Native American artists to participate in 2013 Map(ing) project

In less than seven weeks, ASU School of Art, its printmaking students and Associate Professor Mary Hood host five Native American artists who are participating in the 2013 biennial Map(ing) project on the ASU Tempe campus.

When Hood launched the first Map(ing) project in 2009, her vision was bold: assemble Native and Indigenous contemporary artists to collaborate with graduate students in the School of Art’s top-ranked printmaking program to produce in one week limited edition original prints. The artists did not need to have previous printmaking experience. In fact, Hood preferred that they did not. But they did need to have strong artistic visions and open, willing spirits to help cultivate an environment of mentoring, communication and deep respect for people and place. Each artist would be paired with two students, whose expertise in printmaking processes and techniques would be used to bring the artist’s vision alive through printmaking.

Since that first Map(ing) project, 11 artists and 20 School of Art printmaking graduate and selected undergraduate students have participated, creating 13 limited edition prints which have become part of the permanent collection of the ASU Art Museum and the School of Art print archive in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

This year, Hood and the art students hope to raise $5,000 by 7 p.m., Nov. 23, in a Kickstarter campaign to help pay for materials, artist travel expenses, food for the seven-day project, and a modest stipend for student collaborators. As part of this year’s fundraising efforts, sponsors donating $500 to the project’s Kickstarter account receive an original print from the Map(ing) 2013 suite. Sponsorship categories range from $1 to $500 with donors receiving everything from posters, postcards and a heartfelt “Shout Out’’ on the project website depending on the donation level. So far, more than $1,500 has been donated.

The project has provided students in the ASU School of Art printmaking program an unprecedented experience collaborating with under represented artists in contemporary printmaking to create works that convey their culture, language and identity, and that have won some of the artists international recognition and other honors.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to host this program, which enriches our academic and surrounding communities in profound ways,” said Adriene Jenik, director of the School of Art. “The work produced to date has been stellar and the generosity of the artists involved in this production and learning exchange inspires and humbles those involved.”

Artists participating this year include C. Maxx Stevens, Seminole/Mvscogee; Nicholas Galanin, Tlingit/Aleut; Sonja Kelliher-Combs, Inupiaq/Athasbaskan; Rowan Harrison, Dine (Navajo)/Pueblo of Isleta; and Thomas Greyeyes, Dine (Navajo).

“Each artist brings a wealth of experience to the printmaking studios by approaching the new medium, guided by their teams, with confidence and inquiry, allowing new forms of knowledge and creative outcomes to be discovered,’’ Hood said.

On Jan. 10, from 6-9 p.m., the Map(ing) 2013 project concludes with an event that includes an exhibition, reception and silent auction to benefit future Map(ing) events. This free public event is held at the Night Gallery at the Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, Ariz.

The Night Gallery is a community outreach gallery displaying works by ASU School of Art graduate students, faculty and alumni that embraces the role a university can play in the off-campus community. Night Gallery is a constantly changing, 3,800 square-foot exhibition and experimental art space made possible through a partnership between Vestar Development Company and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

To contribute to the Map(ing) 2013 Kickstarter fund, visit kickstarter.com/projects/457511619/maping and for more information on the project, visit asumapping.wordpress.com.