North Central students display photos of Hopi people

North Central College student anthropology majors Lindsey Pettit, Audrey Weaver, Jessica Pantel and Manuel Holston-Brown will exhibit their photos of the Native American Hopi people at the Naperville school through Oct. 27.

Titled “The Hopi Way: A Week on the Reservation,” the exhibit includes more than 100 photographs of the Native American reservation, cultural sites and artifacts handmade by the students during their 2013 spring break service trip to Arizona to visit the Hopi people.

The free exhibit is open to the public and on display in the college’s Meiley-Swallow Hall Gallery, 31 S. Ellsworth St., Naperville.

Pettit, of Aurora, is a senior majoring in anthropology with a minor in art history. In her travels to the Hopi reservation, she wanted to “observe how art is intertwined with daily life on a reservation.”

Weaver, of Carey, Ohio, is a sophomore majoring in both anthropology and interactive media studies and hoped to gain a rare glimpse into an overlooked culture.

Holston-Brown, of Westmont, is a senior majoring in sociology and anthropology with a minor in religious studies. His journey, he says, “allowed me to ask questions leading to a diverse understanding of a diverse culture.”

Pantel, of Beach Park, graduated in June and majored in anthropology and sociology and minored in Spanish. “The chance to immerse myself in another culture in such a short amount of time was a life-changing experience,” she says.

The students created the exhibit to share the vast multifaceted culture of the Hopi and the radically different environment of reservation life. Their artists’ statement notes, “Since art is a constant throughout Hopi history and daily life, it seemed appropriate to document our short journey through photography.”

Christine Rabenold, assistant professor of art, is faculty adviser for the exhibit. For more information about the exhibit or gallery hours, contact Rabenold at (630) 637-5543 or cmrabenold@noctrl.edu.