LOOKING WEST at The James J. Hill House in St. Paul, MN

Within concept and visual, Looking West explores the current conversations taking place in and about the American West. Claytopia, (NCECA 2019 March 27th-30th) will reside on the geographical border of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota the same river that was the United States western border prior to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

Located inside the historical James J. Hill House at 240 Summit Ave in Saint Paul, Looking West will respond to the historical and contemporary conversations of the American West, including its traditions, history, landscape and cultural anthropologies. As the viewer walks the home, they are reminded of the vision James J. Hill had for Western Expansion and for the growth of the Great Northern Railway. The diversity of artists included will allow viewers to indulge in a dialogue that presents many various perspectives about what the West is now.

Artist Evan Hauser states, “With the rise of Industrial America comes a threat to wilderness and untouched landscapes. When looking at a National Park such as Yellowstone, we are confronted by land that is supposedly wild and natural. In reality, the lands within the park are somewhat of a construct as the wildlife is managed, fires are suppressed, and designated paths exist for the wandering tourist. This prescribed experience brings a foreseeable encounter that was once otherwise a land of discovery.”

ARTISTS:
Dylan Beck,
Jonathan Fitz
Evan Hauser*
Mitch Iburg
Ben Jordan
Dean Leeper
Crystal Morey*
Catherine Schmid-Maybach
Paul Scott *
Jason Walker *
Paige Nicolet Ward