Nayana LaFond

I am a professional visual artist working primarily in painting, sculpture and photography. My work centers around processing trauma and seeking to inspire social change. The current series I am working on is titled “Portraits in RED, Missing & Murders Indigenous Peoples Painting Project” and is an ongoing series of portraits of real people who are missing, have been murdered, have survived or are activists or family members. The work weighs heavy with topics like domestic violence. I am also working on a series of paintings, sculptures and an installation about my experiences with Leukemia and a bone marrow transplant. As well as a large sculpture about domestic violence to inspire social justice and chance which will be installed at Fenway in Boston in May of 2022. 

My background is in community arts organizing. I have been a curator for close to 20 years, Was the chief curator for The Whitney Center for the Arts and  recently was a founding member of the Liberal Arts Gallery in Northampton MA. I’m currently working on several exhibitions throughout New England centered around modern Indigenous Artists. In addition to this I sit on the board for Artist Organized Art, Be The Change Boston which works to create social change and justice through the arts, Advisory board member for the Native Youth Empowerment Fund and the Committee to reimagine modern public Indigenous Art in Massachusetts.  I have written articles on art and culture which have been published. Through my work as an Artivist I do speaking engagements about the MMIP crisis, Artivism and social change as well as workshops to educate artists on the inner workings of the art industry and how to exhibit and promote their work. 

Previously I also owned and operated a Cafe, a record label and managed several western mass based art galleries.