Three Native artists showcased at Museum of Wisconsin Art Milwaukee location

The Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) presents “Strange Lands” showcasing three Native American artists—Tom Antell, Chris T. Cornelius, and Sky Hopinka. The exhibition is on view October 7, 2022–January 8, 2023 at the museum’s downtown Milwaukee satellite location, MOWA | DTN.

“Strange Lands” examines the artwork and voices of these artists in the context of contemporary canons of art, but also demonstrates their singular experience as Indigenous Americans.

“In curating ‘Strange Lands,’ I was drawn to the ambiguity of these artists’ work—these artworks offer a tangential experience, grounded as much in a realm of dream as the history of the known world,” guest curator Rafael Francisco Salas said.

Tom Antell uses cartoon imagery and dark humor in his paintings, playing out absurd, colorful allegories on the blasted agrarian landscapes of corporate farms and colonized fields.

Chris T. Cornelius is an architect and Chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of New Mexico. He is the founding principal of Studio: Indigenous, a design practice serving Indigenous clients, and uses an expansive drawing practice as an endemic process of creation and storytelling,

Sky Hopinka is an internationally acclaimed artist and filmmaker. His projects have been exhibited at the Tate Modern and the Whitney Biennial. “Perfidia,” an artist’s book that Hopinka published in 2020, translates from Spanish to “perfidy,” an act of treachery or betrayal. Hopinka’s hushed and atmospheric poetry obliquely communicates this theme. In combination with his film works, his poetry voices a lost and longing search.

The museum’s satellite gallery MOWA | DTN is located inside Saint Kate—The Arts Hotel in the cultural district of downtown Milwaukee. MOWA | DTN is open to the public daily during hotel lobby hours, 7:00am–Midnight.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART

A vital cultural center, educational institution, an expanding network of ideas, the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) collects and interprets American art through the lens of a single state. Informed by dynamic initiatives and collaborations, MOWA is an innovative forum for contemporary artists, socially relevant exhibitions, lectures by artists and industry experts, and engaging classes and activities for all ages.

MOWA has two permanent venues—the West Bend “Mothership” and MOWA | DTN in downtown Milwaukee’s Saint Kate—The Arts Hotel—as well as two partnering community organizations that create access across the state. MOWA annually welcomes 200,000 visitors, making it a cultural destination for the art and artists of our time.