Weekday group trips may be organized upon demand, "call us" to inquire.
Condill, 44, had an administrative position at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and for the previous couple years she 'd been working under the management of Kaywin Feldmen, who began as director in 2019. Before Feldman's arrival, the gallery didn't display any works by Native American artists, however by the time Condill left, it housed 24.
When faced with the possibility of a transfer to Cherokee, she needed to "truly do some believing about where I might be most effective." In truth, said Condill, there was never any genuine doubt that she 'd look for the director's job or that, if used it, she 'd say no. Now, she's in her third month leading the institution.
Dawn Arneach, now the museum's facilities coordinator, filled the director's position in the interim. "I could not be any luckier," she stated. "I feel really honored to be here." Museums, a medium for connection Though Condill's parents Ben and Gwen Bushyhead now live in Bryson City, she was born in Montana and "walked around a bit," during her youth, ultimately choosing Illinois Wesleyan University for her undergraduate degree and after that the University of Delaware for her master's work.
"It's not really about finding out more about my culture," she said. "It's who I am." She learned, though, that in the culture at large many people have little to no understanding of who Native individuals are today or of how they live. She went to museums with her parents "all the time" as a kid, and while she loved them, she also saw that where Native people are concerned, museums were often filled with stereotypes and caricatures generic brown mannequins positioned in 1950s-style dioramas, all the interpretation written in the past tense.
"My undergraduate thesis has to do with remedying stereotypes and museums as a medium to fixing stereotypes in Native American representation," she said. "I think it's a method to get at a few of these issues that might be hard to talk about. I believe museums are a terrific way to reach individuals." cherokeemuseum 's since individuals who choose to walk through a museum door are by and large aiming to discover, she stated.