The Power of Art and a Vision
Matika Wilbur wraps up her year as Santa Monica College's Artist-In-Residence with a talk, reception and book signing.
“Good evening relatives!” Matika Wilbur greets the audience as she walks on stage in front of a packed house at The Eli and Edythe BroadStage with a great big smile and a contagious laugh. She teases the audience good naturedly, encouraging a response of “Say, good evening Matika!” The audience enthusiastically obliges.
Wilbur is the 2022-2023 artist-in-residence at Santa Monica College (SMC) and author of the book “Project 562: Changing The Way We See Native America.” She is a photographer, writer, podcaster and public speaker from the Tulalip and Swinomish Tribes, who profiled representatives from 562 Native American tribes across the United States, or “Turtle Island,” as it is called by some Indigenous peoples.
This project took ten years and spanned six hundred thousand miles, with the intention to raise awareness and counter stereotypical images that have persisted to this day. At SMC, her influence inspired new curriculum and learning materials designed in collaboration with the art history department.
Many students in attendance at the May 8 closing reception were introduced to this work through a class they attended. Mariam Moges, a second year psychology and computer engineering major, said that one of her extra credit assignments was to come to the exhibit. She was moved by the commitment Wilbur had to completing this project.
“I just wanted to see the person who created all this, when you think of committing yourself to a decade’s worth of work, and everything that comes with it,” Moges said.
To computer science major Aldo Barrera, Wilbur’s motivation in documenting hundreds of Native American tribes stood out to him.
“It shows how little America has spent in investigating the differences between each tribe, and trying to recognize them,” Barrera said.
The auditorium was packed, and many more people came for the second half of the evening, where Wilbur signed copies of her book inside the photo gallery. Others gathered in the courtyard to chat and enjoy the catered dinner before going inside to view the artwork. The line of people waiting to purchase her book affirmed the interest in her work.
“I’ve always been interested in photography, and over the past two years, I’ve been finding my own Indigenous roots, and part of that is learning from other Indigenous cultures and seeing the similarities,” said architecture student Jacob Rojas. “So it’s really inspiring to see someone making art out of culture.”
Emily Silver, professor and director of the Pete & Susan Barrett Art Gallery, and SMC Photography Department Chair Josh Sanseri were instrumental in getting Wilbur’s work up in the gallery. During the summer of 2022, they co-taught an experimental gallery class that had students learning how to put together the exhibition, from printing, mounting and building frames, to hanging the artwork on the walls, creating an entirely new curriculum and certification program.
Walter Meyer, art history professor and chair of the art department reflects, “It just shows what is possible, when you have a vision, and the will. It’s been amazing, working with the students. Just seeing how much of their world changes, not realizing what’s possible, not realizing what you can do with a career in the arts. Not realizing the impact you can have.”
The gallery exhibit will be up until May 15, 2023.
