Companion Species

Marie Watt (Seneca) embraces community and connectedness in her monumental textile, Companion Species (Speech Bubble). The uniquely stitched words reflect the hands of the many contributors to her sewing circles; words such as we, mother, and ancestor, are not used solely to indicate family relationships, but to extend to all humans, and in Iroquois teaching, to animals and land as well. This exhibition places artwork from Native and non-Native artists in dialogue with Watt’s work to examine these connections. Companion Species is organized into three thematic sections: 

Section 1: Relationships

Native and non-Native artists across time have depicted animals, used animal materials, and reinforced the value of relationships between various species, in their artworks. The boundaries between humans, animals, and the land are often blurred. In our human relationships, we sometimes look to animals to model reciprocity and understanding.

Section 2: Storytelling

Storytelling helps humans make sense of the world and build lasting, and often collective memories. Artists use stories as inspiration for artmaking and visual storytelling, sometimes to convey moral or personal lessons. Humans may understand or relate better to stories where animals and nature represent more abstract concepts.

Section 3: Community

The definition of community expands beyond a group of people to include animals, plants, and the land. Artists depict and embrace collective activities, such as sewing circles, dancing, or hunting, to reinforce that we are all connected and related. New communities are formed when cross-cultural understanding is fostered.