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Exhibit: First Contact
First Contact
Puritans, Native Americans, and the clash over land in 1630
An immersive digital multimedia art exhibit about the roles of Christianity,
Native worldviews, and land use in 17th-century central Massachusetts
Opening at the Fisher Museum
324 North Main Street, Petersham, MA
on Sunday, September 23rd, 2012 at 2:00pm
(RSVP)
Aura Triptyuch: A View of Nipmuc Country from Phillipston
Roberto Mighty 2012 limited edition archival pigment print
Through digital projections, landscape photography, high-definition video, and forest audio recordings from the Harvard Forest, overlaid with historical voiceover texts and music, First Contact immerses visitors in the experience of 17th century peoples as they struggled to reconcile opposing notions about land use. This struggle resonates to this day here and around the world.
Created, filmed, photographed, edited and sound designed by Roberto Mighty, MFA
2011-2012 Artist-in-Residence, Harvard Forest
Film trailer
Details
17th century text
John Cotton
Daniel Gookin
Francis Higginson
Massasoit
Thomas Morton
Roger Williams
Historical text translations & voiceovers
David Tall Pine White, Brimfield, MA Nipmuc Nation Language Teacher
Ben Crystal, London, Original Pronunciation specialist
Paul Meier, Director of Theater Department, University of Kansas
Science Commentators
David Foster, Director, Harvard Forest (1990-2020)
Aaron Ellison, Senior Research Fellow in Ecology, Harvard Forest
Emery Boose, Senior Researcher and Information Manager, Harvard Forest
Ed Faison, Research Fellow, Highstead
David Orwig, Forest Ecologist, Harvard Forest
Special Thanks from the Artist
Clarisse Hart
Edythe Ellin
Laurie Chiasson
Cheryl Toney Holley
Donna Rae Gould
Jonathan Robinson
James Baird
Christine Mandell
Kathryn Howell
Katharine Taylor Mighty
Dr. Bertram Ashe
