Wampum / ᎠᏕᎳ ᏗᎦᎫᏗ
January 31–February 1 in the MCA’s Edlis Neeson Theater
Curated by Laura Paige Kyber
Wampum / ᎠᏕᎳ ᏗᎦᎫᏗ is an ongoing project that blends electronic dance music with Cherokee and Muscogee (Creek) language. Rooted in Indigenous Futurism, the work invites the audience to imagine together.
Performances: January 31 and February 1, 2025
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Curation: Laura Paige Kyber
Creator and lead artist: Elisa Harkins
Sound engineer and technical direction: Mark Kuykendall
Opening music: Kalyn Fay, setting the tone each night with clarity and heart
Dance: Maura Garcia and Maggie Boyett, performing with power, grace, and presence
Vocal collaboration: Dannie Wesley, who joined Harkins to sing Muscogee and Seminole hymns and shared a family story that underscored how traditions live through memory, voice, and love
Community singers: The Good Medicine Gang, lifting the space with voices and hand drums
Workshop partner: Center for Native Futures, whose hand drum workshop brought Indigenous community onto the stage
Video documentation can be viewed –> HERE.
