“There are these blurred lines between past, present, and future that we’re able to exist and create in, at this confluence of art and business.” — Jaclyn Roessel (Navajo)

“I like to make work about my everyday, about my sisters and how I can’t sleep. I cut out each of those shapes by hand and each one is different,” she said. “It’s a little obsessive and it might drive some people mad, but that’s my language. That’s how I like to work.” At SAR, Craig is utilizing the collection to study Pueblo pottery and develop new patterns for her paintings.

Roessel said the new generation of indigenous women artists has had their voices, as well as their drive to make and sell their work, amplified by social media. And while they are very much immersed in the pop culture and technology of modern America, she said, “There are these blurred lines between past, present, and future that we’re able to exist and create in, at this confluence of art and business, which is a little bit different of a lens than the previous generation of women artists.”

Roessel plans to ask the group what questions they are tired of answering — about their culture, art, or gender. “That’s kind of a cheeky question, but it’s kind of indicative of the spirit of these women. They are able to create their own boundaries in a way that wasn’t always an opportunity for the women that came before them. There are questions we are over talking about. We would rather move on to other things. They’ll tell us what those things are, and then we’ll take questions from the public.”