Local Artist Andrea Carlson's 'Last Out' Exhibition at deCordova Museum Highlights Indigenous Stories

Andrea Carlson's new exhibition, 'Last Out,' is now open at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln. The exhibition will run until June 30. It features Carlson's unique style of landscape painting, which combines real and imagined spaces. This approach challenges traditional western views of the art form. Her work often includes elements from horror films and comic books to discuss cultural stereotypes and the preservation of Native culture and stories.

'Last Out' uses indigenous storytelling to address the historical mistreatment of native peoples in New England. The title is based on Jean O’Brien's text 'Firsting and Lasting: Writing Indians out of Existence in New England.' It refers to how local histories have been interpreted by European Americans to support their modern views and dismiss native experiences.

The exhibition focuses on the story of Weetamoo, a Wampanoag chief. She led her people against English settlers in an effort to resist colonial influence. Carlson's work does not focus on the tragic aspects of Weetamoo’s life. Instead, it depicts a journey, set against natural landscapes, where indigenous people are not the 'last out,' but the ones who persist.

Carlson has a BA in studio art and American Indian studies from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in Visual Studies from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her work has been included in many museum collections, such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, Walker Art Center, and National Gallery of Canada.

Carlson's past exhibitions include 'Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists,' which was shown at multiple venues from 2019 to 2021, and 'Art for a New Understanding: Native Voices, 1950s to Now,' which was displayed at the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville, AK, from 2019 to 2020.

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