The Billy Jack Walking Tall Gallery in Minneapolis came under fire last week for its recent exhibit Indian Uprisings by Minneapolis artist Vanessa Kills Twice (Dakota). The installation is a piecing together of various historic U.S. “massacres” perpetrated upon white colonists and pioneers by Native Americans in efforts to protect their lands and their lives. The central piece Scalp, a 50-foot statue constructed from metals and recycled materials, depicts the 1804 painting The Death of Jane McCrea by John Venderlyn, and is the culprit for the majority of the outrage by the Minneapolis Caucasian community. Margaret Duh, white area resident, spoke out on the issue: “What was the gallery thinking? This is an outrage to the memory of my dear ancestors. Someone in the Caucasian community should have been consulted. Any time a colonist is depicted being bludgeoned to death by clubs, or what have you, it ceases being “art” and becomes “atrocity porn.” I’m thoroughly disgusted by the lack of sensitivity the gallery has demonstrated.”Read More on the Story:
Tiffany Midge: Minnesota Art Gallery to Demolish ‘Indian Uprisings’ Exhibit After Caucasian Community Protest (Indian Country Media Network 6/1)
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