By Faith Welch
Greenport High School
Indigenous language and culture have come alive through art in a new multimedia exhibition at Stony Brook University’s Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery.
“Weaving Words, Weaving Worlds: The Power of Indigenous Language in Contemporary Art” officially opens Sunday, July 20, from 5 to 7 p.m., with a special reception featuring a drum processional and welcome remarks by guest curator Jeremy Dennis of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. The show features the work of 24 Indigenous artists who incorporate Native languages into contemporary visual forms such as beadwork, painting, digital art, and sculpture to explore memory, resistance, and cultural survival.
“This exhibition has been years in the making,” said Karen Levitov, director of the Zuccaire Gallery. “It’s about how Indigenous artists are using language — not just to preserve culture, but to continue evolving it in powerful, visual ways.”
Levitov said the idea grew out of conversations around Indigenous language revitalization on campus. “At a time when many Native languages are endangered, this show asks: how do we support artists who are using language not only in their work, but in their daily lives?”
Dennis, a 2013 Stony Brook alumnus, curated the show and contributed artwork of his own. “My inspiration came from the amazing work already happening at Stony Brook around Indigenous language and cultural revitalization,” he said. “It’s an incredible honor to return to my alma mater and contribute in this way.”
A central theme of the exhibition is the connection between Indigenous language and land. “Language encodes entire worldviews — relationships with time, land, ancestors,” said Dennis. “Contemporary art becomes a space where those relationships can be reactivated — not just in words, but in gesture, form, and symbolism.”
The exhibit includes archival maps, documents, and texts from Stony Brook’s Special Collections to provide historical context. One standout piece is a large map marking the original thirteen Indigenous tribes of Long Island. “It’s meant to be a visual land acknowledgment,” Dennis explained.
Visitors are also invited to interact with the show by adding Post-It notes with phrases written in Long Island Algonquian languages. “That evolving wall installation invites participation,” Levitov said. “It reminds us that language is not static — it’s living, spoken, and shared.”
She emphasized that the show is both personal and communal. “These artists are telling stories that have been historically silenced, and they’re doing it through language, texture, sound, and color,” said Levitov. “It’s emotional. It’s political. And it’s deeply human.”
“Weaving Words, Weaving Worlds” runs through Nov. 22 and includes several public events, including an artist panel on Sept. 11, a Kelp Farmers presentation in October, and a Native American Heritage Month celebration in November. Summer gallery hours vary; beginning Aug. 25, the gallery is open Monday through Friday from 12 to 4 p.m.
These scenes from the “Weaving Words, Weaving Worlds” exhibit offer a preview of the work of 24 artists from around the world. Photos by Faith Welch