K Art Gallery NATIVE AMERICAN ART SHOWCASE – Interview with Founder and Owner Dave Kimelberg

Could you walk us through the process for the first exhibit?

(BL) It’s been about five months or so. The development of this first show has really been driven by a search for artists. We began by contacting contemporary artists in our region, such as Jay Carrier and Peter Jemison, to see who was working right in our own backyard. From there we branched out through exhaustive internet searches looking all over the country for what and who museums and contemporary art galleries were showing. We wanted to see who was out there. Who is making art and familiarize ourselves with the terrain? We also looked in-depth at certain major art hubs like NYC and LA to see if commercial galleries where showing Native artists, and if so who. We also combed through current and past exhibitions from museums that have a history or mission for showing work like the NMAI, Eiteljorg Museum, and Heard Museum. We also relied on the artists themselves. As we began doing Zoom studio visits they would recommend other artists, so we were able to build this network and connect with artists farther afield.

These connections are amazing, and we look forward to growing them.

The inaugural exhibit will showcase the work by ten artists. These artists were chosen for the wide variety of perspectives they bring and issues they are confronting, as well as a diversity of media that each artist utilizes to convey these ideas and perspectives. When choosing artists, we also wanted to make sure that different nations, from varying geographies all over the U.S. and Canada, were represented. While ten artists only scratched the surface, I believe our selection helps to demonstrate the breadth and depth of Native voices making contemporary art today. Lastly, we looked at artists in relation to one another and how they might complement or highlight each other’s work and even show differing views on similar subjects that could stimulate a dialogue.

What are your future plans for K Art- especially after the pandemic?

(DK) We plan to increase the number and diversity of Native artists we show and have quarterly exhibitions. We also plan to establish a robust online presence to showcase Native contemporary art and allow collectors world-wide to access the work. We also intend to have exhibitions that juxtapose Native and non-Native contemporary artists to further allow discussions about how Native contemporary art exists and is viewed in the contemporary art world.

COVID delayed the construction of our gallery space, so in that sense, it’s had a direct impact. But we’re back on track with a scheduled opening date at the end of this year. COVID will present challenges in terms of exhibitions, but it’s hard to predict. We’ll continue to deal with the challenges and make adjustments as needed.