Join guest curator Dr. Meranda Roberts for an engaging conversation with Cahuilla artist Gerald Clarke Jr. and poet Emily Clarke as they discuss the inclusion of their works in the exhibition Continuity: Cahuilla Basket Weavers and their Legacies. This discussion will focus on the generational impact of basket weaving on their artistic approaches, the inspiration they draw from one another, and the essential role Pomona College plays in amplifying Cahuilla voices within its institutional practices.
Reception to follow in celebration of Continuity: Cahuilla Basket Weavers and their Legacies. Galleries open until 10 pm.
Gerald Clarke is an enrolled member of the Cahuilla Band of Indians and lives on the Cahuilla Indian Reservation. When not creating artwork or serving as Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Riverside, Gerald oversees the Clarke family cattle ranch and remains heavily involved in Cahuilla culture. He is a frequent lecturer, speaking about Native art, culture and issues. He serves on the Cahuilla Tribal Council and works on issues affecting the tribe. When not working, Clarke participates in Bird Singing, a traditional form of singing that tells the cosmology of the Cahuilla people.
Emily Clarke is a Cahuilla Native American poet, bead artist, activist, and traditional Bird Dancer. Emily recently served as the 2022–23 Graton Roundhouse Intern for Heyday Books and News from Native California. She is a two time recipient of the UC Riverside Chancellor’s Award for Poetry, a 2022 Pushcart Prize nominee, and a recipient of The Center for Cultural Power’s Artist Disruptor award. In her free time, Emily runs her small business, Cahuilla Woman Creations, and co-edits her literary journal, Rejected Lit Mag. You can find more of Emily’s work on Instagram @cahuillawoman.
