Artist Danielle SeeWalker on her canceled Vail residency

In The NOCO

Danielle SeeWalker is a Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta artist living and working in Denver. Her work incorporates traditional Native American materials and themes.

This past January, SeeWalker was approached and offered a residency by the town of Vail. The residency would have included SeeWalker creating a public mural. However, on May 9, town officials backed out on that plan. They stated a concern about the politicization of their public art program.

Vail officials pointed to SeeWalker’s recent social media posts sharing a painting she had created, called "G is for Genocide." The piece is a statement on the conflict in Gaza. The painting depicts a person wearing a keffiyeh – a traditional Palestinian scarf – as well as a braid, a feather and other traditional Native American imagery.

The rescinded offer became a social media firestorm for both SeeWalker and the town. Vail released another statement on May 14. They apologized for inconveniencing SeeWalker. But they also defended their decision, saying they could not “support messaging that targets one group of residents or guests over another.”

SeeWalker spoke with host Erin O’Toole about why she painted “G is for Genocide,” her ideas for the mural she had planned for Vail and whether this experience will change her approach to art.