ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State University and the Johnson Fine Arts Center Gallery, working with media artists Teri Rueb and Alan Price, have engaged students, faculty and community members across the Dakotas and beyond to create a collaborative mapping project that focuses on the land, water and people of Aberdeen and the Dakotas more broadly.
The exhibition opening for “Of Land and Dreams” will be 6-8 p.m. April 21 in the JFAC Gallery. An Artist Talk will take place noon-1 p.m. April 21, also in the JFAC Gallery.
“Of Land and Dreams” is a collective of local students, faculty and community members in Aberdeen and beyond who have come together over the course of nearly two years of dialogue with guest artists, Teri Rueb and Alan Price. The project encourages people to submit their own images, video clips or audio recordings to create a locally driven portrait of the region, thus the group expands with every contribution. As a collaborative mapping it can constantly change with each contribution. We encourage all to become part of this evolving image of place and people, land and dreams.
Overview: The Dakotas have become the focus of contemporary debate about land, water and natural resources. Dreams of different kinds have shaped this debate, from the dream of a black snake to the dream of finding a way of life that can connect us more mindfully to the places we call home. Can a dream bring us to new levels of consciousness about our place in the world? What do these dreams – and the Dakotas – hold as a collective image of connection and care for land, water and people? How can a map express these dreams and what might such a map mean to people beyond the Dakotas? If we listen, can we hear the soul of the land speak, as if in a dream?
Media representations of and stories about the land, from the perspective of different cultures and the land itself, have been woven into a large-scale projected digital mapping that incorporates moving and still imagery, sound and text. The mapping continues to expand over the course of the exhibition with visitor participation. Media can be uploaded by participants using a mobile app and/or by posting to a Facebook Group page. We encourage participation at any stage of the project, but particularly now, during the period of the exhibition: April 21-Aug. 31, 2017. All are welcome to participate, regardless of location.
How to Participate:
Contribute via the MOBILE APP (media can be geo-located using the app):
https://goo.gl/w3M9qW
Contribute by posting to the Of Land and Dreams FB GROUP page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OfLandandDreams/
For more information about “Of Land and Dreams,” please contact Dr. Greg Blair at greg.blair@northern.edu or Teri Rueb at terirueb@gmail.com. For further information, visit http://terirueb.net/OfLandandDreams/.
About Northern State University
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