Ancestors Know Who We Are

Ancestors

Know

Who We Are

Long descrition of the image: A contemporary blue-and-brown basket purse woven from dyed and undyed plant material. It has a wide, flat bottom, and the sides taper as they go up. The opening is made from a braided band, and two woven leather loops attached to the inside corners serve as the handles. Thin strands form a scalloped trim beneath the band and two series of loops across the purse's front. These same strands also create a crisscross stitch along the seams. Undyed and blue-dyed plant reeds form the warp and weft of the purse's body. Narrow blue reeds create a rectangle across the front. It's divided by a weft of wider undyed reeds that alternate with blue ones. As the design moves down the front of the purse, the blue rectangle transitions into a warp of natural-colored reeds divided by a weft of blue reeds. This same pattern is repeated on the sides of the purse.

Long descrition of the image: A print of the phrase “Ancestors Know Who We Are.” The words are black on a white background, and all of the letters are capitalized. Each word sits on a separate line underneath the one before it.

Long descrition of the image: A young Latina woman gazes forward, her hand gently resting under her chin. A softly blurred yellow marigold sits in her hair just above her right ear. She wears gold hoop earrings, a gold necklace with a jewel pendant, and a red sleeveless top. The right side of her body is drenched in sunlight. Her long, dark hair, red lips, and brightly colored clothing and adornments contrast with the blurred blue sky and green trees behind her.

Long descrition of the image: A hyper-realistic painting of a black-and-white photo of a Native American mother and an African American father sitting with their baby. The parents' gaze is directed to the right. The mother, who wears a small pendant necklace, a dark dress and shoes, and thick white socks, sits in a chair with the yawning baby wrapped in a white blanket on her lap. The father wears a white t-shirt, dark trousers and shoes, and a watch on his right wrist. He is sitting on the arm of the chair with his left arm around his wife and his right resting across his lap. The chair sits on a hardwood floor in the corner of a room. The right wall behind the chair is bare; on the left wall hangs three small paintings. The top painting is of Mary holding baby Jesus and the two bottom paintings are of a silhouetted figure kneeling in prayer.

Long descrition of the image: A pair of softly blurred rings, the outer bright purple and the inner yellow, surround four colorful concentric circles. Inside the yellow ring are pale-green abstract turtle shell designs. Each circle is surrounded by a ring of contrasting color. Extending from the top and bottom of the outermost ring are seven yellow flute-like pipes shaded in orange. The concentric circles shrink in size as they move toward the center. Inside each circle are different abstract turtle shell designs, and inside each ring are a series of red, black, and white triangles. Evenly spaced atop the rings are the silhouettes of five female heads with hairstyles at different stages of life. The first circle is green and yellow surrounded by a purple ring; the silhouettes have straight, flowing neck-length hair. The second circle is purple and yellow surrounded by a blue ring; the silhouettes have long, curly shoulder-length hair. The third circle is purple and yellow surrounded by a green ring; the silhouettes have a tight ponytail at the top of the head and a smaller ponytail at the base of the neck. The smallest circle at the very center is blue surrounded by a bright orange ring; the silhouettes have little to no hair.

Long descrition of the image: A print of a poem with black lettering on a white background. The poem says, “I told a story/until it transformed./I sang a song/until the melody lifted/rose from a dirge/&/I could feel/the grace notes.” The letters are all lowercase, and each verse sits on a separate line underneath the one before it.

Long descrition of the image: Four purple female silhouettes are set against a red-and-purple background dappled with sprays of yellow. The bottom two figures have short, bouncy hair and the two top figures have long, voluminous hair. Each figure is shaded in yellow and surrounded by a blurred effect that creates an aura. The women appear to be floating or flying. Waves of blue, turquoise, yellow, purple, and red radiate from their fingers to support and uplift the figure above them.

Long descrition of the image: An elder woman is framed from the chest up, a halo of soft yellow surrounding her short, gray hair. She gazes to the right and wears a gentle smile. Her lavender top contrasts with the vibrant blue, black, pink, and purple background. Both she and the spots of white that form the stars of the celestial backdrop are surrounded by a blurred effect, as if to indicate movement at great speed.

Long descrition of the image: The black outlines of a group of schoolchildren are etched onto a heavily smudged white piece of paper. Their silhouettes are simple, with similar facial features and sparsely detailed clothing. In the forefront, a child reaches out its right hand and arm. The children behind stop just below the chest and then break at the shoulders as they move back until eventually only the heads can be seen.

Long descrition of the image: A portrait of a young boy of mixed Native American and African American heritage. He is framed from the neck up and set against a dark brown backdrop. His brown hair is parted down the middle and two braids fall past each shoulder. He's wearing a light blue collared shirt with white buttons. His brown eyes gaze upward and his lips are upturned in a gentle smile.