Eastern Shoshone and Shoshone-Bannock artists are invited to submit their items for the “My Treaty Ties”– an exclusive Shoshone and Bannock art exhibit being curated for the Fort Bridger State Historic Site.
The opening of the exhibit will be July 3, 2023, to align with the Fort Bridger Treaty Day and Rendezvous– an annual event in Fort Bridger, Wyoming that brings in thousands of tourists and local visitors. Artists will have an opportunity to share their work, talk about their pieces and their treaty connections. Several pieces will be for sale, while others will be entered into a permanent exhibit at the Site Museum.
This exhibit is a collaboration between the Fort Bridger State Historic Site, Shoshone Tribal Cultural Center, Shoshone Archives, the Shoshone-Bannock Language & Cultural Preservation Department, and Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Museum.
“There is a current need to have a bigger, powerful Eastern Shoshone and Shoshone-Bannock presence in Fort Bridger, Wyoming – the place where two monumental treaties were signed between the tribes and the federal government,” said Superintendent for the Fort Bridger State Historic Site, Joshua Camp.
Organizers from the Eastern Shoshone and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes explained that the purpose of this exhibit is to connect Eastern Shoshone and Shoshone-Bannock artists and the public with the Fort Bridger Treaties of 1863 and 1868. These treaties significantly changed the history of both tribes. Fort Bridger land served as a central meeting place and travel route for the Shoshone bands. Before it was threatened by white emigrants, many Shoshones settled in the area for many years as it also offered exceptional hunting opportunities.
Through their art, tribal members will use one powerful way to show a connection to their ancestors and their land. This exhibit will highlight both the history and how artists relate to it today. The public will get to vote for their favorite pieces and awards will be given to first, second, and third place.
Artists are invited to submit pieces in photography, paintings, drawings, beadwork, sculpture, ceramic, printmaking, traditional pieces and clothing. To register before May 1, contact the Shoshone Tribal Cultural Center, Shoshone Archives, or the Shoshone-Bannock Language & Cultural Preservation Department.
The link to register online can be found here.
