AMERINDA– A Unique Organization
The idea of building strength from within is the primary contribution that AMERINDA provides in its services to Native people. As we celebrate our 30th Anniversary – we continue to honor the greatest diversity of Native contemporary art practitioners outside Santa Fe, New Mexico – those of the New York Movement of Contemporary Native American Arts and its legacy.
This diverse group of Native painters, sculptors, photographers, installation and media artists, performing artists, filmmakers, and writers has striven from the 1920’s to achieve greatness in New York City by encountering the visual strategies and social purposes of Abstract Expressionism, pop, conceptualism, and various strains of postmodernism in the visual and performing arts.
AMERINDA has been instrumental in the continuation of this rich legacy from 1987. Begun by bold and innovative Native cultural leaders affiliated with the New York Movement who determined very early that because Native Americans were the most under resourced group in the United States, AMERINDA as an organization, had to have very specific strategies and focus in order to survive and thrive in the highly competitive and status oriented art world of New York City. In so doing AMERINDA developed into the strongest platform Native professional artists could rely on to find the best resources, a nurturing personal approach, and succinct project support.
AMERINDA has provided a metaphorical mirror that has reflected the light of a Who’s Who of many of the greatest Native American contemporary artists whose lives have touched our memories and are mentioned in AMERINDA’s recently published book: No Reservation: New York Contemporary Native American Art Movement.
No Reservation literally brings to the consciousness of the public the best kept secret in all Native American contemporary art – that a New York Contemporary Art Movement exists and that it continues to push the boundaries of the best in contemporary Native American artistic language. This work reflects the urban New York Experience yet contains ancient indigenous sensibilities of history, memory, design, texture, color, sound, movement and mastery of media.
Since its inception AMERINDA has exemplified the artist-driven Native community arts organization that perseveres despite struggles with racist and insensitive portrayals in theater and film, as well as fraudulent experiences of the local political climate. AMERINDA has spoken out for its rights, sought to enlighten, and fought to gain redress for great inequity. We will continue to do so when necessary.
Finally, without the support of our dedicated Board of Directors, staff, donors, volunteers, elders, historians and partners who have guided and support us, AMERINDA would not have become the organization it is today. AMERINDA will continue to nurture and foster creativity for the next 30 years with the blessings of the Creator. The bright future we see of empowering Native Americans, breaking down barriers to foster intercultural understanding and appreciation for Native culture by the promotion of the indigenous perspectives in the arts to a wide audience, would not have been possible without the pioneers who went before us, and we are forever indebted and eternally grateful.
David Bunn Martine (Nedai-Chiricahua Apache, Shinnecock/Montauk)
Chairperson, AMERINDA