Native Goes Pop

John Sena | The New Mexican August 1, 2004 Graffiti. Slam poetry. Skateboards. These are not what people think about when they hear the term American Indian art. Things are changing. All of these art forms were featured during the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum’s Pop Life event Saturday night in the museum’s courtyard. "It's evolution," said Rose Simpson, one of the night's performers. Simpson was one of two graffiti artists who spray painted a collaborative mural while Dallas’ DJ Kwaikane spun hip hop beats in the background. Simpson also read poetry. Simpson, as did other performers, based a lot of her material on Native themes. "I think it's important for Native people to understand their culture and roots," she said. Simpson should know about both contemporary and traditional methods. Her mother, Roxanne Swentzell, is the poster artist for this year's Indian Market. But Simpson is quick to note that her art is about expression, and though influenced by tradition, is not d! ictated by it. "I just think to be strong, no matter what you do, is important," she said. "It's not banking off being Native." The event Saturday coincided with the opening of Native Nollies: Skateboard Deck Art by Douglas Miles. Miles paints both Native and contemporary characters on his skateboards, and he said he wanted the opening to be an event to encourage Native youth. "Everyone should be able to make the art they want to make," he said. Miles also participated in an artist-in-residence program leading up to Saturday’s event, in which he worked with a Jicarilla Apache youth group. Nancy Strickland, an IAIA student interning with the museum this summer, said his influence had a big impact on the program's participants. "It reinforces Native culture, and it’s not coming from Mom and Dad," Strickland said. "It makes it fresh, gives them a new light to look at it with." In addition to the Miles' exhibition and performances b! y scheduled readers, Saturday’s event also featured a skateboard-desig n contest, poetry slam and hands-on art booths where people could make their own pieces. "Since we're already an art school, we deal with the youth," the museum’s interim director Joseph Sanchez said. "We would like to see more of them participating in the museum." The skateboard design contest winner, Nicole O'Donnell of Acoma Pueblo, said she just took up creating art, but after meeting Miles and attending the event, it is something she will definitely continue to do. "I think it's awesome what (Miles) is doing with Native youth," she said. Marla Redcorn-Miller, the event’s organizer, said the event was intended to encourage young Native people to create newer, individualized perspectives of themselves. "It resonates with younger Indian people," she said. "It gives them a venue to express themselves."