Post #5 – Reading – GRQ - Discussion – The Art of Indegenous Americans Art History: A Century of Exhibitions

The art of Indigenous Americans and American art history Summary

The link between Indigenous art and the American art history canon has been difficult. Early in the twentieth century, among a rising national identity, Native American art was recognized for its particular Americanness, with exhibitions in major institutions highlighting its aesthetic and cultural value. Despite these acknowledgments, Native American art has frequently been sidelined within the larger American art historical narrative, consigned to the margins of many museum collections and exhibitions. Over the last century, there has been a shift toward more inclusive approaches, particularly with the emergence of multiculturalism beginning in the 1970s, resulting in a greater understanding and incorporation of Native art within art historical discourse. 

However, this integration has been inconsistent, with Native American art frequently classified as distinct from the mainstream American art narrative. Recent decades have seen efforts to address this through more intentional and inclusive exhibiting methods that seek to present Native American art as a vital part of American art history. Despite these attempts, there are still barriers in properly honoring the richness and breadth of Indigenous contributions to American art, with ongoing discussions about how to best represent Native voices and viewpoints within the art historical canon and museum practices.

GRQ

1. scholars

2. exhibitions

3. Native art

4. Pueblo

5. esthetic value

6. Basket Dance

7. Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

8. Multiculturalism

9. Three American Painters

10. American Indian Art: Form and Tradition

11. Native art history

12. ghettoization  

13. younger generation