Columbia City Gallery is pleased to announce its next community exhibit: Creation Story. This exhibit features the work of Skokomish artists Denise Emerson (work shown above) and Hailey Brown (work below). Inspired by their shared background as Skokomish tribal members, the exhibit is an exploration and conversation across generations and mediums. 

As with the May/June 2023 exhibit, arnaq, hana’ack, smɁem, Creation Story celebrates Indigenous women artists and their stories. This exhibit is curated by Lena Ishel Rodriguez, proud Mexican of Nahua descent, in her solo curatorial debut. Previously Lena contributed to Cosmic Beings in Mesoamerican and Andean Art at Seattle Art Museum, and Inside the Mask at the Hammer Museum. 

Denise Emerson (work shown above) has received numerous accolades for her work, including a recent award from the Washington State History Museum. Denise says: “Learning about creation stories from my parents gave me a meaningful reason for being alive and how we got here – from the struggles of our ancestors and from belief systems such as the different levels of life where animals, plants, and humans lived and evolved to enter this world.” 

Hailey Brown (work above) says that art is a way of storytelling that connects us to our minds, while challenging our imagination. “As a Native American artist, every piece I create brings me closer to my ancestors – allowing them to guide us through life, while taking a trip to the past and future.” 

The exhibit opens Wednesday, September 27 and runs through Sunday, November 12, 2023.  
An artists’ reception will be held on Saturday, September 30, 5-7pm. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.  

With this exhibit, Columbia City Gallery continues its commitment to promoting the art and culture of Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest.

The exhibit is made possible in part thanks to funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and Seattle Foundation.