Cuentos de Carmen: Travels of a Piper Fellow Part 1
This year, Carmen Guerrero, Cultural Coalition Executive Director, began her Piper Fellowship journey. As a Piper Fellow she will be traveling this year to visit different arts and culture museums around the US, Canada and Mexico to learn best practices and “increase the capacity of my organization while researching the viability of the Mask Alive Museum and Cultural Center in order to better serve our community for generations to come.”
Carmen’s explorations began in March, taking her to the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Along with our Co-Founder and Board President, Zarco Guerrero, the two of them visited a handful of groundbreaking museums, home grown cultural centers, and unique artist led institutions. The first place they visited was the Burke Museum in Seattle, to view their collection of cultural objects from the 39 tribal cultures of Washington state. She met with Dr. Gabriela Chavaria, Executive Director and Paula Polson, Indigenous Liaison.
“I really enjoyed how hands-on a lot of the museum was. Lots to touch and experience. It reminded me of a mix between our i.d.e.a Museum and Arizona Museum of Natural History here in Mesa,” shared Carmen. “The glass walls allow us and the audience to peek into their collection, the archives and everyone could see the curators and preparators working on different objects. It was fascinating,” Carmen remarked, like nothing she had seen before.
Zarco particularly liked the exhibits of the cultural objects and, of course as a fellow sculptor, the beautifully decorated canoes and totems from the different indigenous tribes featured in the museum. In addition to exploring the exhibits, Carmen and Zarco’s meeting with the Director provided wonderful insights on how to share our own Mask Alive Art Collection with the public, and ideas on how our board can support these efforts. They also learned some do’s and don’ts when partnering with other institutions.
Next up they traveled to Victoria, B.C. Canada to check out the British Columbia Royal Museum, U’mista Cultural Centre, and the Audain Art Museum. Originally Carmen and Zarco were excited to see the fabulous mask exhibit on display at the Royal Museum as it is the largest collection of First Nations Masks, but unfortunately – due to political reasons, most likely having to do with repatriation of art works – the exhibit hall was closed to the public.
There was a lot to learn regarding the importance of Canadian institutions and the work they are doing to repatriate cultural objects back to their rightful First Nations communities. With the majority of our art collections being cultural objects used by different performance groups throughout Arizona, this idea of preserving and keeping our cultural objects here in Arizona for all to enjoy is a vital goal of the Guerrero Legacy Project of the Mask Alive Museum & Cultural Center.
A highlight of the trip for both Carmen and Zarco was their visit to the U’mista Cultural Centre on the tiny island of Alert Bay, British Columbia, recommended by Carmen’s goddaughter and filmmaker Siku Alooloo. In January 2023, she had invited Carmen to be a panelist during the “Woven In” exhibition at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria which highlighted activism by native women in this continent. The exhibition was co-curated by Siku and Gerry Ambers, a member of the Kwak-kwak-wak community in Alert Bay. Gerry talked about U’mista Cultural Centre at length with Carmen and shared their decades of resistance and affirmation in repatriating their collection of sacred objects. A community created and run space, the Centre is dedicated to ensuring the survival of all aspects of the cultural heritage of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw.
“The whole building was built by the community themselves. In a celebratory response to the unbanning of their potlatches ceremonies and the return of their sacred regalia including masks,” Carmen shared excitedly. The way their cultural objects are displayed was also something Carmen and Zarco took note of, “The objects are purposefully not placed inside display cases or behind glass – to let the spirits breathe.” This spoke to Zarco, and the importance of respecting the mask for its cultural significance. Greeted graciously by Language Revitalization Planner Andrea Cranmer, whose grandfather, father and entire family fought the Canadian government for 50 years to repatriate these objects. She showed them around the Centre and shared with Carmen and Zarco how the mask was the primary object that revitalized their culture once the bans had been lifted. The U’mista, like many museums they visited, are dedicated to the idea of decolonization.
Once again, the mask proves to be a vital element in the cultivation and dissemination of traditional art and living culture.
The last stop on Carmen’s inaugural Piper Fellowship trip was to the Audain Art Museum in Whistler, British Columbia. She chose this Museum as part of her travels because like our Mask Alive Art Collection, and future Museum & Cultural Center, it began with a single person’s private art collection. The presentation of the carved objects, the work done with the local city to create this museum, and how it supported local artists to create pieces for the museum were the most meaningful take-aways from this visit.
One of Carmen’s favorite photographs from the trip came from the Audain, “The building was beautiful. The man who founded the museum, Mr. Audain and his wife wanted to share their amazing collection of Native Art dating back to the 19trh century with the public! And he commissioned the world’s largest wood carving!” Called “The Dance Screen” carved in cedar by Haida Chief 7idansuu (James Hart). The sculpture conveys the Chief’s urgent concerns regarding the protection of salmon and animal habitats.
This first trip gave our Co-Founders so much to build on for the next steps of the art collection and museum. Zarco came away inspired to return to the Pacific Northwest, determined to learn more about the regional style of carving. “I want to come back and work with local carvers to learn traditional carving, document the process, and create a collection based on those masks to add to our Mask Alive collections.”
Upon returning, Carmen’s enthusiasm and invigoration for Cultural Coalition’s Mask Alive Museum & Cultural Center Guerrero Legacy Project was electric as she shared updates with our board and staff. “I’ve made so many wonderful connections and professional contacts. I have all new ideas and the amount of opportunities and possibilities I see for us are limitless.” With a great big ear to ear grin, Carmen exclaimed, “I don’t know how we’re going to do it all, but I can see how our organization is going to go to the next level.”
Stay tuned for more Cuentos de Carmen – Sign up for our newsletter to make sure to read the next blog!