Steckline Gallery will present “Geo-Floral” by artist Taiomah Rutledge during a First Friday exhibition from 5-7 p.m. Sept. 5 at Newman University.
The exhibition will be on display Sept. 4-25. An Art for Lunch, which includes a discussion with the artist and a pizza lunch for Newman students, is Sept. 4 from noon-1 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.
About the exhibit
Rutledge describes his exhibition as rooted in the principle, “We will sing where our ancestors’ songs fell silent.”
“As a teaching artist and cultural advocate, I have applied this concept into my creative process,” Rutledge said. “Weaving woodland appliqué and Dakota florals into my contemporary printmaking and ledger work, I seek to restore our ancestral narratives and art forms, reclaiming and expanding upon them with art education and community engagement.”
His work celebrates his woodland and Northern Plains heritage and aims to strengthen both visibility and voice, he explained.
“When we can no longer be heard over the endless drone of stereotype, it is crucial for us to exist and to take up space; to re-establish our identities and strengthen belonging,” he said.
About the artist
Rutledge is a multidisciplinary artist and printmaker based in Wichita, Kansas. He is a member of the Ojibwe, Meskwaki and Dakota nations. He is a teaching artist and cofounder of Warclan Collective, and his work incorporates both First Nation perspectives and reclaiming cultural narratives.
He studied fine art and graphic design at Wichita State University and serves as a cultural advocate and mentor for Native youth, instructing with his family’s drum “Thunderhead” and collaborating with community members. Rutledge has presented workshops for the Contemporary Indigenous Arts Festival at WSU’s Ulrich Museum, the Wichita Art Museum and the “Culture as Prevention” project with the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma.
An Artist INC alumni and facilitator, Rutledge currently creates with The Gallery Place Project and Harvester Arts to advocate for art and community building.
About the Steckline Gallery
The Steckline Gallery is located inside the De Mattias Fine Arts Center on the Newman campus, 3100 McCormick. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. For more information, email Director of Steckline Gallery Emily Ritter at [email protected].
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