OC Waves Vol 3.6

PORTRAITS
IN RED
MISSING & MURDERED
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
PAINTING PROJECT
The Lincoln County Historical Society is proud
to host this very important and timely exhibition
by indigenous artist Nayana Lafond. According to
Executive Director Susan Tissot, “this exhibition
is about bringing awareness and ahealing to
the communities it visits. The MMIWG2S has
reached a crisis stage impacting indigenous
communities throughout north America. There
are four Siletz tribal members in this exhibition
which illustrates that our community is not
immune to the issues related to this horrific crisis.
We bring this exhibition to the community in
partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz
Indians and My Sisters Place. The exhibit contains
41 portraits of indigenous people who are either
missing, murdered, or working as advocates to
bring forth awareness. LaFond has taken great care
to respectfully represent the people she paints for
this project.”
“I want to paint them the way the spirits would
see them,” the artist Nayana Lafond says of the
40 portraits in the exhibition. All are of missing
or murdered indigenous people, or activists
committed to the cause for generating awareness
and honoring those who have been lost.
I began this painting project without the
intention of it becoming a project at all. I intended
to make one painting as a catharsis and tribute to
a domestic violence survivor and my matrilineal
line. The response to the first painting was so
strong I decided to paint another. This began on
May 5, 2020 when I was in quarantine and looking
for something to occupy my time.
After an even larger online response to the
second portrait, I decided to tell people that if
they send me their images, I would paint them
to raise awareness about the crisis. Within the
first day I received 25 emails and private messages
with images and stories. I soon figured out that I
needed to paint them all. I could not say yes to
some and say no to others. As of September 2022
I have completed 90 works and have a constant
queue of 30 or more at a time.
I paint them all for free, and I provide unlimited
free prints to the families while exhibiting the
originals to raise awareness. Because of so many
messages and requests coming in, I declared it to
be a project – the MMIWG/P Painting project
began.
Each portrait is painted in black and white with
red being the only visible color because spirits
can only see red. Through painting these people,
I seek to elevate their voices, promote healing
and spark discussion while contributing toward
change. Each painting brings me healing from my
own experiences and the experiences of my family
members and I hope it brings some healing to
those I paint and their families.
Among Nayana LaFond’s subjects in “Portraits
in Red”, four are members of the Confederated
Tribes of Siletz Indians, three are missing or
murdered and one is an activist: Delight Attebury,
Manuel Bayya, and Anthony Tolentino; Lucy is an
18-year-old advocate.
I also hope to raise awareness about this issue
through exhibiting the work. Eventually if I do
make the work available for sale I will donate to
various charities including the NIWRC (National
Indigenous Women’s Resource Center).
Artist Statement
Nayana (B 1981) is a full-time multidisciplinary
artist and activist who resides with her child in
Western Massachusetts. She attended Greenfield
Community College and Massachusetts College
of Art for Photography and then dropped out to
become a full-time painter. Her paintings can be
seen in collections, galleries, and museums around
the world.
Nayana has been a curator and community
arts organizer for over 20 years including former
founding Chief Curator for The Whitney
Center for the Arts. She also sits on several arts
organization boards, including “Artist Organized
Art”, and is an advisor for “Be The Change” and
“The Native Youth Empowerment Foundation”.
Nayana’s work often deals with issues related to
trauma and violence including her experiences as
a Leukemia and Bone Marrow transplant and DV
survivor.
NAYANA LAFOND
Exhibit Support & Partners: Newport News
Times, Central Oregon Coast NOW, Advantage
Real Estate, Best Western Agate Beach,
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, My Sisters
Place (MSP)
Exhibition Artist: Nayana LaFond
Exhibition Run Dates: February 2 – May 7,
2023
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH EVENTS AT
THE PMHC
Panel Discussion: March 23, 6PM
Featuring visiting artist Nayana LaFond
Art Demonstration:March 25, 1PM Painting
Demonstration by Nayana L
Location: Pacific Maritime Heritage Center
333 E Bay Blvd. Newport, OR 97365
541-265-7509 oregoncoasthistory.org
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 11am-4pm
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