From July 17, 2016 through October 22, 2017, visitors to the Museum of Indian Arts and Cultures (MIAC) in Santa Fe, New Mexico were treated to “Into the Future: Culture Power in Native American Art,” a multi-disciplinary exhibition curated by Valerie K. Verzuh. Over 100 items by 69 artists were exhibited, exploring cultural identity, cultural appropriation, and Native perspectives on other contemporary issues through an exciting variety of mediums, both traditional and cutting-edge: jewelry, weaving, pottery, photography, video, comic books, and more. Themes united the selection of curated works: Encounters with Cultural Outsiders, The Power of Place, Culture Jamming, Cultural Continuity, and Into the Future. This excellent article for El Palacio Maagazine, by curator Ms. Verzuh, discusses more deeply “the ways in which indigenous artists have employed and continue to employ visual imagery in the formation, perpetuation, and expression of their unique cultures.”
Among the many talented artists featured, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) Artist Fellows Shan Goshorn (Eastern Band Cherokee), Cara Romero (Chemehuevi), and William Wilson (Diné) were represented. Thanks to support from NACF, these artists personally took part in nine of MIAC’s public education programs. These programs afford the opportunity for the artists to educate others about their work, participate in panels, and make art, gaining exposure both for their own artistic careers and for the message of Native ingenuity that their art carries. NACF provided much-needed additional support to the museum in support of its opening exhibition weekend.
