4 Herons: Seneca Artists of the Genesee | Tour of UR Galleries, Library

On April 19th Rochester Art Collectors partnered with Aaron Delehanty, River Campus Curator of Hartnett and Frontispace Galleries and Instructor in the Art and Art History Department of the University of Rochester to present a unique tour of THREE art venues on the University of Rochester river campus:

• Frontispace Gallery - 4 Herons: Seneca artists of the Genesee

Works by nationally and internationally noted artists: Ernest Smith, G. Peter Jemison, Kalen Fontenelle, Lauren “Goodie” Jimerson - Curated by Michael Galban, Historic Site Manager of Ganondagan State Historic Site.

• Hartnett Gallery - Studio Art Senior Exhibition

Culminating exhibition of new works by Dustin Paden

• Art & Music Library - Objects from the permanent collection + tour

Program Details & Schedule
At 5:30 pm we gathered inside the lobby area of the Library Road entrance (aka, the "back entrance") to the Rush Rhees Library and then walked over to our first stop, the Hartnett Gallery.

Attendees will be treated to a culminating senior exhibition of new works by Dustin Paden. After walking through the exhibition Aaron Delehanty gave a brief presentation on the background and purposes of the Hartnett Gallery.

The group will then took a very short walk to the Frontispace Gallery to see   "4 Herons: Seneca artists of the Genesee"  that included works by nationally and internationally noted artists: Ernest Smith, G. Peter Jemison, Kalen Fontenelle, Lauren “Goodie” Jimerson. The exhibition was curated by Michael Galban, Historic Site Manager of Ganondagan State Historic Site. (More information below.)
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Mr. Galban, Historic Site Manager of Ganondagan State Historic Site and curator of the Seneca Art & Culture Center, talked about the artists and the works in the show. After hist talk the group took a quick tour of the UR Art & Music Library which is located at the back of the Frontispace Gallery.

Michael Galban's current research focuses on historic woodland arts, Indigenous/Colonial history, and lectures on the subject extensively. He sits on the board of directors of the Museum Association of New York (MANY), the editorial board of the New York History Journal, and is currently working in the Indigenous Working Group component of REV WAR 250th NY commission.

The video above was recorded by Mike Molaire at Frontispace at the University of Rochester on April 19, 2024

About the artists featured in "4 Herons: Seneca artists of the Genesee"

G. Peter Jemison (Seneca Heron Clan) b. 1945-present

​G. Peter Jemison, of the Heron Clan from the Cattaraugus Territory, Seneca Nation, is a multi-media artist and recently retired site manager of Ganondagan, a New York State Historic Site in Victor, New York. Jemison’s career spans over six decades across a wide swath of diverse accomplishments with a worldwide impact. Through his art, Jemison has explored a variety of topics, from creating political works that portray contemporary social commentary to those that reflect his relationship with the natural world.

Widely shown and collected, Jemison’s works are rooted in the framework of Native American art. Known for his naturalistic paintings and series of works done on brown paper bags, his art embodies Orenda, the traditional Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) understanding that all aspects of creation contain a spiritual force. His paintings, videos, and mixed media works have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the U.S., the U.K. and Germany. He is also an esteemed administrator, curator, editor, and writer. In 2004, he was elected Board Member at Large of the American Alliance of Museums (formerly the Association of Museums) and was the founding director of the American Indian Community House Gallery in New York City.

Jemison’s works are included in such significant collections as The Modern Museum of Art (MoMA); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The National Gallery, Washington D.C.; AKG (formerly, Albright Knox Gallery), Buffalo, NY; The Heard Museum, Phoenix; The Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, Santa Fe; The Denver Art Museum, Denver; The British Museum, London, UK; and the Museum der Weltkultern, Frankfurt, Germany.

Ernest Smith (Seneca, Heron Clan) b. 1907- d. 1975

Born on October 28, 1907, in a log cabin on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation near Akron, NY Ernest Smith or Gao’yaih (from the middle of the sky) became a well-known Seneca artist. The youngest of seven children of Louise and Peter S. Smith, Ernest was educated at the Tonawanda Reservation School and in the Buffalo Public Schools. Although largely self-taught in art, he was influenced by his brother Kidd, an accomplished woodcarver and by the landscape artist Roy Mason of Batavia.

From 1935-1941, Ernest participated in the Indian Arts Project under the direction of Arthur C. Parker of the Rochester Museum. Over two hundred and forty in watercolor, tempera and oil were produced, depicting traditional life of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). In 1973, Ernest returned to the Rochester Museum to take part in a research project sponsored by the Anthropology Department of the State University of New York at Albany and the Rochester Museum & Science Center. At that time, he gave commentary on each of his paintings which were recorded. The resulting text was edited by William Fenton and Jeanette Collamer who also conducted the interviews.

Throughout his life Ernest continued to paint. His works can be found in the Smithsonian Institute and the United States Department of the Interior, Indian Arts and Crafts Board in Washington D.C.
Ernest dies in 1975 on the Tonawanda Reservation. His work have continued to be a source of inspiration to generations of Haudenosaunee people as well as anyone interested in the Haudenosaunee.

Lauren “Goodie” Jimerson (Seneca, Heron Clan) b. 1982-present

Goodie is a member of the Seneca Nation and grew up on the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation located south of Buffalo, NY. Lauren Jimerson is a trained art therapist and fine artist who lives and works in the Rochester area and has spent the past 20 years raising her children and acclimating to her ancestral lands in the Rochester area.

Lauren began examining the complex subject of historical trauma while attending graduate school at Nazareth College. This was when she discovered that her life experiences served as a profound connection to the loss of cultural identity that took place throughout American history, more specifically the Boarding School Era. This provided the first step of many towards Lauren’s passage to self-discovery, resistance, reclamation, and self-acceptance. Lauren has presented at national conferences and universities about the pedagogy of historical trauma and resiliency and its effect on human development.

Lauren also examined the momentous role of food sovereignty while serving as the project manager at the Iroquois White Corn Project at Ganondagan State Historic Site in 2016. While holding this position, Lauren educated individuals and audiences on the history and significance of a local ancestral food staple as well as developed recipes and provided workshops.

Kalen Fontenelle (Seneca, Heron Clan) b. 1999-present

Kalen was born at Ganondagan nearby Victor, NY. He attended the Victor public schools and has started some college work at Monroe Community College. Kalen is currently working at the Seneca Art & Culture Center as a cultural and historical interpreter as well as working in marketing, social media, and manages the digital media components of the museum.
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According to matrilineal custom, Kalen is Seneca from the Heron clan. His father is from the Zuňi pueblo and is from the parrot and coyote clans. Kalen’s work varies widely as he explores his artistic interests. He has worked in digital art, woodworking, and more recently leathercraft.