Muhheakantuck, a Lenape word meaning “the river that flows both ways,” was the original name for the estuary that now commemorates Henry Hudson. The river has provided both a connective route for indigenous people and a conduit for launching European trade and expansion beyond the region, ultimately impacting the entire continent. This exhibition brings together contemporary artists from Mexico, the United States and Canada, to explore the significance of the waterway to indigenous peoples before and after Hudson’s arrival. The new works in the gallery and on the grounds reveal common threads, exploring language, concepts of nationhood, stewardship and, in a recurring motif, the merging of indigenous and European art practices and experience.

Wave Hill expresses sincere gratitude to each artist for turning attention to the river and creating new work that is insightful and provocative.