Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Mobile Artists in Residence to Debut ‘Species Pending’ with Axle Contemporary
Jamison Chās Banks and Animkeewa White Eagle will unveil their exhibition at the Santa Fe Railyards on April 18.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–March 31, 2025–(Santa Fe, NM)–Species Pending, a multi-media exhibition featuring sculpture, digital art, and installation work by the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Mobile Artists in Residence Jamison Chās Banks and Animkeewa White Eagle will make its debut on Friday, April 18, from 5:00 PM–7:00 PM at the Santa Fe Railyards near the shade structure by the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market.
Species Pending features multimedia work, including sketches and life-size wood sculpture work from Banks and digital animation work from White Eagle that reimagines the historical narrative of the shuvosaurid or proto-dinosaur Effigia okeeffeae, whose name is a tribute to Georgia O’Keeffe. This animal lived on the ancient continent of Pangea during the late Triassic period, and its holotype fossils were found in blocks collected in the 1940s at Ghost Ranch, where O’Keeffe lived and owned a home. Through an Indigenous lens of rewriting or “rerighting” history, the duo will steer the narrative about this fossil toward a more Indigenous perspective. Using imagery, sculpture, and installation reminiscent of archived historical photographs and items, they reinterpret how this fossil and animal are presented, in a diorama installation inside and through prints on the exterior of the Axle Contemporary Mobile Artspace.
Concurrently, the artists will visit schools and community gathering places in Santa Fe and Abiquiú to lead diorama-making workshops with the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum’s Art to G.O. Program.
Learn more! Banks will be featured on Mornings with O’Keeffe, an online lecture series hosted by the Museum on Wednesday, April 2 at 9:00 AM. Banks will discuss the inspiration and methods behind creating the multimedia works featured in Species Pending. The talk is free to attend. Advance registration can be completed on the Museum’s website. For assistance with registration, email contact@gokm.org or call 505-496-1000. This program will be recorded and posted to the Museum’s YouTube Channel.
See it again! Species Pending will make a stop at the Museum’s First Friday event on June 6. Join us for extended hours and free admission at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum from 5:00 PM–7:00 PM. Banks and White Eagle will be present to provide insight into the exhibition they created. More information about First Fridays is on the Museum’s website. First Fridays at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum are free all day (10:00 AM–7:00 PM) for New Mexico residents and free for everyone from 5:00 PM–7:00 PM.
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For media inquiries, contact:
Renee Lucero | Public Relations Manager, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum 505-946-1063
Images for Species Pending can be found here.
About the Artists:
Jamison Chās Banks is a multi-disciplinary artist who creates films, paintings, performances, and installations. A dual citizen of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, his work often explores the history of war and territorial expansion, both literal and psychological. Banks often reimagines symbols or characters of popular culture in contexts that challenge their original meanings. Banks has been exhibiting work for more than a decade and holds an AFA and BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts, where he also taught for 12 years.
Animkeewa White Eagle is a student and multi-disciplinary artist living in Santa Fe. He is enrolled in the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and is also of Kiowa descent. He won the youth Art of Technology Award at Santa Fe Indian Market in 2018 and won Best of Show at the Heard Museum Student Art Show in 2019. He is a fourth-year college student, currently enrolled at the Institute of American Indian Arts. He is studying fine arts with a focus in digital art.
ABOUT THE GEORGIA O’KEEFFE MUSEUM: Since 1997, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum celebrates the art, life, and independent spirit of Georgia O’Keeffe. Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Georgia O’Keeffe lived the final decades of her life, the O’Keeffe has sites and experiences in two historic destinations, Santa Fe and Abiquiú. For more information, please visit gokm.org
ABOUT AXLE CONTEMPORARY: Axle Contemporary is a pioneering mobile art platform that plays a pivotal role in the innovative collaboration with the Mobile Artist in Residence project. Housed within a mobile gallery space, Axle Contemporary has redefined the traditional concept of art exhibitions. In this collaboration, Axle Contemporary serves as both a dynamic exhibition space and a catalyst for community engagement. Their expertise in mobile art installations and exhibitions amplifies the impact of the project, allowing it to reach diverse audiences across different locations. Axle Contemporary programming is supported by Axle Projects, Inc. Axle Projects’ operations are supported through individual donations and grants, including from the City of Santa Fe’s Arts & Culture Department. This project is made possible in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Exhibitions in the Santa Fe Railyard are made possible through the support of The Railyard Art Project. If you are interested in supporting Axle Projects, visit the website here.
