VZCZCXYZ0038
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWL #0726 2572011
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 142011Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3268

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000726 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/EA - TVOSE; EAP/PD - AGRIMES, JBOOKBINDER, RHOLDEN; 
EAP/PD - TSKIPPER; EAP/ANP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP NZ
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR SPEAKER ON NATIVE AMERICAN ART, BILL MERCER OF 
 
 
PORTLAND ART MUSEUM, OREGON 
 
¶1. POST REQUESTS A FUNDED SPEAKER PROGRAM BY MR. BILL MERCER, 
CURATOR OF NATIVE AMERICAN ART AND DIRECTOR OF  PORTLAND ART MUSEUM, 
TO COME TO NEW ZEALAND FOR A SERIES OF SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS AND 
MEDIA INTERVIEWS BETWEEN NOVEMBER 7 AND 20, 2006. 
 
MR. MERCER HAS CURATED AN EXHIBITION OF NATIVE AMERICAN ART ON LOAN 
TO THE AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE STATE 
DEPARTMENT'S ART IN EMBASSIES PROGRAM. THE EXHIBITION WILL OPEN 
NOVEMBER 9TH, AND POST WOULD LIKE BILL MERCER TO ATTEND AND BE THE 
KEYNOTE SPEAKER. FOLLOWING THIS EVENT HE WOULD VISIT THREE OR FOUR 
MAIN CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AROUND NEW ZEALAND FOR SPEAKING EVENTS 
AND MEDIA INTERVIEWS. 
 
BILL MERCER WOULD TALK ON HIS SPECIALIST SUBJECT, "NATIVE AMERICAN 
ART," AS WELL AS THE COLLECTION AT THE PORTLAND ART MUSEUM. POST 
ANTICIPATES THIS TOUR WILL BE VERY POPULAR, AS NEW ZEALAND HAS 
EXTENSIVE INDIGENOUS ART COLLECTIONS OF THE (NEW ZEALAND NATIVE) 
MAORI PEOPLE AND THERE IS A DESIRE FOR GREATER MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING 
OF THE ART AND CULTURE OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES. MUSEUM AND TRIBAL 
CULTURAL SPECIALISTS, ACADEMICS, AND CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS, AS WELL 
AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WILL BENEFIT FROM BILL MERCER'S 
PRESENTATIONS. 
 
BILL MERCER IS THE CURATOR OF NATIVE AMERICAN ART AT THE PORTLAND 
ART MUSEUM, A POSITION HE HAS HELD SINCE FEBRUARY 1997. HE HAS MORE 
THAN 15 YEARS OF MUSEUM EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH NATIVE AMERICAN 
OBJECTS. PRIOR TO HIS ARRIVAL IN PORTLAND, HE WAS THE CURATOR OF THE 
ART OF AFRICA AND THE AMERICAS AT THE CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM, AND HE 
HAS ALSO WORKED FOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND THE PLAINS INDIAN 
MUSEUM AT THE BUFFALO BILL HISTORICAL CENTER IN CODY, WYOMING. 
 
MERCER'S EDUCATION INCLUDES UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES IN ANTHROPOLOGY 
AND HISTORY FROM CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY AT NORTHRIDGE, AN M.A. 
IN MUSEUM STUDIES FROM TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY, AND PH.D. WORK IN 
NATIVE AMERICAN ART HISTORY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO. HE IS 
THE AUTHOR OF NUMEROUS PUBLICATIONS AND FREQUENTLY LECTURES AT 
PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES, MUSEUMS, AND UNIVERSITIES THROUGHOUT THE 
USA ON TOPICS RANGING FROM PUEBLO POTTERY TO COLUMBIA RIVER STONE 
SCULPTURE. HE HAS EXTENSIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANY CONTEMPORARY 
NATIVE AMERICAN ARTISTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. HIS OBJECTIVE IS TO 
APPROPRIATELY BLEND ACADEMIC DISCOURSE WITH NATIVE AMERICAN 
PERSPECTIVES, WHICH CAN BE OBSERVED IN THE MANY EXHIBITIONS HE HAS 
ORGANIZED. MERCER HAS ALSO SERVED ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE 
NATIVE AMERICAN ART STUDIES ASSOCIATION SINCE 1995. 
 
AS THE CURATOR OF NATIVE AMERICAN ART AT THE PORTLAND ART MUSEUM, 
MERCER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE OF THE PREMIER COLLECTIONS OF ITS TYPE 
IN THE UNITED STATES. CONSISTING OF MORE THAN 3,500 OBJECTS FROM 
THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICAN, THE NATIVE AMERICAN COLLECTION INCLUDES 
SIGNIFICANT HOLDINGS OF HISTORIC ITEMS FROM THE NORTHWEST COAST AND 
PLATEAU REGIONS. THERE ARE ALSO PLANS TO AUGMENT THOSE BY INCREASING 
THE NUMBER OF WORKS BY CONTEMPORARY NATIVE AMERICAN ARTISTS, THUS 
BRINGING THE COLLECTION INTO THE PRESENT.  CURRENTLY THERE ARE MORE 
THAN 475 OBJECTS ON DISPLAY IN THE MUSEUM'S CENTER FOR NATIVE 
AMERICAN ART, AN INSTALLATION THAT MERCER DEVELOPED AND GUIDED TO 
COMPLETION AND THAT IS NOW ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AREAS AT THE 
MUSEUM. 
 
BILL MERCER CAN BE CONTACTED AS FOLLOWS. 
EMAIL:  BILL.MERCER@PAM.ORG 
PHONE: (503)226-2811 
FAX: (503)226-4842 
ADDRESS: PORTLAND ART MUSEUM 
1219 S.W. PARK AVE. 
PORTLAND, OREGON 97205 
 
CONTACT PERSON FOR BILL MERCER'S PROGRAM IN NEW ZEALAND. 
RICHARD BENGE, CULTURAL SPECIALIST 
EMAIL:  BENGER@STATE.GOV 
PHONE: 011-64-4-462-6052 
 
OR ROY GLOVER, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER 
EMAIL: GLOVERRA@STATE.GOV 
PHONE: 011-64-4-462-6082 
MCCORMICK