Exhibition Dates: December 7, 2023 – February 27, 2024
Reception: Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023 5:30-7:30pm (Artist Talk at 6pm)
at the Sauk Prairie River Arts Center (105-9th Street, Prairie du Sac)
Featured in the Gallery:
The Wisconsin Dells/An Altered Ho-Chunk Landscape
Photography by Tom Jones
Tom Jones’ artwork is a commentary on American Indian identity, experience, and perception. He examines how American Indian culture is represented through popular culture and raises questions about these depictions of identity by non-natives and Natives alike.
Tom Jones started photographing the Wisconsin Dells in 2006 and was later commissioned by the Museum of Wisconsin Art to photograph there again in 2018 for one year. He has continued this project for the past five years to show the commodification of the ever-changing landscape of his Ho-Chunk homeland.
The Museum of Wisconsin Art describes Jones “as a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, [who] is acutely attuned to the discrepancy between tourist-oriented representations of Native Americans and the reality of Ho-Chunk history and material culture. His photographs document the present state of the appropriation and distortion of Native imagery at the Dells, a practice that began with the birth of the tourist industry in the nineteenth century.”
Featured in the Lobby:
Middle School, High School, and AP High School Art
Featuring Sauk Prairie student artwork.
Important Gallery information:
-The River Arts Center Gallery is located at 105 9th St, Prairie du Sac, WI (adjacent to Sauk Prairie High School). Enter through doors E-7, the Garden Entrance, which is located down a sidewalk to the right of the River Arts Center main doors.
–Hours: 8am-8pm Monday-Friday and weekends during special events. Closed when Sauk Prairie Schools are closed. View calendar here.
–Accessibility: Gallery is wheelchair accessible, including all doorways and restrooms
–Tours: This exhibit is self-guided. Free docent-led tours are available by appointment for educational groups, non-profit organizations, and groups of 10 or more. Email info@riverartsinc.org or call 608-643-5215 to schedule a tour for your group. *Must have at least 24 hours notice, subject to gallery and staff availability.
