Skip to content

Photographer Matika Wilbur’s New Exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum

Photographer Matika Wilbur shows us what real Indians look like

By Seattle Mag May 5, 2014

0514matikawilbur

This article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.

!–paging_filter–p“What does it mean to be an indian? What is Indian enough?” These are questions artist Matika Wilbur asks her subjects as she travels across the country interviewing and photographing members of more than 560 federally recognized Native American tribes. You can hear the diverse answers via audio clips—and see the similarly varied portraits—in the new exhibit emPhotographic Proof of Contemporary Indians: a href=”http://\/\/seattlemag.com.239elwb01.blackmesh.com/gallery/photographic-memories“Matika Wilbur’s Project 562/a/em. A member of the Swinomish and Tulalip tribes, Wilbur began her journey in late 2012, motivated by the desire to refute stereotypes about Native Americans and reveal the vibrant individuality present in these indigenous communities. On her travel blog (a href=”http://www.matikawilbur.com/blog” target=”_blank”matikawilbur.com/blog/a), Wilbur says, “We survived genocide. We survived relocation. We refuse termination. And we are doing our best to move beyond assimilation and the pressures of extinction.” By collecting rich histories and contemporary stories—and creating genuine portraits—Wilbur is helping to ensure the Native population is not just a thing of the past. 5/17–10/5 (artist lecture: 5/17, 4 p.m.). Times and prices vary.em Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave.; 253.272.4258;a href=”http://www.tacomaartmuseum.org” target=”_blank” tacomaartmuseum.org/a /em/p

 

Follow Us

Ferry Tales: Eight Indie Bookstores Worth the Ride

Ferry Tales: Eight Indie Bookstores Worth the Ride

Plan a summer day around these bookshops in Seattle, Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, Kingston, and Poulsbo.

Independent bookstores tend to be cornerstones of the communities in which they reside, and Seattle is no exception. In addition to helping customers discover their next read, these neighborhood hubs host weekly gatherings and events, like publication release parties, author talks, and book clubs. Many of them have cafés and reading tables that encourage lingering…

Rearview Mirror: Seattle Art Fair is Back, Nordstrom Throws a Block Party, and a Must-Try Ice Cream Sundae

Rearview Mirror: Seattle Art Fair is Back, Nordstrom Throws a Block Party, and a Must-Try Ice Cream Sundae

Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).

SEATTLE ART FAIR RETURNS  The buzziest event of the summer (well, aside from the World Cup), is returning next week. Now in its 10th edition, the Seattle Art Fair will once again take over the Lumen Field Event Center, packing it to the gills with art from 101 local, national, and international galleries. This year,…

Studio Sessions: Jennifer Leigh Harrison

Studio Sessions: Jennifer Leigh Harrison

Seattle artist Jennifer Leigh Harrison uses layers of paint and abstraction to explore what we carry beneath the surface.

Jennifer Leigh Harrison’s paintings are dense with movement. Color and texture gather into mosaic-like fields, as if they have been fractured and reformed. There are places in the work where a frenetic buzz seems trapped between the canvas and the first layer of paint. That energy runs through Patterns of Belonging, her current exhibition at…

ENHYPEN’s Jay Has K-Pop Stardom and a Seattle Heart

ENHYPEN’s Jay Has K-Pop Stardom and a Seattle Heart

The Federal Way-raised singer talks hometown memories, Ivar’s clam chowder, and how it feels to perform in the place he grew up.

Long before he was performing in sold-out arenas around the world and representing brands like Prada, ENHYPEN’s Jay called the Puget Sound region home. Born Jay Park (not to be confused with the other famous K-pop star of the same name, who is also from Seattle) in Seattle and raised in nearby Federal Way before…