Hailee Brown, DAMLI Native American Art Intern, talks about her experience as a Hood Senior Intern.
What does your internship at the Hood Museum entail?
As a Native American Art intern, I work with Associate Curator of Native American Art Jami Powell, Native American Art Fellow Morgan Freeman, and other interns to curate exhibits and community events. For example, I co-curated Unbroken: Native American Ceramics, Sculpture, and Design with Dillen Peace '19 which is scheduled to open at the Hood in 2021. I also helped organize the first Dartmouth Indigenous Fashion Show which was sponsored by the Hood and held in the atrium.
Why were you interested in a Hood Museum internship?
During my time at Dartmouth, I was a part of the Native American Studies Department Domestics Study Program in Santa, Fe New Mexico where I took classes at the Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA). That's where I developed a passion for Native American Art because I saw it as a tool to express Native peoples' complex experiences and feelings, which is often overlooked. The next term I was on campus, I heard about the new Native American Art department at the Hood and really wanted to be involved.
What has been the most memorable moment of your internship so far?
I have many fond memories of my time at the Hood. Working with Jami, Morgan, Dillen, and Melissa Flamand '20 in the Native American Art department was so much fun. I can't name the most memorable experience, but I will always cherish the time I spent with them in the office and in collections. I am very grateful for Jami and Morgan's mentorship; they have enhanced my Dartmouth experience in so many profound ways. I am always in awe of their determined work ethic, passion for art, and generous spirits. I also am very grateful for my friendships with Dillen and Melissa who have introduced me to new ideas and ways of seeing the world.
What is the topic of your Space for Dialogue exhibition and why did you choose it?
Instead of a Space for Dialogue exhibition, I curated the Unbroken: Native American Ceramics, Sculpture, and Design exhibition with Dillen Peace '19. Our goal with Unbroken is to challenge the viewers' preconceived ideas of Native American ceramics and sculpture by creating an exhibition that features early ceramics and sculpture works alongside contemporary ceramics and sculpture. By doing this, we hope to explore the continuity as well as the evolution of how contemporary Native American artists choose to create. We also hope the objects build upon one another to inform viewers of the dilemma that contemporary Native American artists face; a choice between continuity (of traditional themes, techniques, mediums, etc.) or evolution in the creative process. Unbroken features Native artists from the Hood's collection who choose to continue and refine the creative processes passed down to them as well as artists who choose to push these processes beyond what is expected.
If you could borrow one object from the Hood Museum's collection to display in your home, what would it be?
This is a tough question to answer, but I think I would borrow Old Days Modern Ways by Ken Williams Jr. (Arapaho & Seneca). When I first saw this, I couldn't stop studying the intricate beadwork, dazzling sparkle, and overall design. I'd also love to wear this to an event like Santa Fe Indian Market or the Heard Indian Fair & Market.