Museum of The Cherokee People

Inclusive Public Art Initiative

Museum of The Cherokee People, in Cherokee, NC, received an Inclusive Public Art Initiative grant from ZSR.

The Museum of the Cherokee People (MCI) and its cultural partners, the Cherokee Historical Association and Qualla Arts and Craft Mutual, will champion The Cherokee Cultural District Project by clearly defining the cultural district in Cherokee, NC through public art. This project will partner with local Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) artists to design sculptural public art entrances to the district, along with installing ground plane artwork on the roadway at the central intersection of Tsali Boulevard and Drama Road utilizing contemporary Cherokee designs. Clearly defining the district will serve as a catalyst for positive tangible change, making art the foundation of self-­representation.

Since the beginning of European contact, dominant narratives about Cherokee people are told from outside perspectives. Items that promote and play on stereotypes are sold in stores on the Qualla Boundary, the sovereign land of the EBCI and ancestral homelands of all three federally recognized Cherokee tribes, alongside art inspired by, but not created by, Cherokee people. MCI seeks to swing the pendulum to ensure that artwork and goods sold within the district are meaningful and created by Cherokee people for Cherokee people.

Themes like women, families and community will be focus areas of this project, all promoting true Cherokee culture in highly trafficked areas on the Qualla Boundary. However, the main area of focus will be the unique connection that the EBCI has with place, and its relationship to stories, ceremonies, food sovereignty and reclamation of traditional spaces to gather. This demonstration of the Cherokee intergenerational connection to ancestral homelands and self-representation of place will delineate the cultural district in a new way. The hope is that this public artwork serves to inspire a shift  toward authentic representation, through the telling of their own narratives in their voices, specifically within the cultural district.

Taking the lead for this project is artist and designer Atsei Cooper (EBCI). With a background in archaeology, Cooper’s knowledge brings a unique perspective to her artwork as she marries traditional and contemporary concepts in her designs. The concepts for the public artwork are created collaboratively with community members through a charrette process, and design possibilities highlight Cherokee stories by incorporating contemporary designs that honor traditional iconography and connection to place.

Plans include an open call for collaborating with Cherokee artists that will not only connect the project to the immense amount of untapped artistic talent within their community but also be open to enrolled members of Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, welcoming all Cherokee citizens back to their ancestral homeland.