Chris Cornelius to Present 'Make Architecture Indigenous Again' Lecture on Jan. 16

Tom Harris Photography

"Trickster (itsnotatipi)" was designed by Chris Cornelius, who will present a lecture Jan. 16 in Vol Walker Hall.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Chris Cornelius will present a lecture at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, in Ken and Linda Sue Shollmier Hall, Room 250 of Vol Walker Hall, on the University of Arkansas campus, as part of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design lecture series.

Chris Cornelius, a citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, is the founding principal of studio:indigenous, a design and consulting practice that serves indigenous clients. His work is concerned with rendering visible contemporary indigenous culture. Cornelius is also an associate professor of architecture in the Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin.

In his lecture, "Make Architecture Indigenous Again," he will discuss how he incorporates timeless indigenous values in contemporary architecture. His work posits indigenous design thinking can be a tool to de-colonize design.

An exhibition of Cornelius' work, also titled "Make Architecture Indigenous Again," will be on display in the Fred and Mary Smith Exhibition Gallery inside Vol Walker Hall through March 21. 

Cornelius has received numerous awards and honors, including the inaugural J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize; an Artist in Residence Fellowship from the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution; and multiple wins in the Ken Roberts Architectural Delineation Competition. He has also been a cultural consultant and design collaborator with Antoine Predock on the Indian Community School of Milwaukee.

Cornelius' work has been exhibited widely, including at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale. He recently completed an installation as an artist in residence at Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, that brings awareness to indigenous storytelling and the role of the Trickster. His work seeks to provoke cultural consciousness that resonates in audiences broader than just indigenous people.

The school is pursuing continuing education credits for this lecture through the American Institute of Architects and the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The public is invited to attend. Admission is free, with limited seating.

For more information, contact 479-575-4704 or fayjones.uark.edu.