Can art save your life? According to Virgil Ortiz, an artist from the Cochiti Pueblo in New Mexico, it can. For Virgil, making pottery with traditional materials and methods is a kind of therapy, a fundamental expression of his culture across generations. Virgil describes how the process itself brings him a sense of purpose and connection to his family, including the prayers he recites before he and his nephews dig clay from their ancestral lands. Given this living legacy, it was a significant moment for Virgil to visit The Met for the first time and see his culture represented in the Charles and Valerie Diker Collection of Native American art. Tune in to hear his story about art’s connection to belonging.
Guest: Virgil Ortiz, artist and teacher
Learn more about the Art of Native America: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection at www.metmuseum.org/diker
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