, I see more of our native teachings taking place. Each year I see more and more elders sharing stories with youth, youth sharing traditional ways with children, educators teaching our language, and families practicing our values. The strength of who we are is presented in everyday life - our helping, and in our caring for others. It seems to me that we are learning once again, to stand together as one Anishinaabe  community. We Stand Together is a photo exhibit that presents what I see today in our community. The photographs presented were created with the help of many different program leaders and artists from our community. Through the EXCHANGE TOUR I am able to share this perspective of “US” standing together to beat hardships - to tell the stories of how our native beliefs and native teachings strengthens us to stand together! Curator - Nicole Staples

OUR STORIES / OUR DREAMS

CURATOR - Monique Arguelles & cRISTINA RODRIGUEZ, CROOKSTON

These are painful thoughts, thoughts about the “border,”  about separation, and about who has rights of citizenship. Over and over, we hear about the immigrant crisis and the people that do no “belong.”  It makes me angry and it makes me realize that there are many that would say  I do not belong because of my race, my skin color, my family bonds. I am a U.S. citizen, but I wonder when I will be told I no longer belong here,  that my family does not belong here.   That because of our skin and race that no Latinos belong here. These are painful thoughts, and this exhibit represents our efforts as artists to raise awareness and visibility for our community. The exhibit “Our Stories / Our Dreams” provides an insight into the spirit of Latinx artists living in Crookston Minnesota. As expressed by curator Rodriguez, “The universe holds a lot of places and within it you find many unique differences and individualities. With all those differences that take place we all have our stories. These in particular stories come from a rural place in northern Minnesota. A place many have traveled to from other parts of the Map to call home. There has been a struggle within to find an identity. Many have helped pave a way and new generations have begun to call Crookston a home. Still many youth seek out in the form of artistic ways to express their struggles and individuality which is brought forth with the Fresh Voices program through both Digital Storytelling and Videography. The work presented here are stories from individuals who have spoke out and expressed themselves through works of art.” Curators- Cristina Rodriguez & Monique Arguelles