The land remembers

Jacob Meders faced a unique challenge. The Arizona-based artist had been invited to mount an exhibit of new works in Chico State’s Jacki Headley University Art Gallery. He’d also been asked to curate a show in The Turner print museum.

The galleries are in the Arts & Humanities Building and share lobby space just outside their doors. Meders’ commission was to create two very different exhibits—one of prints from the university’s vast Turner collection, the other of his own large-scale sculptural pieces, to be installed in the two neighboring (but not contiguous) galleries.

Complicating matters further, Meders is a member of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe and is intimately aware that the university and the city of Chico occupy land that once was the home of his tribe.

Meders’ goal was to merge these various elements into a multipart exhibition that cohered thematically and otherwise. Whether he’s been successful is up to each viewer. Those who give it only a cursory look will miss its many nuances and connections, but those who take the time to carefully contemplate the exhibit in its entirety and to read the several artist’s and curators’ statements will benefit greatly from this powerful exploration of indigenous history and art.

It’s best to begin with Aksum Belle: Afterwards, the exhibit of new works—curated by Kelly Lindner in conjunction with Meders—in the Headley gallery. It has five large pieces suggestive of the Mechoopda Maidu world, including: a tinted-blue print on curved, hardened paper that hangs from the ceiling and depicts salmon swimming upstream; a large woven basket structure suggestive of a fish trap; an earth-colored rug hanging from the ceiling and, beneath it, what appears to be a patch of soil; and a vinyl ribbon that extends Mechoopda images of mountains and rivers along the entire perimeter of the exhibit space. The designs are by Mechoopda artist Billy Preacher.

In an effort to expand the scope of the exhibit to include the entire city of Chico, Meders calls attention to the role newspapers played in justifying white appropriation of indigenous lives and culture. He has placed three newspaper racks around town, including one in the gallery lobby, another downtown in front of The Bookstore and the third at the Mechoopda offices (125 Mission Ranch Blvd.).

It’s unlikely that most viewers will make the effort to locate all three racks, but those who do will find they contain one-sheet prints made by Meders’ Warbird Press studio. Each has a different pointed message, one being “Remember your greed, California. The land remembers us.”

The three prints are also included in the Turner exhibit, titled Məəmento: Before, as are several other prints made by Meders. They are part of his overarching effort to broaden the imagery and significance of the exhibit by establishing connections with indigenous art on a global as well as a local level. And working with Turner curator Catherine Sullivan, Meders also selected a remarkable collection of indigenous prints from the musuem’s collection, pieces ranging from the Tlingit living in far northern Canada to native aboriginals in Australia. Their quality is stunning.

Meders is an assistant professor in the art department at Arizona State University, and he will be in town this week for two talks—tonight, Feb. 7, at Zingg Recital Hall and Saturday, Feb. 9, at The Turner. Both talks will be followed by receptions in the galleries.