škhé: it is said  

Exhibit Dates: Friday, July 15 – Sunday, October 9, 2022 

("škhé" is the sounds 'shh', then 'kay', pronounced together as 'shkay'.) 

škhé: it is said is an early-career body of work by Denver artist Danielle SeeWalker, an enrolled Citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. SeeWalker works across disciplines to explore the intersections of Native American stereotypes, microaggressions, and colonialist systems, both historically and in contemporary society. Drawing on au courant color palettes, expressionistic art strategies, and her Lakota traditions, SeeWalker spins her work into a contemporary vision to elevate historical perspectives as told from the side not often heard.  

“My work over the past few years has used the revealing aspects of American Indian history, as told from the perspective of a Native person, to demonstrate the profound impact it has had on our contemporary cultures today. In the current climate, where many believe history has no relevance, or believe Native Americans are relics of the past, I find myself continually returning to those aspects that are often hidden or misrepresented in the ’official’ recordings for posterity. In my multidisciplinary and diverse approaches to making art through installations, studio work, public street art, and curatorial work, I want the context of the work to leave the viewer with a thirst for wanting to know more about the truth or simply leave realizing a new perspective.” – Danielle SeeWalker 

The title škhé is the Lakota word that translates to “it is said” or “so they say” and exemplifies the storytelling through SeeWalker’s work. Historical events, stories, ceremonies, and ways of life of the Očeti Šakówiŋ (Lakota/Dakota/Nakota people) have always been passed down through oral tradition by elders, community criers, and culture bearers. These stories have been carried down from generation to generation and many of them have been told to Danielle by her father or other elders in her community. 

About the Artist:

Danielle SeeWalker is a Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation in North Dakota. She is a mother, artist, writer, curator, activist, and businesswoman currently based in Denver. Her visual artwork often incorporates the use of mixed media and experimentation while incorporating traditional Native American materials, scenes, and messaging. Storytelling is an integral part of her artwork and pays homage to her identity as a Lakȟóta wíŋyaŋ (woman) and her passion to redirect the narrative to an accurate and insightful representation of contemporary Native America while still acknowledging historical events. 

Alongside her passion for creating visual art, SeeWalker is a freelance writer and recently published her first book, titled “Still Here: A Past to Present Insight of Native American People & Culture.” She is also very dedicated to staying connected and involved in her Native community and is currently in her 2nd year serving as Co-Chair for the Denver American Indian Commission. Since 2013, SeeWalker and a long-time friend have been working on a personal passion project called The Red Road Project. The focus of the work is to document, through words and photographs, what it means to be Native American in the 21st century by capturing inspiring and positive stories of people and communities within Indian Country.  

Instagram: seewalker_ART 

Exhibit Events

Opening Reception

Thursday, July 14, 2022

5:30 - 7 pm

Come and celebrate the opening of this exhibit. No RSVP necessary. 21+

pARTy: Storytelling

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

5:30 - 7:30 pm

An evening social event with creative hands-on activities & unique exhibition experiences.

• Gallery tour with Danielle SeeWalker
• Learn how to do a “Winter Count”, a drawing chronicling your family’s experiences in 2021
• Create a collaborative mural using mixed media. The finished piece will hang in the Museum!
• Short film screening of The Red Road Project’s Our Mother is Crying about the special relationship that Indigenous cultures have with the earth
• Learn to capture an oral history and bring home questions to ask your family or friends
• Q&A session focused on dismantling stereotypes

Themed drinks, wine & snacks served. 

21+

Tickets: $15 per person

Purchase Tickets Here

Artist Talk: The Red Road Project

The Red Road Project with Danielle SeeWalker & Carlotta Cardana

Saturday, September 10, 2022

2 - 3 pm

Facebook Event

Join us for a talk featuring visual artist Danielle SeeWalker and photographer Carlotta Cardana as they discuss their collaboration on The Red Road Project.

Since inception in 2013, The Red Road Project’s purpose is to document, through words & visuals, the inspiring and resilient stories of Native America. These stories, not often told, highlight the people and communities that are taking positive actions and demonstrating resilience. More often than not, we see a non-Native narrative reporting on what Indigenous cultures are or represent and this often leads to misconceptions and fueling of negative stereotypes and microaggressions. With the vast and complicated historical trauma that American Indian people have had to endure for centuries, the intention of the project is to redirect that conversation. It is important that The Red Road Project is a platform for Native American people to tell their stories of past, present, and future through their own voices and words. SeeWalker and Cardana believe that Indigenous knowledge and teachings can also suggest solutions to the issues we are facing collectively as humans – now more so than ever. 

The title of this work comes from various Native American teachings that encourage one to “walk the red road”. When Native American people say they are walking the “red road” it means they are living life with purpose while on a path to positive change. This work illustrates how various American Indian tribes have had to overcome constant attempts of cultural genocide and acknowledge the residual scars of colonization, but more importantly, it brings forth the resilience, resistance, and revitalization of Indian Country today.

Permanent Exhibit

Littleton: Spirit of Community

This permanent exhibit depicts, through artifacts and text, the "Littleton Story" from its early beginnings to the present. Each case has a different focus and will guide you through the journey of Littleton through time.