Hinapapi - Emerging is a commentary on revitalization guided by the artist’s creative process. The designs of each digital piece is coaxed out of sound, historical/ancestral design, and the interactions of children with traditional knowledge. These ephemeral pieces have to be coaxed into existence, either through generative code or manifested only as light, into spaces carefully crafted to welcome them.
An inherent part of this “welcoming” is this use of animal hides. Historically almost all Dakota life, from birth to death, happened upon them. By coming back to their traditional use as carriers of knowledge and lifeway, we re-establish our relationships to the Wamakaskan Oyate and re-invite the stories of the ones who came before.
The exhibition is on view at the Winona County History Center October 15 - November 15, 2025, with a closing celebration and artist talk on November 14 from 5:00 - 7:00pm.
Autumn Cavender is a Wahpetunwan Dakota midwife, artist, and community leader, focusing on the intersections of art, birth, and storytelling.
Her artistic journey began as a porcupine quillwork apprentice, under elder master artists. Rooted in her oral history training, Cavender focused on Dakota artistic methodology, resulting in globally-recognized digital art. Her work graced prestigious exhibitions like Miami Art Basel and earned her the National Indigenous Media Arts Experimental Moving Image Award. She is a current Art of the Rural Spillway Fellow and a 2024 Bush Fellow.
Art of the Rural is grateful to the Jerome Foundation for their support of the Spillway Fellowship program, the McKnight Foundation for their support of our intercultural mission, and to Rick Strain of the Winona County Historical Society for his creative collaboration. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
A long-term, collaborative initiative grounded in the cultures, communities, and histories of the Upper Mississippi River region.
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