the art of
Marlena Myles
digital artist + animator + fabric/fashion designer + book illustrator
Writing / Blog
My blog features interviews and news articles about my work as well as my writings, reviews and critique about (Native) art.
Non-stereotypical Native Americans | Two Rivers’ Survivance Exhibition
While at a casino, I once over heard a little girl asking her Caucasian father, “do Native Americans have kids?” The father laughed at the question, but to this little girl, the stereotypes of Native Americans in society are probably all she has ever witnessed, so it really seemed plausible Native Americans exist in a separate reality; one where we are stagnant entities, sad and lost to history. However, this exhibition challenges that tired stereotypical perspective of Native Americans by profiling Indigenous artists, performers and activists with the photography of John Ratzloff, who is a non-Native American.
Essays
Native Art, Native Voices: A Resource for K-12 Learners
12 essays I wrote for the Minneapolis Institute of Art about artworks in Mia’s collection and questions to support deep looking, critical thinking, and discussion. Native Art, Native Voices includes information about Native cultures both past and present and supports Minnesota state standards for visual arts and social studies/U.S. history.