MSU NEWS SERVICE
BOZEMAN – The Montana State University Office of the President and the College of Arts and Architecture are presenting “Creative Nations,” a series of events to celebrate Native arts and creativity, held from February through the first week of April.
“We have planned for this year’s President’s Fine Arts Series since my arrival at MSU [in July 2012],” said Nancy Cornwell, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture. “It’s something we are extraordinarily proud of. It feels timely, important, and absolutely humbling to present such caliber of artistic work.”
On Saturday, March 28 at 7 p.m., American Indian author Sherman Alexie will be giving a lecture at the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture. A prolific author, poet and screenwriter, Alexie was named one of The New Yorker’s top 20 writers of the 21st century. Much of his writing draws from his experiences as a modern Native American.
A free screening of “Winter in the Blood,” based on the novel by Native American author James Welch, will be held the following day at 2 p.m. at the Emerson Cultural Center. Produced by Alexie, the film examines a man named Virgil First Raise and how his quest to find his wife turns into an introspective journey. Alexie, film directors Alex and Andrew Smith, and actor Chaske Spencer, star of the film, will sit on a panel to answer questions after the screening.
Other highlights in the series include a lecture by MSU graduate Joe Horse Capture – the associate curator of the Collections Research and Documentation Department at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian on March 31 at the Museum of the Rockies at 7 p.m.
On April 1, “LaDonna Harris: Indian 101,” a documentary about Native activist LaDonna Harris and her work to help improve Native American policies, which will be shown in MSU’s Reynolds Recital Hall on April 1 at 7 p.m. A panel will follow featuring Harris and other trailblazers for Native American women including MSU President Waded Cruzado, MSU professor emeritus Henrietta Mann and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau.
The series ends with the annual MSU Pow Wow inside the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, April 3-4.
The theme for this year’s series is in keeping with MSU’s continued commitment to Native students, programs, scholarships and issues, according to Cruzado.
“Each event in the series demonstrates the beauty and strength of the Native American communities through authentic stories, creatively told,” she said.
All events are free and open to the public. Visit montana.edu/caa/pfas for a complete schedule of the series.
