CV

Elisa Harkins

Cherokee/Muscogee artist and composer. Lives and works on the Muscogee (Creek) Reservation.

Selected Exhibitions

2022
Native Voices, Clovis Community College, Fresno, CA
State of the Art Constructs, Akron Art Museum, Akron, OH
Add Space, Billboard at 390 S Detroit Ave. Tulsa, OK
Grandmother Cindy, Artists Space, NYC, NY
State of the Art 2020: Constructs, Sarasota Art Museum, Sarasota, FL
Grandmother Cindy, The Poetry Project, NYC, NY
Wampum, Redcat, Los Angeles, CA
Outcropping – Indigenous Art Now, Southampton Arts Center, Southampton, New York

2021
Artists Exploration of Indigenous Spaces, The Mansion at Woodward Park, Tulsa, OK
Low End on the Bricks, Bemis Center, Omaha, NE
The Way Forward, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, Grand Rapids, MI
8th Winnipeg Underground Film Festival, Winnipeg, MB
Native Arts Colloquium: Expressing Relations of Bodies and Lands, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
PICA Creative Exchange Lab Meet the Artists, PICA, Portland, OR
Doc Fortnight, MoMA, New York, NY
Fractures Symposium, MCA Chicago, Chicago, IL

2020
Endless State, Skowhegan, New York, NY
Wampum, Crisp-Ellert Art Museum, St. Augustine, FL
Constellations of Kin curated by Eli Hirtle for ImagineNative, Toronto, ON
Wampum, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK
PICA TBA Festival, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
Feminisms, 516 Arts, Albequerque, NM
Virtual@Low End, Bemis Center, Omaha, NE
Settlement 2020 organized by Cannupa Hanska Luger, Plymouth, UK
Larger Than Memory: Contemporary Art from Indigenous North America, The Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ
Teach Me a Song, Tulsa Artist Fellowship, Tulsa, OK
Philbrook Drawing Rally, Philbrook Museum, Tulsa, OK
State of the Art, Crystal Bridges, Bentonville, AK
Drone and the Apocalypse, Tulsa Artist Fellowship, Tulsa, OK
Knowledge of Wounds, Performance Space New York, New York, NY

2019
The Tune Therefore is Preserved Among Them: Stories of Indigenous Music and Tradition, Winnipeg Film Group, Winnipeg, MB
Radio III, Plastic Orchid Factory, Vancouver, BC
Wampum, Western Front, Vancouver, BC
FUSE, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Wampum, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, BC
Teach Me a Song, Western Front, Vancouver, BC
Wampum Belt Workshop, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK
Tender Works, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, BC
Wampum, Pop Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
Recall/Respond, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK
Radio III, MAI, Montreal, QC, Canada
Record of Memory, New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, New Harmony, IN
Fancy Dance Shawl Workshop, Open Space, Victoria, BC
Indigenous Emerging Artist Program: Elisa Harkins, Open Space, Victoria, BC
Tongue Between Teeth Slightly Open, Tulsa Artist Fellowship, Tulsa, OK
Wampum: A Performance by Elisa Harkins, Snite Museum of Art, Notre Dame University, South Bend, IN
Revisions: Contemporary Native Art, Snite Museum of Art, Notre Dame University, South Bend, IN
Blinky The Friendly Hen 40th Anniversary Exhibition, CSUN Art Galleries, Northridge, CA

2018
Performance Lab: Translating Native Language, Crystal Bridges Museum of Art, Bentonville, AR
Gilcrease After Hours, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK
FELLOW, curated by Shane Darwent, Tulsa Artist Fellowship, Tulsa, OK
Indigenous Now: Experimental Moving Image Works By Native American Artists, Echo Park Film Center, LA, CA
Quantum Fur, Studio 303, Montreal, QC, Canada
FUSE, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Green and/or Triangulator, curated by Gary Kachadourian, Tulsa Artist Fellowship, Rm 106 Gallery, Tulsa, OK
Open, Awake & Alive, curated by Rena Detrixhe, Tulsa Garden Center, Tulsa, OK

2017
Our Side: Elisa Harkins, Tanya Lukin Linklater, Marianne Nicolson, and Tanis S’eiltin, curated by Wendy Red Star, Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, MT
Under the Mango Tree – Sites of Learning presents Wood Land School, documenta 14, Kunsthochschule Kassel, Germany
Adoption, Electronic Music, and Enrollment – a skype/virtual lecture presented by Decolonize LA, Human Resources, LA, CA
Elisa Harkins / Fire Queen / Skin Tone, Saw Video Media Art Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Wood Land School : Kahatènhston tsi na’tetiátere ne Iotohrkó:wa tánon Iotohrha / Drawing a Line from January to December, SBC Gallery, Montreal, QC, Canada
Kids’ Campaign to Correct History, The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
The Skowhegan Tarot,136 West 22nd Street, NY, NY
New Directions, Henry Zarrow Center for Art and Education, Tulsa, OK

2016
Wampum presented by Mutant Salon, Festival De Las Muertas, The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Mutant Salon, Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, CA
Mutant Salon, The Broad Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Christopher Richmond’s Double Fantasy (Soundtrack), Moskowitz Bayse, Los Angeles, CA
We Are the People, Curated by Wendy Red Star, Weber State University, Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah
Visions into Infinite Archives, Curated by Black Salt Collective, SOMArts, San Francisco, CA

2015
Christopher Richmond’s Double in Brass (Soundtrack), Stefan Lundgren Gallery, Mallorca, Spain
Older Than Jesus, Curated by Justin H. Long, Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami, FL
Physical Experience Reading Series, Curated by Neven Lochhead, Spark, Syracuse, NY
Art School Boyz, Curated by Ambar Navarro, New Hive
Attack, Sustain, Release, Decay, Honor Fraser, Los Angeles, CA
What You Pawn I Will Redeem, CALARTS Lime Gallery, Valencia, CA
Beta Critical Mixtape, Curated by Hugo Montoya, Papa John’s Projects, Facebook
Temporary Autonomous Zones, MOCA, Miami, FL

2014
Into the Red Sun – John Olivo Mid Residency Show (Soundtrack), CALARTS D301, Valencia, CA
QAC PRESENTS: ENDUR A ROUND & BANJEE BALL, CALARTS, Valencia, CA
Mutant Salon: Mother Spill, Commonwealth and Council, Los Angeles, CA
Christopher Richmond’s Milky Way (Soundtrack), M+B Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Homecoming, Flux Factory, Long Island City, NYC
Mutant Salon at Outfest, REDCAT, Los Angeles, CA
Pooper VS Spidey Thug (Performance), Some Times, CALARTS, Los Angeles, CA
Mutant Salon: Who Are Worth Our Love, Young Joon Kwak Thesis Exhibition, USC Roski Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
FAKE (Performance), CALARTS Mint Gallery, Valencia, CA
Mutant Salon CALARTS, Mint Gallery, Valencia, CA
Paint Paste Sticker, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL

2013
Expo Chicago, ACRE Booth, Chicago, IL
Fort Dreamboat, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
Hi I’m Pooper (Performance), Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
Native American Fax Machine, Happy Collaborationists, Chicago, IL

2012
Everyone’s Invited, Buena Vista Building, Miami, FL
NADA, ACRE Booth, Miami, FL
Beautython II (Performance), Mutant Salon, Los Angeles, CA
A Long Time Coming, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL
Flux Thursday (Performance), Flux Factory, NYC, NY
It’s a Small Small World, Family Business, NYC, NY
Poppers Tour 2012 with Xina Xurner and Mr. 666

2011
Space in, Space Out (Performance), Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Chicago, IL
Us (Performance), Ben Russell, Chicago, IL
NEXT Art Fair, ACRE Booth, Chicago, IL
Psyco-Bobble, High Concept Laboratories, Chicago, IL

2010
Pocahontas VS Predator, Roxaboxen Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
Club Nutz, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
NEXT Art Fair, Club Nutz, Chicago, IL
Design Miami, Workshop Workshop, Miami, Fl
Black Market Caviar Showcase, Rotofugi, Chicago, IL

2009
Poop Yer Nerfect Pants, Mostly Gallery, Chicago, IL
Pooper and Pizza Dog Romance Tour – We Know It’s You (Performance), Locust Projects, Miami, FL
These Are Powers – All Aboard Future, Secret Project Robot Room, Brooklyn, NY

2008
Heaven Gallery Experimental Comedy Screening, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL
Framed, 32nd and Urban, Chicago, IL
Shawnimal’s Plushform, Rotofugi, Chicago, IL
Tense, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL

2007
BFF Guerrilla Performance, Twenty Twenty Projects, Miami, FL
Bridge Art Fair, GardenFresh and AI Gallery Booths, Chicago, IL
You Winsome, You Lose Some, GardenFresh Gallery, Chicago, IL
Femme Forces, AI Gallery, Chicago, IL

2006
Aurora Borealis, South Union Arts, Chicago, IL
4 Years Later (You Are Beautiful), AI Gallery, Chicago IL
A Forest Happening, CP-S, Chicago, IL
Adventure City, People‘s Project, Chicago, IL
You Are Beautiful State Street Install, Block 420, Chicago, IL
Urban Gardening/Exterior Decorating, Version>06, Chicago, IL
Stray Show, Version Festival Booth, Chicago, IL
NFO XPO, True/False Film Festival, Columbia, MO
Fluxcore/Lovecore, Peter Jones Gallery, Chicago, IL
You Are Beautiful, Public Installation, Chicago, IL
Public Display of Affection, Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, Milwaukee, WI
Fufi Fufi Ice Cream Truck, Various Locations, Miami, FL

2005
The New Chicagoans, Select Media Festival, Chicago, IL
You Are Beautiful, Treehouse Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Urban Gardening/Exterior Decorating, Version>05, Chicago, IL

2004
Little Utopias, Select Media Festival, Chicago, IL

2003
Peep Show, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL
Fluxcore Show, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL

2002
The Stray Show, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL
Fluxcore Death, Bruner and Bay, Chicago, IL
Select Space, Buddy, Chicago, IL
i-space.gb, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL
Fuxxxcore, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL
Version>02, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
Whitney Biennial Turntables, Electric Orphanage, Los Angeles, CA
Flash Film Festival, DriveThru Studios, Chicago, IL

Residencies
PICA Creative Exchange Lab 2021 / Portland, OR
CEAM Artist Residency, Crisp-Ellert Art Museum 2020 / St. Augustine, FL
Montréal, arts interculturels 2019 / Montreal, QC, Canada
Vermont Studio Center 2013 / Johnson, VT
Flux Factory 2012 / Queens, NY
ACRE Artist Residency 2010, 2011, 2012 / Steuben, WI
The Fountainhead Artist Residency 2009 / Miami, FL

Awards
M-AAA Interchange Fellowship 2021
NEA Grant Award 2020
Tulsa Artist Fellowship Integration Grant 2020
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grant 2019
Tulsa Artist Fellowship 2018
Santo Foundation Fellowship 2013
Harpo Foundation Fellowship 2013
2006 Chicago Artist Month Featured Artist

Collections
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR

Press
Portland Monthly, Radio III Closed TBA 2022 with Silliness and Subversion, by Rebecca Jacobson, Sept. 23, 2022
First American Art Magazine, Connecting New Pathways: Centering Native Public Art in Tulsa, by Mason Whitehorn Powell (Osage), Issue No. 31, Spring 2021
Cherokee Phoenix, Harkins integrates Cherokee, Creek languages into her art, by Stacey Boston, Oct. 15, 2020
Tulsa World, Tulsa Artist Fellow part of ‘State of the Art’ show at Crystal Bridges, By James D. Watts Jr., Mar 8, 2020
Artforum, Burn Notice, Tavia Nyong’o on “Knowledge of Wounds” at Performance Space New York, January 2020
The Wire, Red Rosa presents Cold Turkey: Giving Thanks For What?, January 2018
Art in America, Story Trader: An Interview with Wendy Red Star by Chloe Alexandra Thompson, Nov 08, 2017
Art in America, Taking Up Space: An Interview with the Wood Land School by Sean J Patrick Carney, Oct 30, 2017

Speaking Engagements
2022
Okie Podcast, Tulsa, OK
Social Practice in Conversation, Mid America Arts Alliance, Kansas City, MO
You Are Heleswv Webinar, Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta, GA
Two Atlanta contemporary exhibits explore the identities and displacement of Indigenous peoples, WABE, Atlanta, GA
Chelsea T. Hicks launches new book ‘A Calm and Normal Heart’ at Magic City Books, Magic City Books, Tulsa, OK
2021
Mound Summit, Center for Native Futures, Chicago, IL
Native Arts Colloquium: Expressing Relations of Bodies and Lands, UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA
PICA CXL LAB, Portland Institute of the Arts, Portland, OR
Elisa Harkins Artist Lecture, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA
Elisa Harkins Artist Lecture, Illinois State University, Normal, IL
2020
Elisa Harkins Artist Lecture, California State University, San Marcos, CA
Elisa Harkins Artist Lecture, Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL
Elisa Harkins Performance and Lecture, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
PICA TBA Festival, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
2019
Elisa Harkins Artist Lecture, Emily Carr University’s Indigenous Gathering Place, Vancouver, BC
Wampum Belt Workshop, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK
Fancy Dance Shawl Workshop, Open Space, Victoria, BC
Elisa Harkins Artist Lecture, Open Space, Victoria, BC
Elisa Harkins Artist Lecture, The Snite Museum, Notre Dame University, South Bend, Indiana
2018
The Sonic Lines: Indigenous Artists Using Music and Sound, Philbrook Museum, Tulsa, OK
Convening Indigenous Voices Forum: Panel Discussion, Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, MT
2017
Indigenous Futures Cluster Presents: An Artist Talk by Elisa Harkins, Concordia University, MTL, QC, CA
2016
Visiting Artist Lecture Series /// We Are The People: Panel discussion with participating artists and curator, Weber State University, Ogden, UT

Curation
You Are Heleswv (Medicine), Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta, GA, 2022

Public Programming
6 Moons Indigenous Concert Series, Online, twitch.tv/6moonsindigenous, Tulsa, OK, 2020-2022
Mvhayv Radio, 91.1FM in Tulsa, OK, and 99.1FM in Indianapolis, IN

Music Publication
Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole Hymns CD in collaboration with Marcus Frejo, supported by Tulsa Artist Fellowship, 2020

Recordings
Radio III / ᎦᏬᏂᏍᎩ ᏦᎢ Double LP, supported by PICA and Western Front, 2020

Writing
The AIM Song, ArtChangeUS: Arts in a Changing America, Duke University Press, 2021

Teaching
Visiting Lecturer, Foundations, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA 2021
Mentor, School of the Art Institute Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2017-2019

Education
College of Muscogee Nation, Okmulgee, OK
2023
Certificate in Mvskoke Language

Skowhegan School of Sculpture and Painting
2015

California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA
MFA 2015
Fine Art

Columbia College, Chicago, IL
1998-2001
Bachelor of Arts
Interactive Media