Art on the Grounds

Future Dreaming, the 2024 Marcus exhibition, imagines futures that are influenced by Indigenous knowledge and wisdom, impacting our existing modes of living, thinking, relating and convening to make way for a more equitable and sustainable existence for all beings. In this gallery, Marie Watt, a member of the Turtle Clan of Seneca Nation (Haudenosaunee) with German-Scot ancestry, bends space and time in service of encouraging new perspectives based on the seven principles of Indigenous storywork: respect, responsibility, reciprocity, reverence, holism, interrelatedness, and synergy. Printmaking has been an integral part of Watt’s practice for over 30 years, influencing her sculptural work…

Reclaimed blankets, reclaimed cedar, steel I-beamDimensions variableCourtesy of the artist and Catharine Clark Gallery Skywalker/Skyscraper: Forest (2021), was inspired by Marie Watt’s move to Brooklyn, and her discovery that the border of Cobble Hill and Gowanus (the locations of her home and studio, respectively) was "where Iroquois ironworkers and their families settled in the 1950s, when most of Manhattan's skyscrapers were being built." Watt remarks, “These Iroquois were called ‘skywalkers’ due to their ability to work on the high steel without safety harnesses.” Her use of blankets is an ode to her Indigenous heritage, as she notes that “in Indigenous…

Neon, aluminum, steel34.5 x 300.75 x 9.5 inFabricated by Lite Brite Neon Studio, Kingston, NYCourtesy of the artist and Catharine Clark GalleryPhoto by Kevin McConnell Chords to Other Chords (First Teacher) (2022) is a monumental neon sculpture consisting of the boldly stitched words, TURTLE ISLAND, which artist Marie Watt places in unexpected sites as an act of colonial resistance. Acknowledging the various meanings and origin stories of Turtle Island across Indigenous communities, Watt questions, “What does it mean to say a pair of words when you don’t know their origin?” The neon sign is meant to “catch people off guard…

Acrylic mirror, plexiglass90.5 x 90.5 x 88.5 inCourtesy of the artistPhoto by David Zarate Pulse (2024) is a large-scale, abstract depiction of an essential energy feedback loop within our ecosystem.  The interconnected circles devour the light, and then project the cast light out through color and beam reflections, much in like our natural energy systems. In nature, a pulse is the palpitation or wave through which energy is circulated—acting as a connection through vibrations in sound, electric currents, light, water or any element.  This work was created with the support of the 2024 Inaugural Lucas Artists Program Marcus Commissioning Prize. This…

Gold acrylic mirror, plywoodDimensions variableCourtesy of the artistPhoto by David Zarate Circuitree (2024), a sculptural forest with patterned mirrored trunks and neon plexi foliage, invites viewers to experience themselves as part of nature, not apart from it. This installation emphasizes the interconnectivity between humans and the earth. As the plexi and mirrors commune with light, viewers may see themselves reflected within the trees and plants. Each one is unique in form. The patterns on the trunks are based on cuneiform symbols some of the most ancient and minimal shapes known to be the earliest writing system for humans; i.e. the…

Steel144 x 234 x 120 inOriginally installed at Storm King Art Center, Mountainville, NY. Courtesy the artist and Commonwealth and Council. Co-commissioned by Storm King Art Center, EMPAC–Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, and the Vera List Center for Arts and Politics at The New School. The sculpture was created in part during the artist’s residency at Atelier Calder, Saché, France.Photo by Paul Gallo Ilopango, the Volcano that Left (2023) is a speculative reconstruction of an ancient volcano that erupted in the sixth century C.E. in what is now El Salvador. Working in steel, Cortez fashions her work…

Steel with patinaDimensions variablePreviously installed in the foreground at Storm King Art Center, Mountainville, NY. Courtesy the artist and Commonwealth and Council. Co-commissioned by Storm King Art Center, EMPAC–Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, and the Vera List Center for Arts and Politics at The New School. The sculpture was created in part during the artist’s residency at Atelier Calder, Saché, France.Photo by Elisabet Gallego Conceived as a hyperobject, or an installation ideally visible from a nonhuman vantage point, Cosmic Mirror (The Sky over Saratoga) (2022, reconfigured 2024) scatters over the landscape to mirror a constellation known as Orion in…

A Path Forward: Honoring Ohlone Land & Spirit is a living monument and permanent pathway within Montalvo's 175-acre park, featuring an augmented reality (AR) experience created to honor Ohlone lands through shared ancestral wisdom, elevating local Ohlone voices and Indigenous knowledge while enlightening visitors about forest stewardship, land management, and environmental kinship in the natural ecosystems of Santa Clara County. A Path Forward is a partnership of the Santa Clara County Parks, the Confederation of Ohlone People, and Montalvo Arts Center. This work was made possible through a National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Award and the California Arts Council…