This exhibition, entitled “Cara Romero: Panupunuwugai (Living Light),” is the artist’s first major solo show, featuring over fifty photographic works from the past decade and site-specific installations she uses as an invitation for viewers to abandon preconceived notions regarding Native art, culture, and peoples.

Romero has been labeled a “mover and shaker” in her ability to fuse stories of her Indigenous Chemehuevi identity with contemporary pop culture. Her content creates a new photographic framework, reminding the viewer that “WE are still here” as Native Indigenous Americans. WE need to communicate artwork that looks at ourselves displaying truthful, brave, and often controversial issues. Romero says “...I never imagined this was possible for a Native woman photographer in her 40s. I am so honored to collaborate with this institution (Hood Museum of Art) and the people making it a major force in sidelining preconceived notions about Native American art.”

As we view Romero’s iconic photographs, this course will use discussions to understand these complex dialogues and questions she poses to us, the viewers.

This course will combine lecture with class discussions.