Exploring ‘Species Pending’

Mornings with O’Keeffe: Exploring ‘Species Pending’ with Mobile Artist in Residence Jamison Chās Banks

For April’s Mornings with O’Keeffe program, join the O’Keeffe Museum’s 2024-2025 Mobile Artist in Residence Jamison Chās Banks to learn about the ongoing mobile exhibition project Species Pending.  

Species Pending reimagines the historical narrative of shuvosaurid or proto-dinosaur Effigia okeeffeae, whose name is a tribute to Georgia O’Keeffe. This animal lived on the ancient continent of Pangea during the late Triassic period and its holotype fossils were found in blocks collected in the 1940s at Ghost Ranch, where O’Keeffe lived and owned a home. 

During this discussion, Banks will describe how Species Pending examines the history of this animal through an Indigenous lens, which allows for a rewriting (or “re-righting”) of the fossil’s narrative with a more inclusive perspective. Using imagery, sculpture, and on-location research, Banks and fellow artist Animkeewa White Eagle aim to reinterpret how this fossil and animal is presented. Their work will be on view in a culminating mobile exhibition hosted by Axle Contemporary and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.

Species Pending Opening | Friday, April 18, 5:00–7:00 PM | Free to Attend
📍Santa Fe Railyard Shade Structure by the Farmers Market
(1612 Alcaldesa St, Santa Fe, NM 87501)

—

This talk is free to attend. Please register in advance. For assistance with event registration, email contact@gokm.org or call 505-496-1000. Can’t make the talk? This program will be recorded and posted on our website and YouTube Channel.

About the Speaker

Jamison Chās Banks is a multi-disciplinary artist who creates films, paintings, performances, and installations. A dual citizen of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, his work often explores the history of war and territorial expansion, both literal and psychological. Banks often reimagines symbols or characters of popular culture in contexts that challenge their original meanings. Banks has been exhibiting work for more than a decade and holds an AFA and BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts, where he also taught for 12 years. 

Photos courtesy of Jamison Chās Banks and Animkeewa White Eagle