The Thomas R. Schiff Gallery (Gallery 234)
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Friends of Decorative Art & Design
Friends of Contemporary Art
Press Release
Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass celebrates a broad range of contemporary Native American and Indigenous Pacific-Rim artists working in glass. Featuring 120 pieces by 33 artists, the groundbreaking exhibition showcases works that reinterpret Traditional Stories and iconography, express contemporary issues affecting Indigenous Nations today, and meld Indigenous Traditions and Knowledge with the aesthetics and properties unique to the medium of glass.
The exhibition emerges from the historical context of the Native Glass Art Movement which began in the 1970s when Lloyd Kiva New (Cherokee)—a founder of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico—initiated a collaboration with the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to create a glass blowing program at the IAIA. RISD sent early-career artist Dale Chihuly to the IAIA for one month to assist in establishing the program and the hot shop that would grow to inspire generations of Indigenous artists to explore the expressive potential of glass.
Clearly Indigenous features artists who illustrate the lasting relationships and collaborative nature inherent within global studio glass today. Among those included are Dan Friday (Lummi), “Haila” Ho Wan Ut Old Peter (Skokomish/Chehalis), Preston Singletary (Tlingit), Tony Jojola (Isleta Pueblo), Carol Lujan (Diné), Priscilla Cowie (Māori) and Djambawa Marawili (Aboriginal Australian).
Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass was originated by The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, New Mexico, where it was curated by Dr. Letitia Chambers and Cathy Short. The traveling exhibition was curated by Dr. Letitia Chambers, is toured by International Arts & Artists, and is accompanied by a catalog published by the Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe.
During the run of Clearly Indigenous, visit the museum’s Conversations Gallery on the first floor near the main entrance. The museum curated this gallery in collaboration with Cincinnati’s Urban Native Collective (UNC) to increase understanding and generate dialogue about the contemporary experiences of Indigenous Peoples. Presenting additional examples of glass art drawn from Clearly Indigenous and multi-media components developed by UNC, this project emphasizes the interconnected nature of the environmental and social justice activism being undertaken by Indigenous communities locally and globally.
Follow the links below to learn more about contemporary Indigenous experiences and to take action to support Indigenous activism regarding climate and social justice.
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Hear verbal descriptions of highlighted artworks and interpretive content for the exhibition, wherever you are. Content is also available on the Bloomberg Connects app.
Thursday, December 14, 2023, 5–7 p.m.
Thursday, February 1, 2024, 7–8 p.m.
Saturday, February 3, 2024, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Saturday, February 17, 2024, 10:15–11:15 a.m.
Saturday, February 17, 2024, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 9, 2024, 1–3 p.m.
Sunday, March 10, 2024, 2–3 p.m.
Saturday, March 16, 2024, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Friday, March 29, 2024, 5–9 p.m.
Saturday April 6, 2024, 1–3:30 p.m.
By Letitia Chambers, Photo Editor Cathy Short
Published by Museum of New Mexico Press
10 x 11 inches, Hardcover, 240 pages
ISBN-13: 9780890136584
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The expertise of Native glass artists, in combination with the stories of their cultures, has produced a remarkable artistic genre. This flowering of glass art in Indian Country is the result of the coming together of two movements that began in the 1960s―the contemporary Native arts movement, championed by Lloyd Kiva New, and the studio glass art movement, founded by American glass artists such as Dale Chihuly, who started several early teaching programs. Taken together, these two movements created a new dimension of cultural and artistic expression. The glass art created by Indigenous American artists is not only a personal expression but is also imbued with cultural heritage.
This comprehensive look at this expressive medium includes multiple photographs of the impressive works by each artist.
Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass was originated by The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The traveling exhibition was curated by Dr. Letitia Chambers and is toured by International Arts & Artists.