24 oktober: •State Names by Jaune Quick-To-See Smith•

"In high school I decided that I did, yes, want to go to college and take art. At the end of the year, the professor called me into his office and said, “You can draw better than the men, but I have to tell you, you need to go into another field because,” he said, "you'll never be able to be an artist. Women are not artists."

I like to use maps because maps can tell stories. What I did with this particular map is to erase all European presence. I eliminated every state that has a European name, and I kept only the states that have Native American names because the whole place was ours until the invasion came, the great invasion.

Part of what I do in my work is using my work as a platform for my beliefs. Can I tell a story? Can I make it a good story? Can I add some humor to it? Can I get your attention? Those are all things that I try to do with my artwork. It's not always successful, but it's important to speak up when you believe in something so strongly, and I passionately believe in the life that I live. I think that my work will probably go on being political in some way."

-Interview from Jaune by the Smithsonian American Art Museum