Bella Nayquonabe Curates Art Installation at MLCV
Pinwheel, by Lynda Mitchell. Native art is so much more than painted pictures. We see it in nature and in the beautiful quilts that the ladies of the Mille Lacs Band Community carefully design and sew.
By LISA NOLAN, COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA SPECIALIST, MILLE LACS CORPORATE VENTURES
As we shared last month, interns are the future leaders of Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures. Each of this summer’s interns brought their own unique skills and passions to the team. A wonderful example of this is Bella Nayquonabe. During her internship, she took on a special project — an Indigenous art installation at MLCV headquarters.
Bella, alongside MLCV’s Director of Planning and Community Engagement, Beth Gruber, curated a colorful art installation featuring over a dozen handpicked pieces. To help this project come to life, Bella researched and sourced artwork from artists across the country, including pieces from the Midwest, the Southwest and even an Indigenous Hawaiian piece. The collection represents Native artists from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, the Navajo Nation, Kiowa Choctaw, Polynesian Hawaiian, Red Cliff Band of Superior Chippewa, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, the Cherokee Nation, and Laguna /Kewa Pueblo.
As the daughter of an artist herself, Bella knows how important it is to give a platform to Indigenous artists. “In this project, we wanted to give Native artists a chance of publicity along with exposing ourselves and others in the community to different types of art,” she says. This summer’s project was much more than a business lesson for Bella. In the end, it was more of a cultural and life lesson.
“Through all the art purchased, when analyzed carefully, you can see a story being told. I have learned to cherish and admire this,” Bella shares.
With November being Native American Heritage Month, it is the perfect time to visualize and admire the stories that Native art holds. From history to traditions to personal events, Native art is a purposeful way for the viewer to learn about the beauty that lies in American Indian cultures.
Bella and Beth plan to continue evolving the art installation by bringing in Indigenous street art. To learn more about the art installation and see more photos, please visit MLCV.com.
Gashkibidaaganan (Bandolier Bags), by Anthony Buckanaga. To Anishinaabe, these bags are treasured and considered one of the most honorable gifts to be given. Acrylic on Canvas.
