VIEWPOINTS: Native Art + The Shinnecock Nation
A cross-generational discussion on the connective thread of Indigenous art and the evolution of culture.
Featuring Jeremy Dennis and Denise Silva-Dennis.
Denise “Weetahmoe” Silva-Dennis is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator based in the Shinnecock Nation. Silva-Dennis works primarily in acrylic for her figurative paintings and murals and is also an accomplished beadwork craftswoman. The traditional Eastern Woodland style of beadwork was handed down to her from her mother and elder women of the Shinnecock and Hassanamisco-Nipmuc Nations. Her beaded necklaces have been shown at the Louise Himelfarb Gallery and at The Studio Connection, both in Southampton, NY. Several Native American exhibitors carry an assortment of her beaded creations to Powwows throughout the Northeastern United States. Her professional achievements include the Parrish Art Museum’s Judge’s Award in the painting category, and a selection of several works for the “In Beauty It Is Begun…,” a joint exhibition for The Smithsonian and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Her son, Jeremy Dennis, is a contemporary fine art photographer, an enrolled Tribal Member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton, NY, and lead artist and founder of the non-profit Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc. In his work, he explores Indigenous identity, culture, and assimilation. Dennis was one of ten recipients of a 2016 Dreamstarter Grant from the national non-profit organization Running Strong for American Indian Youth for his work On This Site – Indigenous Long Island, which uses photography and an interactive online map to showcase culturally significant Native American sites on Long Island. Most recently, Dennis received the Artist to Artist Fellowship by the Art Matter Foundation. His residencies have included Yaddo (2019) and The Watermill Center (2017), where Dennis is also a Community Fellow. His work has been featured locally and beyond, including Stories—Dreams, Myths, and Experiences, for The Parrish Art Museum’s RoadShow (2018).
VIEWPOINTS: Native Art + The Shinnecock Nation is a hybrid event and is accessible online in addition to in-person.
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