Jeffrey Gibson: Jingle Dance
Channel: Brooklyn Museum
Date: 2020-11-23

Jeffrey Gibson, an artist of Choctaw and Cherokee descent, incorporates elements of Native American art and craft into his practice, creating a rich visual and conceptual dialogue between his work and the histories that inform it. In Jeffrey Gibson: When Fire Is Applied to a Stone It Cracks, he selected objects from our collection, which are presented alongside his recent work. The resulting multimedia, floor-to-ceiling installation questions long-held institutional categorizations and representations of Indigenous peoples and Native American art. It also provides a context for Gibson’s work and acts as a contemporary lens through which to see historical works by both Indigenous and non-Native peoples.

Jingles are small metal cones shaped like bells. Sewn onto dresses, they make a unique sound when dancers wear them at Powwows and celebrations. Jingle dresses can be traced to the Mille Lacs Band of the Ojibwe beginning in the early 20th century, and their origin may be connected to the 1918 flu pandemic, which profoundly impacted Great Lakes Natives. Hear the artist Jeffrey Gibson, who often incorporates jingles in his work, discuss the story of the first jingle dance and its connection to healing and resilience.

Jeffrey Gibson: When Fire Is Applied to a Stone It Cracks
February 14, 2020–January 10, 2021

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Video by Anne Sofie Nørskov, Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo Video Fellow⁠, produced by Rachel Lewis