April 10, 2019
First Peoples of the Southeast
Discover two powerful ArtFields exhibitions celebrating the art, culture, traditions, and living stories of Indigenous peoples across the Southeast.
This fall, our sister organization ArtFields invites visitors to experience the art, stories, traditions, and living cultures of Indigenous peoples across the Southeast through First Peoples of the Southeast.
Beginning Friday, September 11, 2026, and continuing through Saturday, January 30, 2027, two new exhibitions will fill the Jones-Carter Gallery and TRAX Visual Arts Center in downtown Lake City, bringing together works by Indigenous artists representing tribal nations from across the region.
The exhibitions are part of First Peoples of the Southeast, a larger ArtFields initiative celebrating Native American art and culture across nine Southeastern states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
The project also holds special meaning here at home. The Pee Dee region itself takes its name from the Indigenous Pee Dee people, making Lake City a fitting place to explore the deep connections between art, land, history, and culture that continue to shape the Southeast today.
At Jones-Carter Gallery, visitors can experience 9|9: Art of the Native South, an exhibition featuring works from the Museum of the Southeast American Indian at UNC Pembroke. The exhibition includes a wide range of media and artists from tribal nations including the Lumbee, Catawba, Haliwa-Saponi, Eastern Band of Cherokee, Muscogee Creek, and Nansemond.
Just a short walk away at TRAX Visual Arts Center, Bounded Space: Belonging to the Native South explores the relationship between people and place.
Inspired by the concept of “bounded space” developed by Jicarilla Apache scholar Viola F. Cordova, the exhibition considers how connections to rivers, mountains, valleys, and other natural features help shape identity, tradition, and artistic expression.
Visitors will encounter works created from natural materials and informed by knowledge passed through generations, alongside contemporary approaches from nationally recognized Indigenous artists including Jeffrey Gibson, Raven Halfmoon, Marcus Amerman, and Preston Singletary.
Both exhibitions are curated by Nancy Strickland Chavis, curator of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian at UNC Pembroke.
As Chavis explains, the exhibitions are not simply about looking into the past.
“Each piece in these exhibitions carries with it a place, and traditions that have been passed down,” Chavis said. “My hope is that visitors walk away understanding that Southeastern Indigenous culture isn’t a chapter in a history book, it’s still being written now.”
The community is invited to experience both exhibitions during special Opening Receptions on Friday, September 11, from 6–8 p.m. at Jones-Carter Gallery and TRAX Visual Arts Center.
In addition to a first look at the exhibitions, opening night will offer another way to explore Indigenous culture: through food.
Chef Jamie Locklear will prepare cuisine highlighting pre-contact, post-contact, and contemporary fusion, adding a culinary element to an evening centered around the art, culture, and traditions of the Native South.
The opening receptions are just the beginning. On Saturday, October 3, ArtFields will host Echoes Across Millennia, a free public Culture Celebration featuring traditional dance, drumming, storytelling, foodways, and an art market.
First Peoples of the Southeast is presented as part of Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a nationwide initiative commemorating the United States Semiquincentennial.
Opening Receptions
Friday, September 11 | 6–8 p.m.
Admission to the opening receptions is FREE!
Come spend an evening in downtown Lake City, explore both galleries, experience Indigenous art and cuisine, and discover the stories and traditions that continue to shape the Native South.
Jones-Carter Gallery
9|9: Art of the Native South | Friday, September 11 - Saturday, January 30, 2027
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday | 11am-5pm
TRAX Visual Arts Center
Bounded Space: Belonging to the Native South | Friday, September 11 - Saturday, January 30, 2027
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday | 11am-5pm
