Jolene Rickard facts for kids

Jolene Rickard, born in 1956, is a member of the Tuscarora Nation. She is a talented artist, a curator (someone who organizes art shows), and a historian who studies art and culture. She works at Cornell University and focuses on topics important to Indigenous peoples. She even helped create two big exhibits at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

Early Life and Education

Jolene Rickard was born in 1956 in Niagara Falls, New York. Her grandfather was Clinton Rickard, a Tuscarora chief. In 1977, she studied at the London College of Printmaking. She earned her first degree (BFA) from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Later, in 1991, she received her master's degree (MA) from Buffalo State College. In 1996, she completed her Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo. After finishing her studies, she worked as an art director for television and a graphic designer. She then moved back to the Tuscarora Reservation in upstate New York.

Her Art and Photography

Jolene Rickard is known for her unique art, especially her photography. She sees her photos as connected to the old ways of Iroquois beadwork artists. She believes her work shows how light and texture can represent spiritual ideas.

Famous Artworks

• 3 Sisters (1989): This is a black-and-white photograph and color copy. It shows the artist's sleeping face mixed with images of squash, beans, and corn. These are known as the Three Sisters, which are important traditional crops.
• I See Red in the 90's (1992): This is a series of six photographs. It was created to protest the 500-year anniversary of Columbus arriving in America. It also includes a picture of herself.
• ...the sky is darkening (2018): This artwork includes beautiful beadwork made by both old and new artists. It explores the idea of the Cayuga people reclaiming their land.

Academic Career

Jolene Rickard is a professor at Cornell University. She teaches in the Art History department and the American Indian and Indigenous Studies program. She is also the director of the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program at Cornell. From 2009 to 2010, she was the temporary head of the Art Department there.

Curatorial Projects

Jolene Rickard has helped organize many important art exhibitions. Here are some of her key projects:

• Deskaheh in Geneva, 1923-2023: Defending Haudenosaunee Sovereignty (2023): This exhibition was held in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (2004–2015): She helped create two of the first major exhibitions for this museum in Washington, D.C. These were called "Our Peoples" and "Our Lives."
• Across Borders: Beadwork in Iroquois Life (1995–99): She co-curated this project with Dr. Ruth Phillips. It was a collaboration with cultural centers and museums in Quebec.

Selected Exhibitions

Jolene Rickard's art has been shown in many exhibitions around the world. Here are a few examples:

• Red River Crossing (1996) at The Swiss Institute, New York City.
• Reservation X (1998) at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Quebec.
• Native Nations (1998) at the Barbican Art Center, London, U.K.
• Lifeworlds – Artscapes: Contemporary Iroquois Art (2004) at the Museum Der Weltkulturen, Germany.
• Western New York and Beyond Exhibition (2005) at the Albright Knox, Buffalo, New York.
• Hearts of Our People (2019-2020): This exhibition traveled to several museums, including the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Frist Museum, the Renwick Gallery, and the Philbrook Museum of Art.
• Speaking with Light: Contemporary Indigenous Photography (2022-2023) at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas.

Awards

Jolene Rickard has received several important awards for her work:

• Ford Foundation Research Grant
• Cornell University Society of the Humanities Fellowship (2010-2011)

See also

• Native American women in the arts
• Visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas