THE FIRE NEXT TIME.
AmericanHorse (L) and Channing Concho of Acoma Pueblo take a selfie after a sculpture of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate was removed on June 16, 2020 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The previous evening a protester was shot while others were trying to pull down the statue of Oñate, who was known for his cruelty to the Native Americans. Pueblo and Chicano leaders have been trying for decades to have the statue removed.
Photo by Paul Ratje
THE FIRE NEXT TIME…a longing in our hearts….
POSTPONED
THE FIRE NEXT TIME is an exhibition that looks back to last summer’s national and regional protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd. Symbols of Confederate and colonial oppression took center stage in gathering forces imagining an undeniable reckoning. Simultaneously terrifying and hopeful, the protests of last summer are a year behind us. This exhibition will include ephemera from recent protests in hopes to remind us of the people, passion, commitment and sacrifice many of our communities made in hope of a better tomorrow. Part memorial, part instigation, part celebration – the artists in this exhibition want you to dig deep today and tomorrow.
The title of the exhibition is taken from the James Baldwin book published in 1963. The title is a reminder of the long history of white supremacy and the deadly struggle for equality in this country. The Fire Next Time brings together local artists working in sound, performance, painting and physical objects. These works exist against a backdrop of community sourced signs, banners and objects from the demonstrations and protests of last summer. The exhibition also honors community led projects emphasizing the good that can be done when community members come together.