sa国际传媒官网网页入口

Downtown sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 newest art space, Kukani, is owned and operated by an Indigenous artist, Jesse Littlebird.

Littlebird recently appeared on the Journal podcast 鈥淲ork in Progress: Conversations with Creators鈥� and spoke about his hopes that Kukani would build bridges across different cultural and artistic communities.

鈥淭he gallery鈥檚 name is Kukani, which is a Keres word. It comes from my Keres heritage from Laguna and Santo Domingo (pueblos), specifically the Keres dialect from Laguna. It means simply 鈥榬ed,鈥� but it also describes the red earth, so that describes a lot of the iron oxide red earth that we have here in New Mexico,鈥� Littlebird said.

鈥淚t is a place that we are looking to foster community in ways that aren鈥檛 seen here. We鈥檙e not trying to fit in the mold of other galleries. We run a nonprofit side, as well, alongside the commercial gallery,鈥� he said.

Littlebird said he wants to showcase artists with interesting and diverse backgrounds whose stories aren鈥檛 being told elsewhere.

鈥淥ne of the artists that we represent, Ruben Cantu, grew up going back and forth between Panama and here. So, he has a very unique experience that we鈥檙e really trying to champion at our gallery,鈥� Littlebird said. 鈥淎nd his (critical) take on pop culture and American consumerism really aligns with our vision, and my vision as a curator at the gallery.鈥�

Both of Littlebird鈥檚 parents were artists, so he said he grew up immersed in a world of 鈥淚ndigenous storytelling.鈥�

At Kukani鈥檚 grand opening on March 27, he exhibited a painting by his father, Larry Littlebird, alongside his own work and that of several emerging artists, emphasizing cultural continuity across generations. As Jesse Littlebird explained, Indigenous artists do not always try to be original above all else, but often seek to balance individual and collective modes of expression.

鈥淭here鈥檚 freedom in carrying on a legacy,鈥� Littlebird said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of that here, specifically in the Native art world. You can see it in jewelry. You can see it in pottery. You apprentice under your elders.鈥�

Littlebird wants to bring that community-centered way of thinking and acting to Kukani, making it a place where everyone can feel welcome and where conceptual and formal experimentation can coexist with works that are deeply rooted in tradition.

鈥淲e want to make art accessible to everyone,鈥� he said.

Part of his strategy to make Kukani accessible and inclusive involves selling affordable prints and streetwear, similar to what Keith Haring did with his Pop Shop on the New York subway. The idea is to put contemporary art within reach of a much broader cross-section of people, beyond wealthy art collectors.

Littlebird is also partnering with other galleries, namely FaraHNHeight Fine Art in Santa Fe and Revolt Gallery in Taos.

鈥淲e call ourselves the Road North Collective,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n the future, we would like to have experiences where people could fly in from all over the world and make a trip up this 鈥榬oad north,鈥� between the three galleries. But right now we鈥檙e just in the beginning stages of it.鈥�

鈥淚 always say that鈥檚 the most exciting period,鈥� Littlebird added, 鈥渂ecause we haven鈥檛 really defined exactly what it鈥檚 going to be, but we鈥檙e in this space where there鈥檚 a bright future on the horizon.鈥�

Littlebird said one of the most important kernels of philosophy he got from his father was the importance of listening 鈥� whether listening to nature, listening to other people or listening for an unfinished painting to tell him what it wants to become.

鈥淎ll storytelling really does start with listening,鈥� Littlebird said.

And he wants Kukani to evolve naturally, too, through a process of listening to local artists and community members. Littlebird鈥檚 open-minded, open-hearted approach might make it hard to predict exactly what Kukani will look like in one year, or five years. But it鈥檚 already a dynamic addition to Downtown sa国际传媒官网网页入口, and it will be exciting to see how it develops.

New art gallery, 'Kukani,' building cultural bridges