“Let him who has not a single speck of migration to blot his family escutcheon cast the first stone…” -Jose Saramago

We humans move. It is what we do and have always done. Whether our nomadic ancestors, wandering far afield in search of sustenance, the explorers who charted new territory – or encroached on already claimed lands – or those who bravely flee their homes and seek a new life in safer places, we humans do not tend to sit still for long. Much is made of this movement. As with all things, it is giving varied levels of acceptability depending on who is doing the moving and to where.

Kali Spitzer spoke to us from unceded Coast Salish territory, also known as British Columbia, Canada. Her roots play a big role in her work – around age 20 she began spending a lot of time in Daylu, British Columbia learning from elders. Spitzer feels grateful to know exactly where she comes from and has a strong connection to her culture. She also is “very white passing” which makes her not quite fit in when she visits home. This is a major theme in the work she creates, much of which focuses on sense of belonging. Spitzer also documents her people through her work. To hear more about her background, artwork, present and upcoming exhibitions and more, listen to the complete interview.

Tannaz Farsi lives and works in Eugene, Oregon where she teaches at University of Oregon. She is busy preparing for an upcoming exhibit, the theme of which is migration. Farsi’s work rarely reflects her personal life, though for this project she plans to draw on images and information from her own family members. In previous work, she has never used Farsi, the language of her family’s Iranian background, but for this work on migration she is considering changing that. To hear more about this work, Tannaz Farsi’s background and much more, listen to the complete interview.