Poetic Justice
Lessons in Art, Poetry and Time
Look In The Mirror
When the events of summer 2020 kicked off a period of activism that recalled the civil rights and feminist movements of the 1960s, New Mexico Museum of Art Curator of Contemporary Art Merry Scully got to thinking.
A Museum Activity Kit
She had three artists on her mind: Judith F. Baca, Mildred Howard and Jaune Quick-to-See Smith.
Activity kits inspired by women artists have been developed by the New Mexico Museum of Art.
All three women had come of age during these movements. Over decades, in paintings, installations, film and monumental works, each artist addressed difficult issues on both global and local levels—civil rights, housing, land use and the environment, to name just a few. In their works, Scully saw lessons for newer generations.
A self-portrait by artist Beatrice Wood, for example, encourages students to make their own self portrait at home. Materials needed: • Mirror • White paper (8.5” x 11”) • Pencil eraser • Colored pencils • Watercolors
“They were telling stories and histories that were often considered on the periphery, and because of the subject matter and their gender, they were often marginalized,” says Scully. She knew their works and struggles needed to be recognized and contextualized today. Thus was born Poetic Justice, a three-person exhibition on display at the Museum of Art from October 9, 2021, through March 27, 2022.
To learn about Beatrice Wood and find instructions on how to draw a selfportrait, visit: museumfoundation.org/education Activity kits for all Museum of New Mexico divisions are generously sponsored by $10,000 in private gifts through the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. The funds help create specialized activities for thousands of schoolchildren across New Mexico.
Jaune Quick-To-See Smith (Citizen of Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation, MT), Indian Head Nickel, 1994. Mixed media on canvas, 72 x 72 in. Heard Museum Collection. © Courtesy of the artist and the Garth Greenan Gallery. Photo by Craig Smith.
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