Lecture: American Sunrise with Joy Harjo
Join us for an inspiring afternoon talk and reading with Joy Harjo, former Poet Laureate, as part of a celebration for our exhibition American Sunrise: Indigenous Art at Crystal Bridges.
Based on her poem of the same name, American Sunrise explores the themes of Native American history, culture, and resilience. Harjo will be in conversation with Jordan Poorman Cocker (Kiowa), the museum’s curator of Indigenous art and NAGPRA officer, as she shares her insights on the intersections of art, poetry, and storytelling, reflecting on her creative journey and the profound messages woven through the exhibition.
Tickets are $20 ($15 for members), reserve your spot online or with Guest Experience at (479) 657-2335 today.
About the Speaker
Joy Harjo
Joy Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, is the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States and the second poet to be appointed a third term. She attended the Institute of American Indian Arts and later earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Harjo began writing poetry as part of the Native empowerment movements and has since taught creative writing and American Indian Studies at multiple universities. She has authored ten poetry books, including An American Sunrise (2019) and Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light (2022). Her memoir Crazy Brave won the PEN USA Literary Award, and her second memoir, Poet Warrior, was published in 2021.
Harjo is an accomplished musician, performing with her band and solo, and has produced seven award-winning albums. She edited two anthologies highlighting Native poetry and literature and serves as the Executive Editor of When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through. Among her numerous honors are the 2024 Frost Medal, the 2023 Bollingen Prize, a National Humanities Medal, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Americans for the Arts. Harjo lives on the Muscogee Nation Reservation in Oklahoma and is the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at Tulsa’s Bob Dylan Center.
American Sunrise: Indigenous Art at Crystal Bridges is sponsored by Dobkin Family Foundation.