Resounding Sovereign Expressions: Celebrating Indigenous Art and Voices in Northwest Arkansas

Resounding Sovereign Expressions” illustration by Cheanie Lopez-Hall, celebrating Indigenous artistry and cultural narratives in the Ozarks

From February 27 to March 2, 2025, the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville’s Center for Art as Lived Experience will host Resounding Sovereign Expressions: Resurgent Indigenuity in Ozark Arts Practice & Scholarship. This four-day event brings together Indigenous artists, musicians, activists, and scholars to explore collective memory and Indigenous futures through art, music, and dialogue.

Supported by a $25,000 Terra Foundation grant, the program includes round tables, artist talks, and performances at the Studio + Design Center and Mount Sequoyah’s Parker Hall and Miller Lodge. Featured participants include Nathan Young, Warren Realrider, Mekko Harjo, Demian DinéYazhi, and many more, with discussions on Indigenous representation, land return, and the Trail of Tears.

Co-curators Elise Boulanger (Osage Nation) and Serena Caffrey highlight the importance of honoring ancestral knowledge, addressing regional histories, and using art to tell stories of Indigenous presence and resilience. Gregory Jones, Native American Student Services Director, emphasizes the program’s role in uplifting Native voices and fostering meaningful dialogue within the community.

Resounding Sovereign Expressions is a collaboration between the Center for Art as Lived Experience, local Indigenous artists, educators, and the Terra Foundation for American Art, committed to expanding narratives of American art and fostering intercultural dialogues.

Learn more about the event by visiting sovereignexpressions.org.