For Mvskoke Nation citizen Carly Treece, art is a way to share Indigenous stories with the wider community, and now, she’s expanding her reach to the national level at the Santa Fe Indian Market.
Treece curated the “13 Counties” art display as part of the Work of Sovereignty exhibit this past spring, an opportunity that sprung from her work as a public fellow during the 2022-23 academic year. The fellowship gave her useful insights about working on gallery exhibits, piecing together historical and artistic pieces to create a larger narrative. Treece adds that she learned other valuable skills during her time as a fellow. “The OCH Fellowship helped deepen my thinking skills and engage with people that are at different levels and places in life than me,” she says. “It gave me an opportunity to build confidence in my art and have my voice heard through discussions and presentation in seminar.”
That opportunity is opening more doors. Currently, Treece is preparing for an exhibition at the Santa Fe Indian Market. The Market is known as the largest juried Native American art show in the world and brings together more than 1,000 Native artists from around 100 different tribal communities across North America and Canada.
Called Keepers of the Land, her exhibit will be one of four in the Sovereign Santa Fe Show organized by FaraHNHeight Fine Art. “This exhibit explores the rich and deep-rooted connection between Indigenous people and the lands we live upon,” Treece says. “It incorporates the spiritual, physical and emotional connection [to] the land between past, present and future generations.” Treece will display her work together with pieces from 13 contemporary Native American artists from six different Tribal Nations in Oklahoma – some of whom were featured in Work of Sovereignty. Keepers of the Land will be on display in the Lumpkins Ballroom at LaFonda on the Plaza Hotel in Santa Fe from August 18-20.
Treece continues to work on other projects. While preparing for Keepers of the Land, she is curating another collaborative exhibit featuring work by BIPOC Womxn and Two-Spirit artists called “Survived By.” The exhibit will open at Positive Spaces Gallery in Tulsa this October. Treece’s work will also be displayed at the Cherokee Art Market October 14-15.
If you are unable to visit Treece’s upcoming exhibitions in person, there are other ways to support from home. Follow Tvlse Studios and the Keepers of the Land accounts on Instagram to stay up to date with her work. Treece will have jewelry and prints (including a limited number of 13 Counties prints) available on her website at the end of July, and she is also available for cultural consultation. All proceeds help to cover travel costs.