The Cameron University art program is pleased to present visiting artist Hattie Lee Mendoza, who will present “Cultivating and Presenting a Joy of Cultural Differences, Influences and Histories,” a visual lecture, on Thursday, March 28, in the McCutcheon Recital Hall at 6 p.m. Following the lecture, Mendoza will be celebrated with a closing reception at 7:30 p.m. in the Art Teaching Gallery, where “Inheriting Joy,” an exhibition of her work that is now on display. Both events are open to the public at no charge.
During the lecture, Mendoza will showcase her works in a variety of traditional and mixed media that encompass her artistic journey.
“As a member of the Cherokee Nation, my process is a personal expression of the Native American diaspora,” Mendoza says. “Indigenous peoples were inventive with resources as they were removed from native homelands to new environments. Resourcefulness is instilled in my mind not only from my native ancestry, but also from a rural Kansas upbringing. I myself am a collage of cultures. I react by collaging materials from my ancestors’ contemporary community and personal collaging materials from my ancestors, contemporary community, and personal life experiences.”
Mendoza describes her studio as “a flux of mediums and objects in constant conversation: a gouache painting is printed on fabric, which is collaged, then informs a piece of wearable art or inspires the composition of a new gouache painting. Nothing is off-limits to being repurposed and reimagined.”
Through her research into traditional arts, Mendoza incorporates imagery abstracted from moccasin beading patterns into her paintings. Some works utilize actual beading and sewing.
Graphic design, fine art, and craft are all woven together in my studio, at times literally,” Mendoza says. “Cultivating the joy that arises from cultural differences gives hope for future tribes, countries, and personal communities.”
Mendoza’s exhibition, “Inheriting Joy,” can be viewed in the Art Teaching Gallery, located in the Art Building, during Cameron’s regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Note: The exhibition will not be available for viewing from March 18-22 as campus will be closed for Spring Break.
For more information, contact Edna McMillan, professor of art, at 580-581-2452 or ednam@cameron.edu.
Funding for Mendoza’s lecture and exhibition has been provided by CU Lectures and Concerts.
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PR#24-036
