Surviving the Long Wars

Newberry Library | Exhibition 2/28/2023 - 5/27/2023 |

Hyde Park Art Center | Exhibition 3/16/2023 - 7/9/2023 |

Chicago Cultural Center | Exhibition 3/4/2023 - 6/4/2023 |

SURVIVING THE LONG WARS is organized by Amber Zora, Aaron Hughes, Joseph Lefthand, Meranda Roberts, Therese Quinn and Ronak K. Kapadia, with support from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Institute for the Humanities Innovation Grant, UIC Award for Creative Activity, Chicago Cultural Center, Hyde Park Art Center, Newberry Library, DEMIL Art Fund, and the National Endowment for the Humanities Dialogues on the Experience of War Grant.

From the “American Indian Wars” to the “Global War on Terror,” SURVIVING THE LONG WARS explores the multiple, overlapping histories that shape our understanding of warfare, as well as the alternative visions of peace, healing, and justice generated by diverse communities impacted by war.

Inspired by the powerful artwork of Indigenous artists responding to the “American Indian Wars” and artists of the Greater Middle East reacting to the “Global War on Terror,” the second Veteran Art Triennial & Summit focuses on how these artistic responses complicate and are entangled with the creative practices of veterans. The featured artworks, projects, programs, and exhibitions create opportunities for people to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of war.

The project began in September 2022 with a virtual scholarly seminar series at the nexus of critical ethnic studies, Native/Indigenous studies, and Middle Eastern Studies on the histories and futures of Native rebellion in relation to US militarism and warfare. The project culminates in the second Veteran Art Triennial and Summit, in Spring 2023, at the Chicago Cultural Center, Hyde Park Art Center, and Newberry Library.

FEATURED ARTISTS:
Bassim Al Shaker, Hipolito Arriaga, Andrea Assaf, Miridith Campbell (Kiowa), June Carpenter (Osage), Brittany Chantele, Mahwish Chishty, Joe DeVera, Melissa Doud (Ojibwe), Sabba Elahi, Ali Eyal, Rodney Ewing, GOODW.Y.N., Darrell Wayne Fair, Frederick Gokliz (Apache), Chitra Ganesh, Mariam Ghani, Terran Last Gun (Piikani), Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds (Cheyenne and Arapaho Nation), Gina Herrera (Costa Rican and Tesuque Pueblo), Tom Jones (Ho-Chunk), Rajkamal Kahlon, Ruth Kaneko (Kānaka Wahine), Gilbert Kills Pretty Enemy III (Hunkpapa Lakota), Erika R. Land, Joseph Lefthand (Cheyenne-Arapaho, Taos, and Zuni tribes), Monty Little (Diné), Hanaa Malallah, Hector Rene Membreno-Canales, Dunya Mikhail, Chris Pappan (Kaw, Osage, and Cheyenne River Sioux heritage), Eric Perez, Yvette Pino, Michael Rakowitz, Gregory Rick, Sada, Carlos Sirah, Gerald Sheffield, Hussein Smko, Supaman (Apsáalooke), Starla Thompson (Potawatomi), Dwayne Wilcox (Oglala Lakota), Winfield Woundedeye, Yiran Zhang, and more.