On the Cover: An Interview with Cover Artist Dawn Spears

Dawn Spears is a talented artist who helps other artists in her community find their footing through her work with Northeast Indigenous Arts Alliance and NEFA. She described our cover art as “an intersection of a few of my different styles” and said she uses her art as “a way to share stories with my grandchildren.” But more than sharing her culture with her grandchildren, she seeks to use her art to share her culture with the world at large. “I’ve been working very hard over the last few decades to show that we’re [Indigenous people] not the invisible population. I’m trying to bring visibility to us. I think it’s important to show people how much we are misrepresented and overlooked, and that despite efforts to eradicate us, we are still here and persevere.”

To see more of Spears’ work, follow her on Instagram @dspears85 or at fb.com/dawnspears. You can also purchase pieces of her work, including painted clothing, on Nov 24 at the Native Arts Festival at The Towers in Narragansett.