Enduring Tradition and a Lifetime of Innovation with Gerald Clarke

Visual artist, educator, tribal leader, and cultural practitioner Gerald Clarke discusses his wide range of work–from sculpture and installation to branded prints and performance. An enrolled citizen of the Cahuilla Band of Indians, Clarke lives in the Anza Valley where his family has lived for time immemorial. He describes his work as conceptual and united by a spirit of perseverance and adaptation, expressing his perspective as a Cahuilla person and 21st century citizen of the world. He is a Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of California Riverside where he teaches classes on Native American art, history, and culture.

Clarke’s sculpture Continuum Basket is currently on view in Of the Earth: Native American Baskets and Pueblo Pottery and is in the permanent collection of the Nevada Museum of Art.