Artist Alyssa Hinton to Present Mercer-Kesler Lecture

Artist Alyssa Hinton, whose work is being exhibited in Meredith’s Weems Gallery, will present the 2020 Mercer-Kesler Lecture. This lecture series invites scholars in the areas of visual arts, architecture, and religion to speak at Meredith about their work.

Hinton will present “Visions, Prophecy & Native American Cultural Reawakening” on September 24 at 4:30 p.m. The lecture will be presented via Zoom. Register here for the lecture

The Mercer-Kesler lecture will feature music by Charly & The Sunshine. Charly Lowry, an award-winning, singer-songwriter, is an activist for Lumbee and Native American rights. Lowry immerses herself in the culture of American music and expands her listening ear to various genres, all the while composing songs that give a personal account of her experience as an Indigenous woman walking in two worlds.

The exhibition, Alyssa Hinton: Spiritual Awakening-Native Roots & Culture, will be on view in the Weems Gallery through October 19, 2020. An in-person reception, with limited attendance in keeping with COVID-19 safety standards, will also be held on September 24, starting at 5:30 p.m. Registration is required. 

Using vibrant colors that awaken the soul, Hinton, a mixed media artist, illustrates a theme of cultural regeneration through her unique southeastern Native American imagery. Her work is a provocative portrayal of the folklore and history surrounding her roots, utilizing tradition and vision with a contemporary edge.

Her recent themes reflect an attempt to untangle a complicated web of events pertaining to the displacement of her Tuscarora (Eastern North Carolina) and Osage (Missouri/Kansas) ancestors. Hinton’s narrative earth conscious works speak to the preservation of both the ecology and indigenous spiritual traditions. They bring to light aspects of a distinct by under-represented southeastern Native experience, one whose basic worldview is rooted in ancient Mississippian mound culture. On a more personal note, by uncovering what has been denied or seemingly lost, the work also chronicles the artist’s “inner restoration”.

The exhibition and lecture are part of the 2020-21 Arts & Humanities theme “Belonging.”

Visit Meredith’s Cultural Arts site for more information on upcoming arts events.