Virtual Event: Introducing Cosmovisión Indígena at SBCC

SBCC’s Atkinson Gallery, in conjunction with the SBCC Foundation, invites everyone interested in art and science — past and present — to a conversation with the creative team behind its upcoming project and exhibition, “Cosmovisión Indígena: The Intersection of Indigenous Knowledge and Contemporary Art.”

The group discussion, scheduled via Zoom on Feb. 24 at 4 p.m., will provide the regional community an opportunity to learn about and engage with the project as the research process begins. “Cosmovisión Indígena” will trace the history, science, and contemporary uses of Mesoamerican dyeing and weaving, while exploring the mythology, ritual, and storytelling used to preserve and pass on this traditional knowledge.

Featuring the two lead artist advisors Tanya Aguiñiga of Los Angeles and Porfirio Gutiérrez of Ventura and Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico, the conversation will also include curators John Connelly, Director, Atkinson Gallery; Frederick Janka, Executive Director, Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation, Ojai; and Audrey Lopez, Ph.D., Public Art and Engagement Curator, Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture.

Conceived in community, this partnership of Central Coast arts organizations joins a network of cultural, educational and scientific institutions throughout Southern California as part of “Pacific Standard Time: Art x Science x L.A.,” scheduled to open in 2024. Funded by the Getty Foundation, “Pacific Standard Time” will feature dozens of concurrent exhibitions, performances, publications and other programming by 45 prestigious Southern California institutions, all exploring the intersection of art and science.

The Atkinson’s “Cosmovisión Indígena” will establish an art lab and learning garden in Santa Barbara as well as a community research space in Oxnard, serving members of the Mixtec, Zapotec, and other indigenous communities from Oaxaca, Mexico, who have settled throughout Ventura County. There, younger Oaxacan-American artists will be able to learn the science, technology, and art of dyeing and weaving from experienced practitioners. The final exhibition will display pieces created in both sites alongside curated artworks by contemporary artists and community members.