Unbound art

A suite of new exhibitions recently opened at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts that highlights indigenous artists’ long engagement with social activism and the unique contemporary visions framed by Native contexts. Among the emergent themes are timely explorations of Native and global concerns such as cultural appropriation and climate change and the environment. The group shows that opened in February include Without Boundaries, an exhibition inspired by a series of curated conversations at Alaska’s Anchorage Museum, and a selection of works from MoCNA’s recent gift from the Harjo Family Collection. Solo installations by Rolande Souliere, whose work at the museum draws from Ojibwe, Cree, and Inuit languages, and Terran J. Last Gun, whose pieces deal with color, form, and memory connected to Piikani art and philosophies, are also on view. On the cover is a detail from Souliere’s 2018 wall mural Form and Content; photo Jason Ordaz, courtesy IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.

The winter season brings a host of new exhibitions to the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Art. The main exhibition,

staged in the Anne & Loren Kieve Gallery and Fritz Scholder Gallery, has an underlying theme of social action. The show was guest-curated by Iñupiaq and Athabascan artist Sonya Kelliher-Combs, whose own work often incorporates organic elements such as animal skins and sinew, as well as imagery that relates to the personal and collective experiences of Alaskan Natives. Her aesthetic seems to have influenced the selection of works for the exhibition — particularly Yup’ik artist Emily Johnson’s installation of luminous fish-skin lanterns, which reflect not only an artistic but also an economic use of resources. Johnson, a dancer, choreographer, and performance artist, originally created the lanterns for use in performances, but they may also serve a utilitarian purpose. The lanterns on view were made in workshops where she taught participants how to sew salmon skins. Her work serves as an example of community engagement.

highlights several contemporary issues that impact Native communities. Themes of social and political awareness are dealt with directly through various mediums. Eastern Band Cherokee basket maker Shan Goshorn, for instance, blends traditional fiber art techniques and contemporary mediums, including printed materials and