21 Aug 2022 / 08 Apr 2022

Nani Chacon: SPECTRUM

SITE Santa Fe is proud to present; SPECTRUM, a new body of work from artist Nani Chacon (b.1980 Chinle, Diné) that explores cultural repair and radical colonial resistance through masterful visual storytelling and re-telling. Composed of 10 newly commissioned large-scale paintings and a survey of Chacon’s public murals and personal archive, SPECTRUM draws inspiration from traditional Diné creation mythology, and blends this with Chacon’s own experiences as a contemporary Indigenous artist.

Nani Chacon (b.1980) is a Diné and Chicana artist, born in Gallup, New Mexico. Chacon’s practice includes large-scale site-specific public artworks, drawing, installation, and design. Primarily working as a painter and muralist, she has shown both nationally and internationally, creating projects that focus on community engagement, led by her personal philosophy that art should be an accessible, and meaningful catalyst for social change. Her work is recognized for its unique style, using figurative subject matter to explore the complexity of contemporary Indigenous culture and identities, bringing these voices to the forefront of public arenas.

Chacon received her bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of New Mexico in 2003. Notable Projects have been supported by; The National Endowment for the Arts, California Endowment for the Arts, US Consulate and Embassy in Russia, The Obama Foundation, NM Public Arts Foundation, National Museum of Mexican Art Chicago, Navajo Nation Museum, National Hispanic Cultural Center, and the Museum of Native Contemporary Art.

Mural Maps

English
Español

Accompanying Programs

You Can’t Ignore a Wall: Public Discourse of Women Muralists
Thurs, Apr 28, 2022 at 6pm

Renowned art historian, educator, and Dean of Yale School of Art Dr. Kymberly Pinder will explore the growing, but often overlooked, history of women muralists.

Reclaiming Narratives: Jeffrey Gibson and Nani Chacon in Conversation
Sunday, May 8, 2022, 10:30am

SITE Santa Fe’s exhibiting artists Nani Chacon and Jeffrey Gibson will take the stage for a conversation about shared themes in their work, moderated by curator Brandee Caoba.

Community Art as Practice in Healing, Justice, and Liberation
Thurs, May 26, 6pm

Join Gaye Theresa Johnson, Associate Professor of Chicana/o & Central American Studies and Associate Director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, for a discussion of community-based art’s role in politics, community, and activism.

Artist Talk with Nani Chacon and Alan Ket
Fri, June 10, 6pm

Exhibiting artist Nani Chacon and will discuss the transition from graffiti art to mural making, community engagement, and the role of murals and street art in the global art market with Museum of Graffiti co-founder Alan Ket.

Miss the event? Join the #LunchTalk!

Mountain Center Open House: Celebrating Artwork by Nani Chacon
Thurs, Aug 11, 4-7pm

The Mountain Center’s open house celebrated artist Nani Chacon’s work, After the Winter, with food and drink, music by DJ Garronteed, rock climbing, and art activities. Painted as part of her engagement with SITE Santa Fe, After Winter was inspired by conversations Chacon had with residents of the Serenity Mesa Recovery Center and New Moon Lodge Recovery Center, as well as the intersection between nature and healing in New Mexico’s unique ecology.

SITE-Specific Performance by Laura Ortman
Sunday, Aug 21, 2022, 2pm at SITE Santa Fe

SITE Santa Fe presents a special live performance inspired by Nani Chacon: SPECTRUM by musician and composer Laura Ortman. Performing an amplified violin, Ortman’s textured atmospheric soundscapes will reverberate throughout SITE Santa Fe’s lobby.