California Trail Interpretive Center Presents Annual Temporary Exhibit, “Through Our Own Eyes: A Native American Youth Art Exhibition”
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ELKO, Nev. – The California Trail Interpretive Center presents its third annual temporary exhibit that features paintings by Native American students from Owyhee Combined School, located in the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Owyhee, Nevada.
“Through Our Own Eyes: A Native American Youth Art Exhibition” opens on July 1 and will run through October. The exhibit includes over 100 paintings by Owyhee junior high and high school students.
The Duck Valley Indian Reservation is in both Nevada and Idaho, and is occupied by descendants of the Western Shoshone and Northern Paiute tribes.
“Students who have participated in past exhibits have shown great skill and growth in their art,” said Kit Julianto, former Owyhee Combined School art teacher. “As we continue to build on our education, we also take time to remember who we are and where we come from in terms of holding our Native American beliefs, values, traditions, and culture with high regards.”
Many of the students included artist statements with their artwork. Marquell Knight, a senior, created the painting, “Great Grandfather.” He attached the following statement with his painting: “This is a portrait of my great grandfather. My grandma’s dad. He taught us to respect every living thing and knowledge about our culture.”
The paintings, combined with the statements, provided the artists the opportunity to interpret their culture, experiences and insights through both paint and words.
Julianto worked closely with California Trail Interpretive Center staff to create the exhibit.
“We are so proud of Owyhee students, and we appreciate being able to share their beautiful paintings and culture with our visitors,” said Supervisory Park Ranger Alex Rose. “It’s wonderful to see their progress as artists over the years.”
Most of the paintings are for sale through the Southern Nevada Conservancy, a Trail Center partner.
For more information about the California Trail Interpretive Center, call (775) 738-1849. Visit the Trail Center online at www.californiatrailcenter.org or https://www.facebook.com/californiatrailinterpretivecenter/.
The California Trail Interpretive Center is located eight miles west of Elko on I-80, Hunter exit 292. The Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.