This summer, Twig Murray, curator and gallery director for Athenaeum Gallery (Alexandria, VA), invited artists to submit works for the Board: out of our minds! exhibition (Sept. 12–Nov. 10). Artists were challenged to submit work that “relates in any way to board games which might explore a real or imagined board game, an environment where board games are being played, or people playing board games.” My triptych, Elevate, is included in the exhibition.
Elevate is an interactive business ethics game that will challenge players to rise to the top, while taking the high ground. The triptych is a launching point for a curriculum-based board game for college students, to be developed by Native American leaders and business educators.
I envision Elevate as a game played by teams competing to climb both the corporate ladder and the Pueblo ladder (a metaphor for connecting to the universe, ancestors, and spiritual beliefs). Teams compete to obtain a C-suite position on the corporate path and demonstrate their knowledge of Native American culture on the Pueblo ladder path. Players consider opposing values such as shareholder capitalism and indigenous concepts of interconnectedness, reciprocity and gratitude.
Teams conduct research and engage in debates in response to prompts on topics such as: the Green Corn harvest festival (celebrated locally by the Piscataway); genetically engineered crops; sustainability; matriarchal societies; and pay equity.
This project is funded in part by funding from the Montgomery County government and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County.
Athenaeum | Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association
201 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
703.548.0035
nvfaa.org