Exhibitions

People of the Waters that Are Never Still: A Celebration of Mohican Art and Culture

September 14, 2024–December 31, 2024

The Albany Institute of History & Art is located on the traditional homelands of the Mohican people. The Albany area is traditionally called Pempotowwuthut-Muhhecanneuw, meaning "the fireplace of the Mohican nation.”

People of the Waters That Are Never Still: A Celebration of Mohican Art and Culture is an exhibition that honors the Muh-he-con-ne-ok people, contemporarily known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians. Through historical and contemporary art, not only are the five senses evoked but also a sense of connection—to place, the Earth, water, animals, relatives, ancestors, stories, traditions, identity, and community.

This exhibition has been curated by Tamara Aupaumut, a self-taught multidisciplinary artist and independent curator living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She descends from the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, the Oneida, and Brothertown Indian Nations.

The contemporary artists in this exhibition reflect upon their heritage through self-discovery, repurposing materials, carrying on traditions, preserving moments and memories, and telling their own narratives through various compositions.

Mohican art is a connection to culture, and their culture is an art in itself.

Press

"10 Art Shows to See in Upstate New York This November" – Taliesin Thomas, Hyperallergic

Support for People of the Waters That Are Never Still: A Celebration of Mohican Art and Culture is provided by the Carl E. Touhey Foundation, the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, and Discover Albany. People of the Waters That Are Never Still is supported by Albany County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding provided by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The project is also supported by a grant awarded to the Albany Institute of History & Art by Empire State Development and I LOVE NY / New York State’s Division of Tourism through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

 

Thank you to the Albany County ARPA Executive Committee:

Daniel P. McCoy                              Albany County Executive

Joanne Cunningham                       Chairwoman, Albany County Legislature

Dennis Feeney                                 Majority Leader, Albany County Legislature

Frank Mauriello                               Minority Leader, Albany County Legislature

Dr. Carolyn McLaughlin                  Chair, Albany County Legislative Black Caucus

Susan A. Rizzo                                  Albany County Comptroller

M. David Reilly                                 Commissioner of Management and Budget

 

We would like to invite all self-identifying Indigenous peoples to access our current exhibitions without charge.

Image: She Honors the People of the Waters that Art Never Still, Terri L. OConnor, 2017. Graphite pencil, pen, and colored pencil on paper; 14 1/2 x 10 inches (by sight). Courtesy of Terri L. OConnor