There will be no shortage of events commemorating the legacy and impact of Native Americans on our society as scores of organizations in our region seek to create programming celebrating Native American Heritage Month.
But for me, there is a very special place for the work of Grand Rapids artist Jason Quigno, whose 3-D works will be the subject of the exhibition Harmony in Stone - a thrilling exhibition of his sculpture opening this weekend in Muskegon.
Quigno works with the medium of stone, which morphs under his hands from a static, unyielding form into an object of striking beauty that breathes with a sense of life and movement. Without using any words at all, he has created an exhibition that speaks volumes about heritage and humanity.
Attendees of the reception are invited to meet the artist at the 5:30 reception and then continue their experience in one of the state's finest art museums by listening to Quigno’s talk about his work.
When asked about the timing of this show, Quigno, always the soft spoken one, remarked with much humility that he couldn't have asked for a better moment for this new body of new work to arrive at the Muskegon Museum of Art.
“I am Anishinaabe and of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe and am very proud of my heritage and am very proud to represent them through my work. Harmony in Stone is my interpretation of nature and how every living thing works together in balance and harmony,” says Quigno. “Every living thing has its part to play and even humanity has a role in it. The stories and ceremonies of my people have always reflected that fact as they have been passed on from generation to generation.
The work itself is very contemporary, a break away from the traditional designs that I have done in the past and of the imagery I was exposed to within my native community," he says.
Quigno summons up elemental forms and evokes simple line structures to a play built between shadow and light, creating in the MMA gallery space a harmony and balance of life that's oh-so-appropriate for the month of November.
Admission: Opening Reception and Artist Talk are free
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