“Meet the Matis: Adaptation and Endurance in Amazonia"

An exhibit featuring the photography and artwork by Carl Parris and his fellow explorers during their expedition to meet the Matis Indians. This exhibit will explore their daily survival skills, customs, and struggles to maintain their culture as the modern world comes closer and more threatening to their way of life. The exhibition includes hunting weapons like blow guns, poison darts, spirit masks, medicinal and religious artifacts along with photos, drawings and video. The Matis Indians live deep in the Amazon jungle in the far western corner of Brazil. Their protected territory is the size of the state of Maine and is home to the largest number of “uncontacted” tribes in the world. They first made contact with outsiders in 1976 and shortly thereafter were nearly wiped out due to exposure to "foreign" diseases. They live in two separate villages with a total population of roughly 290. Carl Parris visited the Matis twice in 2018 during the rainy and dry seasons to observe their way of life. “Meet the Matis” will be launched with a reception, which is free and open to the public, on Saturday February 6 from 4-6pm at the gallery. Parris will share his travel experience with a slideshow and a talk on Saturday February 13 at 3pm.