The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Axle Contemporary Announce New Mobile Artists in Residence

Jamison Chās Banks, Animkeewa White Eagle will debut their dino-themed project at Museum’s First Friday event on October 4, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–September 9, 2024–(Santa Fe, NM)–The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum has announced Jamison Chās Banks and Animkeewa White Eagle as the Mobile Artist in Residence for the program’s second year. Banks and White Eagle will show and discuss research, early drafts of drawings, and diorama work at the Museum’s First Friday Event on October 4, from 5:00 P.M.–7:00 P.M., at 217 Johnson Street.

Created in partnership with the Museum’s Art to G.O. Truck and Axle Contemporary, the Mobile Artist in Residence Program harnesses the mobility of the Art to G.O. truck to support an artist’s creative practice and engage with diverse communities. The program is aimed to foster creativity, meaningful connections, and cultural conversations.

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.

For their project, titled Species Pending, Banks and White Eagle will reimagine the historical narrative based on 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 that is reminiscent of archived historical photographs and items, Banks and White Eagle reinterpret how this fossil and animal is presented.

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. The Reptile and Bug Museum of Santa Fe will also be in attendance, making connections between modern-day reptiles and prehistoric reptiles. More information about the Mobile Artist in Residence program can be found here while information about First Friday at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum can be found here. Species Pending will conclude with an exhibition hosted by Axle Contemporary and the Museum in spring 2025.

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For media inquiries, contact:
Renee Lucero | Public Relations Manager, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum 505-946-1063

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.

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