2026 SPE Annual Conference: Catalyst for Exchange
Looking for a chapter event?
Past SPE Annual Conferences
exhibitions
West Chapter Conference Schedule
print this page[Placeholder: Swallowtail]
Eliza Gregory
Saturday, November 08 - 3:00PM to 3:30PM
[PLACEHOLDER] is an art project led by Eliza Gregory that investigates ruptured relationships to land in the United States, and searches for pathways toward repair. In fall 2024, in collaboration with guest artist Amy Elkins and California State Parks, [PLACEHOLDER: SWALLOWTAIL] offered 35 photography students at Sacramento State the opportunity to explore themes of land and belonging, using Sutter's Fort and the State Indian Museum as the site of inquiry. Over three months local artists, tribal members, students, and State Parks staff discussed the site, shared space and experiences within it, and researched its history and present. The work culminated in two concurrent exhibitions, one at the CA State Indian Museum, and one at Verge Center for the Arts a few blocks away. The work is also now being presented through a digital exhibition, viewable at https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/p4d3kj2TnR6Kc
This is an example of a combined creative and pedagogical practice that rewards students for taking risks and engaging with the world as artists. It also challenges students to hold uncertainty, and confront real-world consequences alongside grades as metrics of evaluation and success.
In this iteration of the project, the topic held sites of both contemporary and historical trauma for Native individuals and communities. Students and lead artists had to navigate complex terrain, figuring out how to manifest the values they were learning, without co-opting or confusing the sensitive narratives being shared. The project structure utilized the participation of many voices—contemporary Native artists as consultants to help students shape their work, State Parks staff who presented students with a variety of contemporary and historical perspectives, and Tribal Ecological Knowledge holders and homeland history teachers to provide clear counterpoints to the colonial narratives that surround us.
Students used photographic strategies such as collage, assemblage, altering found photographs, three dimensional sculpture with photographs, cyanotype, layering images with maps and the scanning of plant matter to locate different visual languages.
There were high highs and low lows! Students had plenty of criticisms of the experience, but there was also a significant positive response. State Parks Staff and the consultants on the project provided feedback as well. In this presentation, I will share the points of tension in the work, as well as the structures and final products. I will quote from the various feedback I received, and pose questions about how to carry projects like this forward into future iterations. The audience's feedback will be appreciated! I need your thoughts.
speaker
Eliza Gregory
About
- Board Reports, Letters, and Minutes
- History
- Staff
- Board Members
- Board Committees
- Board Elections
- SPE Code of Conduct
- Caucuses
Join
Members
Annual Conference
- About the Conference
- Overview
- Speakers
- Schedule
- Registration
- Volunteer
- Sponsors
- Exhibit
- Anti-Harassment Policy
- Hotel & Travel
- Location + Travel
- Hotel
- Schedule of Events
- Schedule
News & Events
Chapters
Exposure Journal
About this piece
Comments about this piece
Dialogue and critique are important to the SPE mission.
Please join the conversation.