Artists sought for UWSP Native American memorial project
Metro Wire Staff
UW-Stevens Point is seeking proposals from artists or teams of artists for a project that will use original outdoor public art or an artistic memorial marker to recognize and honor Native American tribes.
According to a news release from the school, the project will become a permanent marker to honor the members of the Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Potawatomi, and Ojibwe tribes buried on campus grounds before UWSP was established.
The installation will also serve to educate the university community about the tragedy that led to the burial of these Native ancestors and engage the Native community through solicitation of art.
Submissions by Native artists will be given preference, as supported by the Federal Indian Art and Craft Act, but the call for artists is open to individuals who demonstrate a deep understanding of Native American history, voice, and experience in Wisconsin.
Submissions by collaborating artists or groups are eligible. The initial deadline for submissions is Monday, Feb. 14.
A selection committee of up to four Natives representing the Ho-Chunk, Menominee, and Potawatomi tribes will forward their choice to UWSP Chancellor Thomas Gibson. The selected artist will receive a $5,000 honorarium for artwork designs, and fabrication and installation of the work can total up to $25,000.
A grant from the UW System will pay for the project. Installation is expected to begin in June.
Acceptable artwork may include a large-scale mural, sculpture, memorial monument, or multiple media pieces that could include wood, stone, metal, and paint for outdoor display.
A temporary marker now recognizes Native ancestors who died during a scarlet fever epidemic in the 1860s and were buried in what is now a site south of the Dreyfus University Center.
For submission details, go to www.uwsp.edu/chancellor/Documents/CallforArt.pdf.