The inaugural exhibition showcases the grand opening of Nuwu Art Gallery + Community Center
The SOOV Exhibition by Artivist and MFA candidate Fawn Douglas is the inaugural exhibition for the grand opening of Nuwu Art Gallery + Community Center on April 22 with the exhibit on display through May 7.
The Nuwu Art Gallery + Community Center is a POC-owned space in Southern Nevada that works to uplift our communities through strengthening cultural knowledge and identity through the arts, activism, and education. Nuwu Art advocates for the equity of our communities through an ongoing process of decolonization,
Fawn will be presenting her thesis exhibition and culminating show SOOV for the Master of Fine Arts Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). SOOV will also make history as the inaugural exhibition that opens the doors of the Nuwu Art Gallery + Community Center for the first time to the public.
“The word soov translates to “willow” or “sumac” in the Southern Paiute language. It is a word that represents me: strength, creativity, and a builder of things that will last. My art is a woven testament to my history, my present, and what I wish to sustain into the future. My work is a reflection of not only myself, but of my people, my community, and a dream placed into motion that will surpass me, generations into the future,” says Fawn.
Fawn calls herself an “artivist” and is an Indigenous American artivist and enrolled member of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe. She comes from a proud mixed heritage of Las Vegas Paiute, Moapa Paiute, Southern Cheyenne, Creek, Pawnee, and Scottish. Fawn is the head matriarch of Nuwu Art + Activism Studios, located in the heart of the Historic Huntridge Neighborhood in Las Vegas. She is dedicated to the intersections of art, activism, community, education, culture, identity, place, and sovereignty. Within her art-making, she tells stories in order to remember the past and to ensure the stories of Indigenous peoples are heard in the present. Her studio practice includes painting, weaving, sculpture, dance, and other types of performance.
Fawn currently does art and cultural consulting through Nuwu Art organizes with the nonprofit
IndigenousAF, and works part-time as a Cultural Engagement Specialist with Meow Wolf. She is completing her Master of Fine Arts at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she teaches Art Fundamentals as a graduate instructor in the Department of Art. Fawn was recently inducted into the 18th Annual UNLV College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame.
The Nuwu Art team consists of artivist Fawn Douglas and educator Dr. A.B. Wilkinson. Fawn is an Indigenous artist and activist who is currently completing the MFA program at UNLV. A.B. is an associate professor in the Department of History at UNLV. Professor Wilkinson has research and teaching interests in African American history, Native American history, Ethnic Studies, decolonial theory, and critical race theory in the Americas and Caribbean. Fawn and A.B. are the co-owners of Nuwu Art, which houses the Nuwu Art Collective—a group of diverse artists who share space at the Nuwu Art Studios and express themselves through film, comics, curation, painting, performance, mixed media, and other mediums.
IndigenousAF (IAF Inc.) is a nonprofit organization in Nevada that supports community work and projects which strengthen Indigenous cultures, knowledge, and identity through the arts and education. IAF Inc. raises and distributes funding directly for experienced individuals, groups, and sister organizations that help to preserve and extend cultural traditions within our beautifully diverse communities. IndigenousAF members help manage and organize programming at the Indigenous Arts Facilities, located at the Nuwu Art Center.
The schedule of the exhibit is:
Opening Performance and Reception: 6 to 8 p.m. on April 22
Show Dates: April 22 to May 7
Nuwu Art Gallery Hours
Weekdays: Private viewings by appointment only. RSVP with nuwuart@gmail.com
Saturdays: April 23 (Closed), April 30 and May 7, Noon to 5 p.m.
Sundays: April 24 and May 1, Noon to 5 p.m.
Artist Talk and Closing Reception: 6 to 8 p.m. May 6
SOOV Exhibition will be present at the Nuwu Art Gallery + Community Center, located at 1331 S. Maryland Parkway. The Parking entrance is at 1325 S. Maryland Parkway. For more information visit www.nuwuart.com and www.indigenousAF.org.