Join Boston Public Art Triennial artist Nicholas Galanin and curator Tess Lukey ‘16 in conversation with Lisa Tung, MAAM Executive and Artistic Director. Offered in connection with MAAM’s current exhibition, Nicholas Galanin: Aáni yéi xat duwasáakw (I am called Land), this conversation invites us to consider Indigenous perspectives on kinship and artistic process; audience question and answer to follow. After the talk, head to MAAM to explore current exhibitions on view. 

In-Person and Virtual 

This event will be offered in-person as well as virtually via the Zoom webinar format. Select your attendance type when registering via Eventbrite. 

Meet the Speakers 

Examining the complexities of contemporary Indigenous identity, culture, and representation, Nicholas Galanin works from his experience as a Lingít and Unangax̂ artist. Embedding incisive observation and reflection into his oftentimes provocative work, he aims to redress the widespread misappropriation of Indigenous visual culture, the impact of colonialism, as well as collective amnesia. Galanin reclaims narrative and creative agency, while demonstrating contemporary Indigenous art as a continually evolving practice. Speaking through multiple visual, sonic, and tactile languages, his concepts determine his processes, which include sculpture, installation, photography, video, performance, and textile-based work. This contemporary practice builds upon an Indigenous artistic continuum while celebrating the culture and its people; Galanin contributes urgent criticality and vision through resonant and multifaceted works.

Nicholas Galanin (b. 1979, Sheet’ka (Sitka), Alaska) lives and works with his partner Merritt Johnson and their children in Sheet’ka (Sitka), Alaska. He earned a BFA at London Guildhall University (2003), an MFA at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand (2007). Solo institutional exhibitions include Baltimore Museum of Art (2024-25); SITE Santa Fe (2023); and New York Public Art Fund (2023). Galanin will participate in Public Art Abu Dhabi (2024-25) and the Boston Triennial (2025), he is currently participating in the Toronto Biennial (2024). Public collections include Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; Whitney Museum of AmericaN Art, New York, NY; and Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA.

Tess Lukey is an enrolled citizen of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah and serves as the Associate Curator of Native American Art at the Trustees of Reservations, where she is based at both Fruitlands Museum and deCordova Sculpture Park & Museum. Her curatorial practice centers on the intersection of historic and contemporary Native American art, with a specialization in pre-20th-century materials. Lukey’s expertise also spans NAGPRA, Mayan art history, and folk art. She holds an MA in Art History with a minor in Museum Studies from the University of New Mexico and a dual BFA in Ceramics and Art History from MassArt.

Lukey has contributed to exhibitions at institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston—including Collecting Stories: The Invention of Folk Art and A Little Bit of the Southwest—and curated recent shows at Fruitlands titled Across Boundaries Across Barriers, Place of Intersection: Survivance in the American West, and A Surreal Place: Sky Hopinka and Cannupa Hanksa Luger, which prioritize Indigenous-led interpretation. Her work is shaping new strategies for museums seeking to engage Native collections through community-driven frameworks.

In addition to her museum work, Lukey is an independent curator for the Boston Public Art Triennial (May 2025), a city-wide exhibition of over 15 public art commissions accompanied by hundreds of community-based programs. She is also a traditional artist, continuing the ceramic and basketry techniques of her Wampanoag heritage, reflecting her commitment to cultural continuity through both institutional and creative practice.

 

Join artist Audrey Watkins at the intersection of Newbury Street and Hereford Street from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. on September 21, for Our Names, an interactive art project that asks, "Whose name would you put on a building?" Stop by to submit a name, pick up a card, and learn more about some of the figures currently named on the exterior of the Boston Public Library.

Join artist Audrey Watkins at the intersection of Newbury Street and Hereford Street from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. on September 14, for Our Names, an interactive art project that asks, "Whose name would you put on a building?" Stop by to submit a name, pick up a card, and learn more about some of the figures currently named on the exterior of the Boston Public Library.

Join artist Audrey Watkins at the intersection of Newbury Street and Hereford Street from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. on September 7, for Our Names, an interactive art project that asks, "Whose name would you put on a building?" Stop by to submit a name, pick up a card, and learn more about some of the figures currently named on the exterior of the Boston Public Library.

Please join us for a joint reception and artist talk to celebrate "Time Stretches Slow", Genevieve Cohn’s first solo exhibition in Boston, and "Support Structures", Kate Holcomb Hale’s solo exhibition. The artists will lead an Artist Talk where they will share more about their practice and bring their works in dialogue.

The event will start at 5 p.m. at the Mezzanine Gallery located at the top of the stairs on the 3rd floor, and will transition to the Mayor’s Office Gallery located on the 5th floor at 7 p.m. Don’t miss your chance to connect with the artists and enjoy some light refreshments!

Please note the exhibitions will be on view through October 24, 2025.

Directions: Please use the entrance located on Congress St, across from Faneuil Hall. Pass security and take the elevators to the 3rd floor. The talk will take place at the top of the stairs.

For more information please visit the city hall galleries page.

Please join us for the Opening Reception of the 36th Hyde Park Art Association Members Exhibition. We will announce the awardees including the Public’s Choice, with jurying happening in person. Don’t miss your chance to connect with the artists and enjoy some light refreshments! Please note the exhibition will be on view through October 24, 2025.

Learn more on the city hall galleries page.

Directions: Please use the entrance located on Congress St, across from Faneuil Hall. Pass security and take the elevators to the 3rd floor. The Scollay Square Gallery is located past the information desk to the left of the coffee stand.

Join us at Boston City Hall for the Opening Reception of the National Arts Program's sixth Boston edition, featuring 73 works by City of Boston employees and their families. The awards ceremony will recognize 14 awardees with selections made by a jury composed by Sophia Day, Operations Director of Gallery 263; Yolanda He Yang, Arts Engagement Manager at Pao Arts Center; and Beatriz Whitehill, Painting Studio Mentor at Artists for Humanity.

Directions: Please use the entrance located on Congress St, across from Faneuil Hall. Pass security and take the elevators to the 2nd floor. The Mayor's Neighborhood Gallery will be to your left. This exhibition will be on view through October 24, 2025. For more information please visit the city hall galleries page.

Launched in 2012 by Welcoming America and its members, Welcoming Week provides individuals and organizations with the opportunity to showcase their values through events and initiatives that foster connections and collaboration between immigrants and non-immigrants, as well as belonging for all.

Welcoming Week 2025 takes place from September 12 to 21. Every year, communities around the globe celebrate Welcoming Week by hosting local events that foster deeper understanding and connection among neighbors. This week-long campaign builds the awareness and energy that’s needed to sustain year-long welcoming efforts.

MOIA is proud to host Welcoming Week in Boston! Join one of its activations and share your story as part of the “Stories We Share” theme: 

• The Embrace Massó "¡Con Salsa!”, International Music Festival - September 13 in Boston Common
• Open Streets Dorchester - September 14, on Dorchester Avenue
• City Hall outdoor gallery - September 16, at City Hall Plaza
• Latinx Heritage Night - September 18, at the Museum of Fine Arts (use code CE-CC8RED to register)
• Market on a Mission Day - September 20, at the Boston Public Market

Follow MOIA on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay tuned about all the activations and get your stories reshared by using the hashtag #WelcomingWeekBoston!