Stunning Native American Photography Now on Display at Minneapolis Institute of Art's Newest Exhibit

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "In Our Hands: Native Photography, 1890 to Now" features over 100 photographs of, by and for Native people and is one of three Native art exhibitions on view at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia).

This major exhibition, on view at Mia through January 14, 2024 builds upon the work of Native artists, scholars, and knowledge-sharers to trace the intersecting histories of photography and First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and Native American cultures, from the Rio Grande to the Arctic Circle. Developed in partnership with a curatorial council comprised primarily of Native advisors, "In Our Hands" centers the work of Native photographers with a diverse array of photographic objects that illuminate the ways in which Native people have advanced the medium of photography for over a century. The exhibition opens on October 21, 2023 and will be on view at Mia through January 14, 2024.

"In Our Hands: Native Photography, 1890 to Now" was collaboratively organized by photojournalist and Mia guest curator Jaida Grey Eagle (Oglala Lakota), Casey Riley, Chair of Global Contemporary Art and Curator of Photography & New Media, and Jill Ahlberg Yohe, Associate Curator of Native American Art, in partnership with a curatorial council of fourteen advisors that includes internationally renowned artists, academics, and knowledge-sharers based in Canada and United States. Together, the curatorial council and Mia staff developed the checklist and thematic organization for the show and grounded their decision-making in Native methodologies, including consensus and relationship building, mutual respect, and reciprocity. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue, featuring essays and interviews by Mia staff and many curatorial council members.

The Lyrical Artwork of Jim Denomie

Also on view at Mia is "The Lyrical Artwork of Jim Denomie," featuring approximately 60 artworks from acclaimed Anishinaabe artist Jim Denomie (Ojibwe, Lac Courte Oreilles Band, 1955–2022). Best known for his monumental paintings, Denomie was a prolific artist whose work spanned numerous mediums. Throughout his career, he aimed a critical lens on the histories of Indigenous people and their intersections with mainstream culture. Highlighting Denomie's singular vision and signature style over the second half of his career (2007–22), the exhibition is the first to bring together his iconic— and iconoclastic—paintings alongside lesser-known works and sculptures. The exhibition is on view through March 24, 2024. Drawing inspiration from lived experiences, pop culture, Anishinaabe traditions, and American histories, Denomie's work portrays compelling narratives that depict his experiences of being Native in America. Despite the emotional weight of his subject matter, Denomie's dry wit prompts and provokes necessary conversations about the legacies of colonization and the nature of humanity. The exhibition examines Denomie's creative process, tracing his ability to transform inspiration into monumental artworks.

"Reimagining Native/American Art"

What happens when Native American and American art is seen together, rather than in separate places? Might we look at these artworks in a new way? What stories and connections emerge from this new way of being together? These are some of the questions that guided a collaboratively reimagined suite of galleries. This Indigenous-led, consensus-based curatorial experiment is based on Dakota philosophies and ways of being. It includes thematic installations that center "place", honor the living land, explore the power of relationality — the idea that we are all connected and build relationships based on this awareness – and ends with a reflection, inviting visitors to join us in imagining the future we wish to have. What does it look and feel like? How do we build it together?

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About the Minneapolis Institute of Art
Home to more than 100,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) inspires wonder, spurs creativity, and nourishes the imagination. With extraordinary exhibitions and one of the finest art collections in the country—from all corners of the globe, and from ancient to contemporary—Mia links the past to the present, enables global conversations, and offers an exceptional setting for inspiration.

General admission to Mia is always free. Some special exhibitions have a nominal admission fee.

For more information, call + 1 612 870 3000 or visit artsmia.org. For images, please see here.

SOURCE Minneapolis Institute of Art