NEHMA to Host Live Spoken Word Performance by Renowned Artist Gregg Deal

LOGAN, Utah — The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art at Utah State University will welcome artist Gregg Deal for a lecture and in-gallery visual and spoken word performance at 5 p.m. Thursday. This performance, in conjunction with the lecture, is free and open to all.

Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe) is a multi-disciplinary artist, activist and "disruptor." His work, which includes paintings, murals, performance, music, spoken word and more, is informed by his Native identity and includes critiques of American society, politics, popular culture and history. Deal’s paintings have been exhibited around the world, and his punk band Dead Pioneers recently toured with Pearl Jam and is touring across Europe. Deal’s talk will explore creativity, inspiration, empathy and the tireless work it takes to be successful as an artist and musician today.

Deal’s painting, ZiggIndigenous , is featured in NEHMA’s exhibition The Lure and Lore of the West. This exhibition explores the blurred lines between Western myth and history, challenging viewers to think about cultural legends and how society impacts the stories we tell and our future folklore.

Deal says of his work ZiggIndigenous: "Imposing the face paint over this photograph is not only an action of defiance against what has informed Indigenous existence and Western stereotypes, it also joins my own world view with the perspective by merging the old and the new. … [First Peoples] exist, but on our terms and unapologetically, in spite of what your predisposed perceptions are.”

ZiggIndigenous was newly acquired by NEHMA thanks to the generous support of Cris and Janae Baird. Admission is free and open to all. Parking is available in the free museum parking stalls and at the Gateway Terrace. For more information, go to visit usu.edu/artmuseum or contact Shaylee Briones.