Generations of Indigenous Voices from New York State #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth
A museum in New York is giving special attention to, often underrepresented, contemporary indigenous artists. Via Hyperallergic:
The exhibition Community and Continuity: Native American Art of New York is culled from the New York State Museum’s collection of contemporary Native American art. NYSM is known for its historical and archeological Indigenous objects, which number in the millions and range in date from 13,000 years ago to the early 20th century. But in 1996, the museum began acquiring works by living Algonquin and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) artists to celebrate the continuing vibrancy of these communities.
It goes without saying that Indigenous artists are underrepresented in most mainstream art museum collections. When they are present, the work shown is rarely contemporary. But in the past ten years, the museum monolith has slowly shifted. The Portland Art Museum, the Denver Art Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum among many others, are making efforts to introduce living Native American artists like Teri Greeves, Wendy Red Star and Nicholas Galanin to their collections.
Still, it is refreshing – and exceptional – that Community and Continuity has 32 artists on view. Some, like Gail Tremblay (Mi’kmaq and Onondaga), have been on the arts scene for decades
