Bridging Eras: A Visionary Gift of Indigenous Artistry
A Historic Bequest Illuminates Indigenous Artistic Heritage
The New York Historical Society recently unveiled news of a transformative gift: a vast collection of modern and contemporary works by Native American artists. This significant bequest comes from board chair Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and her husband, Oscar Tang, and includes creations from more than 100 Indigenous artists. The collection spans a wide historical range, from the early 20th-century pottery of Nampeyo of Hano (Tewa) to the contemporary paintings and sculptures of Jeffrey Gibson (Choctaw/Cherokee).
Commemorating a Milestone Through Cultural Expression
This promised gift holds particular significance as it aligns with the 250th anniversary of the United States. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of the New York Historical Society, emphasized that this donation, coupled with an accompanying exhibition, reinforces Dr. Hsu-Tang's vision to spotlight Indigenous cultural expressions. The initiative aims to foster an artistic and historical discourse that underscores the vital role of Indigenous histories in shaping the American narrative.
"House Made of Dawn": A Curatorial Journey Through Time
To celebrate this landmark bequest, the New York Historical Society will present the exhibition "House Made of Dawn: Art by Native Americans 1880 to Now, Selections from the Hsu-Tang Collection." Scheduled to run from April 22 to August 2, the exhibition is curated by Wendy Nālani E. Ikemoto (Native Hawaiian), the institution's vice president and chief curator. It will feature a rich variety of artistic mediums, showcasing early artists such as ceramist Maria Martinez (San Ildefonso), illustrator Angel De Cora (Ho-Chunk), and the multi-talented Zitkala-Ša (Yankton Dakota).
Highlighting Artistic Diversity and Evolution
The exhibition will also introduce visitors to the Flatstyle painters, including Gerónima Montoya (Ohkay Owingeh) and the renowned Kiowa Six. Mid-20th-century masters like Oscar Howe (Yanktonai Dakota) and George Morrison (Ojibwe) will be featured, alongside photographer Lee Marmon (Laguna), whose work will make its debut in a New York museum. The presentation will also include pieces by Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith (Salish) and Emmi Whitehorse (Navajo), co-founders of the Grey Canyon Artists collective, as well as works from the faculty and students of Santa Fe’s Institute of American Indian Arts, established in 1962. Below is a curated selection of eight artworks from the Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang collection.
Diné Weaver: Cultural Symbolism in Textile Art
In the late 19th century, Diné (Navajo) weavers often incorporated American flag motifs into their textiles, a practice intended to appeal to traders and non-Native American buyers. These weavers frequently reimagined the flag's colors and designs with creative, and perhaps subtly ironic, interpretations rather than producing exact replicas.
Nampeyo of Hano: Reviving Ancient Pottery Traditions
Nampeyo of Hano (Tewa-Hopi, circa 1859–1942), a distinguished ceramist, revitalized ancient pottery techniques. Her distinctive forms and designs were inspired by ceramic shards discovered at 15th-century ruins on First Mesa, where her husband worked with archaeologist J. Walter Fewkes. Nampeyo is widely regarded as one of the most significant Hopi potters; in 2010, one of her creations set a world record for Southwest American Indian pottery, selling for $350,000.
Lee Marmon: Challenging Perceptions Through Photography
Lee Marmon (Laguna Pueblo, 1925–2021) commenced his photography career in 1947, encouraged by his father to document the elders and members of his Laguna Pueblo community in New Mexico. His career expanded to include work for prominent publications like Time magazine and the Saturday Evening Post, and he served as the official photographer for the Bob Hope Desert Classic Golf Tournament. Marmon famously titled his photograph of Jeff Sousea, a Laguna Pueblo resident, White Man’s Moccasins, in response to persistent inquiries from those expecting stereotypical imagery of Native Americans, particularly regarding the subject's footwear.
Valjean McCartey Hessing: Art as a Commentary on Historical Betrayal
Valjean McCarty Hessing (Choctaw, 1934–2006) was a self-taught artist who embraced Flatstyle, an intertribal Native American painting movement influenced by Art Deco and Plains Indian ledger drawings. Flatstyle artists typically depicted Native customs or historical events. Hessing's work, But We Wear Peace Medals, appears to critically engage with the historical context of "peace medals" awarded to tribal leaders in early America, which are now often associated with broken trust and broken treaties.
Fritz Scholder: Disrupting Narratives with Bold Strokes
Fritz Scholder (La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, 1939–2005) skillfully merged Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism, a technique he learned from his teacher, Wayne Thiebaud. Scholder is particularly renowned for his "Indian" series, which unflinchingly portrayed the complex realities of contemporary Native American life, sometimes with raw and unsettling imagery. A controversial figure, Scholder's art was at times criticized as exploitative, and he often publicly disavowed his Native American identity despite being an enrolled member of the Luiseño tribe.
Benjamin L. West: Documenting Activism Through Art
In 2016 and 2017, the Dakota Access Pipeline project ignited widespread protests led by #NODAPL, an Indigenous grassroots movement. Benjamin L. West (Southern Cheyenne/Mvskoke Creek/Otoe Missouria), a Native American artist and photographer, captured the essence of these demonstrations. His photograph, No DAPL, vividly depicts protesters at the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, immortalizing a pivotal moment of Indigenous resistance.
Zoë Marieh Urness: Preserving Traditions in the Modern Lens
Pulitzer Prize–nominated photographer Zoë Urness (Tlingit/Cherokee, born 1984) initiated her compelling series "Native Americans Keeping Traditions Alive" in 2014. This project features Indigenous individuals in traditional attire and settings, beautifully capturing their heritage. Her sepia print, Raven Tells His Story in the Fog, from this series, showcases Tlingit dancer Gene Tagaban in a ceremonial Raven costume and mask, poised on a massive tree stump.
Kent Monkman: Reclaiming Histories Through Artistic Subversion
Kent Monkman (Cree, born 1965) employs a unique artistic approach, subverting the aesthetics of Hudson River School landscapes, Edward Curtis's photographic portraits of Native Americans, and Eugene Delacroix's realist figuration. Through this method, he unearths and exposes suppressed histories of Native American existence. His work, Study for wîcihitowin (helping each other), is part of his "Knowledge Keepers" series, which critically examines the experiences of children in the infamous American and Canadian Indigenous residential schools.