Photos: Inside the Smithsonian’s ‘Clearly Indigenous’ exhibit
Angela Babby (Oglala Lakota), Supreme Respect for the Two Spirits, 2013. Kiln-fired enameled glass mosaic on tile board, 16 x 20 in. Courtesy of Jim Leach.
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Angela Babby (Oglala Lakota), Supreme Respect for the Two Spirits, 2013. Kiln-fired enameled glass mosaic on tile board, 16 x 20 in. Courtesy of Jim Leach.Carol Lujan (Diné), Dancing Dragonflies, 2018. Cast glass, 12 x 24 x ¼ in. Courtesy of the artist.
Raya Friday (Lummi), Lattice Basket, 2017. Blown and sculpted glass, 11 x 13 in. Courtesy of the artist.Dan Friday (Lummi), Foraging Bear Totem, 2016. Blown and hand-sculpted glass, 25¾ x 7 x 7 in. Courtesy of Roddie and Steve Harris.Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo), Incubators, 2016. High-fire clay, underglaze, acrylic paint, Corning glass, left: 12 x 30.5 x 11 in.; right: 12 x 24.5 x 10 in. Courtesy of Henry Munoz and Kyle Ferari-Munoz.Preston Singletary (Tlingit) and Tammy Garcia (Santa Clara Pueblo), Untitled, 2008. Blown glass, 8.5 x 10 in. Courtesy of Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, gift of Carol Warren.Robert “Spooner” Marcus (Ohkay Owingeh), Red Turtles, ca. 2011. Blown and sand-carved glass, 21¾ x 9⅛ x 9⅛ in. Courtesy of Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, gift of Maya Dank in memory of Steven Dank.Preston Singletary (Tlingit), Killer Whale Totem, 2018. Cast lead crystal, 36 x 11 x 8 in. Courtesy of the artist.Adrian Wall (Jemez Pueblo), The Story Teller, 2019. Stone and glass, 26 x 16 x 7 in. Courtesy of Wright’s Indian Art.
Here’s a crystal-clear look at one of the most expansive displays of native glass art currently on exhibition.
The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian’s New York location presents “Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass,” an exhibition exploring glass art as a medium for Indigenous stories, designs, and contemporary issues.
The exhibit follows 45 years of Native glass art and showcases 120 works by 29 Indigenous artists. Among the selections include work from Dale Chihuly, who established the first glass program at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, and collaborations between Native glass workers, Yolŋu (Aboriginal Australian) artists, and Māori artists.
“Clearly Indigenous” was curated by Dr. Letitia Chambers and Cathy Short (Potawatomi) and originated at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The exhibit runs through May 29, and admission to the museum is free.
