We are pleased to introduce Angela Two Stars as the Indigenous artist commissioned to create artwork based on Tubman's Land Acknowledgement and statement. This artwork will be displayed at both Tubman Chrysalis Center and Harriet Tubman Center East as part of our commitment to honoring the land we occupy.
Angela Two Stars is a multi-disciplinary visual artist, public artist and curator. She is the director of All My Relations Arts, a contemporary American Indian art gallery and arts program. AMRA is a project of the Native American Community Development Institute in Minneapolis, MN. Angela is an enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and received her BFA from Kendall College of Art and Design.
Angela's professional arts career began at All My Relations Arts gallery as an exhibiting artist, which then led to further opportunities including her first curatorial role for the exhibition titled, Bring Her Home, Stolen Daughters of Turtle Island, a powerful exhibition highlighting the ongoing epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Angela's public art graces the shores of Bde Maka Ska and honors the Dakota people of Mni Sota. Angela’s sculpture, Okciyapi, was acquired by the Walker Art Center and is permanently installed in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Angela also has public works installed at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, the City of Minneapolis Public works building and additional locations throughout the Twin Cities.
Artist Statement
Healing: the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again.
Healing is an active, ongoing process that requires courage and bravery. It is a form of resilience. As a Dakota artist, I returned to my ancestral homelands of Mni Sota (Minnesota) in 2017. Since then I’ve reconnected with the land, the language, and the culture. This blood memory has strengthened my identity as a Dakota woman. I incorporate Dakota language into my art and have come to realize that by exploring my language, I am healing myself and my ancestors. Historical and intergenerational trauma impacts American Indian people and the effects of colonization has created issues that still affect Native people to this day. By facing my traumas, I actively work to heal myself and share the vulnerability of what healing can look like. Through Dakota language activated artworks, performance, and installations, I encourage the audience to participate in seeking healing within themselves.
