A glimpse of the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s “BEYOND TRADITION: Indigenous Art of Columbus” exhibition at the Loann Crane Gallery — located at 182 E. Long St. Credit: Courtesy of Indigo Gonzales
The Greater Columbus Arts Council is highlighting indigeneity in Columbus through its latest exhibition, titled “BEYOND TRADITION: Indigenous Art of Central Ohio.”
According to a GCAC press release, the exhibition — co-curated by featured artists Indigo Gonzales, Juan Daza and Dexter Komakaru — will be on view until Jan. 29 at the Loann Crane Gallery, located at 182 E. Long St. Prominent visual themes will include “the harvest, harvest and lunar cycles, disconnection and reconnection to the land and reciprocity.”
For Gonzales, creating art is more than a creative outlet — it’s a ritual that honors their Indigenous background.
“I think that material expression and the ways in which I’m using my art-making inform my journey of identity reclamation, but also the grief that has come from these weaving of narratives from my ancestry that I have to hold on to and take care of,” Gonzales said.
When GCAC approached Gonzales to co-curate a gallery centering around Indigenous culture, they said they felt honored. When starting the project, Gonzales said they initially sought out pieces that reflected Central Ohio’s changing of seasons; however, they eventually decided to expand the exhibit’s scope to highlight more diverse Indigenous experiences.
“A lot of us are urban natives, some of us are from the rez, some of us have our own displacement stories,” Gonzales said. “Those who submitted work already had an idea of how they wanted to present themselves, and we just created that overall theme.”
Lacey Luce — marketing, communications and events strategist at GCAC — said the council has worked to reach minority communities across central Ohio since 2020, including the Indigenous community.
“For one thing, [the gallery] is an opportunity to empathize with somebody else’s lived experience,” Luce said. “One of the beautiful things about art is that it is a way of reminding each of us of our humanity.”
Gonzales said the exhibition showcases various art styles, including contemporary and traditional works, murals, paintings, prints and 3D pieces. In turn, these works feature different textures and materials such as beads, crystals and recycled materials.
This diversity reflects participating artists’ connection to the Indigenous diaspora and the challenges of preserving traditions while navigating the lasting effects of colonialism, Gonzales said.
Gonzales said one of their featured pieces, “Ancestor’s Dream,” draws from their personal reflections on ancestral displacement.
“No matter where we are in terms of who we are in relation to our personal life, who we are in our kinship, where we are in terms of the world, the fact that we are here today is in honor of [our ancestors],” Gonzales said. “I can continue to live the ways my ancestors have dreamed of because I can do that by returning to my breath.”
In addition, Gonzales said the gallery’s very location also holds meaning.
“Because of where Ohio is, especially Columbus, it was, of course, a central meeting space for so many tribes over the generations, and this is kind of a way in which we are recreating that process,” Gonzales said.
To ensure the council can successfully reach out to minority communities and connect with more local artists, Luce said GCAC developed a “Navigator program,” of which all three co-curators are currently part of.
According to the GCAC website, this program was first developed in 2023 and focuses on six aspects: awareness, education, accessibility, connection, growth and response.
Luce said the council has also hosted workshops at libraries and schools across Columbus to expand its reach and educate communities about its resources and opportunities.
“It’s not just posting something on social media and saying, ‘Oh hey, we announced it,’ but actually going out into communities and talking about it, and having human beings talking to human beings and creating that connection, and allowing people to feel more comfortable with whatever it is that they’re interested in that we’re doing,” Luce said.
Luce said engaging with these programs and workshops has been one of her favorite aspects of working at GCAC, as she can listen to community needs and take action accordingly.
“One of the things that I love about [GCAC] is that when there are criticisms, when we hear somebody in the community questioning something we’re doing, we listen,” Luce said. “I love that about this place — this willingness to grow, this willingness to learn and this willingness to listen and shift gears.”
Luce and Gonzales said they hope the space will continue platforming artists from various backgrounds and further GCAC’s effort to amplify others’ voices through art.
“We need the space to share our work, to be there together and to not be isolated,” Gonzales said. “Everybody is welcome.”
More information on upcoming and ongoing exhibitions, including “BEYOND TRADITION: Indigenous Art of Central Ohio,” can be found on the GCAC website.
