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 fourth 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 37 paintings by Owyhee junior high and high school students.
The Duck Valley Indian Reservation is located in both Nevada and Idaho, and is occupied by descendants of the Western Shoshone and Northern Paiute tribes.
"This year students that participated in the exhibit had a combination of native and modern art. Their understanding of beauty was a mixture of traditional Native American and modern beliefs," said Owyhee Combined School art teacher Andy Jim.
Many of the students included artist statements with their artwork. Monica Roa, a 7th grader, created the painting, “Twilights Night Sky.” She attached the following statement with her painting: “I did this painting because I love sunsets and thought I would amaze people on what I can do!”
The paintings, combined with the statements, provided the artists the opportunity to interpret their culture, experiences and insights through both paint and words.
Jim 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 Park Ranger Greg Feathers. “The variety of painting methods utilized and breadth of themes presented highlight the quality and creativity of these young artists.”
Most of the paintings are for sale through the Southern Nevada Conservancy, a Trail Center partner. All proceeds from sales go directly to the artists.
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.