This piece displays curving lines and abstract shapes on a vibrant blue canvas. The shapes include loops, arcs, spiral shapes, and circular forms. Crisscrossing lines, zigzags, and waves give the impression of floating bubbles or planets. Some patterns resemble comet trails or constellations, while smaller intricate designs suggest delicate lace or microscopic organisms in a vast blue space. On the top and bottom edges of the canvas, the blue background fades into white.
Emmi Whitehorse, Fog Bank, 2020, mixed media on paper on canvas, William A. Clark Fund, 2022.41.1

Native American Artists

Across the United States, Native American artists are making trailblazing art. These contemporary creators connect Native histories with the present moment. Learn more about their work along with artists who came before them.

Selected works

  • This piece displays curving lines and abstract shapes on a vibrant blue canvas. The shapes include loops, arcs, spiral shapes, and circular forms. Crisscrossing lines, zigzags, and waves give the impression of floating bubbles or planets. Some patterns resemble comet trails or constellations, while smaller intricate designs suggest delicate lace or microscopic organisms in a vast blue space. On the top and bottom edges of the canvas, the blue background fades into white.
  • This print shows a collage-like collection of shapes and images. In the center, six people stand in front of a car, some with their arms crossed. The people and car are depicted in black-and-white. They wear a variety of clothing, including jackets, pants, hats, skirts with long fringe, and striped shawls. They all appear to have dark hair, with some wearing their hair in two braids. Overlayed on top of the people are some words in bright purple. The words are oriented in different directions. Above the people, the background is colored in bright shades of teal and green, with some circular designs in red, yellow, blue, and green. There is also a design that looks like a cow skull. Below the people is a section of beige paper with a map of the United States, with some states colored in yellow, pink, green, blue, and black. The words "HOME LANDS..." are also written on the map. On the left and right of the map are two large circular designs in blue and yellow.
  • A map of the United States has black outlines for the states and is loosely painted, mostly in lemon yellow, but there are also streaks in indigo blue, turquoise, crimson, brick red, pink, pine green, and marigold orange. Some streaks drip down the canvas within the map and onto the azure-blue background surrounding the map. Snippets of black text against a white background, like newspaper or magazine clippings, are arranged to create a loose band from the upper left corner, in Washington state, to the lower right, in Florida. They read, "No mas.", "Finito.", "Ciao", "Au revoir.", "This is it.", "All gone.", "Adieu.", "Hasta la vista.", "Sayonara.", "Dasvidaniya.", "Kaput baby.", "Shalom.", "Toodeloo.", "Keep it real.", "Hit the road.", "Ta ta.", "Bye-bye.", "Das Ende.", "No more.", "Going going gone.", "Auf Wiedersehen.", "All the best.", "Adios.", "Take it easy.", "Peace.", "Cheerio.", "Later alligator.", "Hang loose.", "The end.", "Last one.", "See ya'.", "Cheers.", "That's it.", and "Finis."
  • This appears to be a hanging garment with a horizontal wooden rod through the sleeves, suspending it in the air. The sleeves have a checkered pattern in black and white, while the central part appears to be woven tan fibers, with thin vertical and horizontal lines of fringe interwoven with fluorescent green accents. Beneath this seems to be a vibrant, multicolored design, further accentuated by black and white strips of cloth or ribbon hanging down from each side of the middle section.
  • This painting displays a composition of curved and linear shapes, forming an intricate abstract pattern of golden-yellow lines. The abstract forms suggest a landscape with undulating lines reminiscent of topographical maps. Standing among the yellow lines are three tall brown sunflowers with their flowers facing the ground. There is another small figure at the bottom of the image that is hard to identify but appears to be made of crossed sticks. All of these figures cast dark blue shadows behind them. At the top of the painting there is a row of trees, some green and healthy while others are thin, brown, and leafless. Around the trees are mountains capped with snow. Above them is a sliver of light blue sky.
  • This sculpture appears to be made up of two irregularly shaped beaded panels with stepped edges. Each shape contains the words "SKYWALKER" and "SKYSCRAPER" written in bold, blocky black letters that mimic the edges of the panels. The letters are elongated and ascend at right angles, resembling staircases or steps. The background of the panels is bright blue. One panel is near the upper left while the other is near the lower right, but the stepped edges give the impression that they would fit together. Between them is a plain white wall.
  • This appears to be a black-and-white photograph with some color and additional elements added to certain sections. In the center is a black-and-white landscape captured from a low point of view, featuring water and a tall, dark tree surrounded by twisting roots. The clear water is full of small rocks and reflects the tree and roots. The horizon appears to be in the upper third of the photograph, and beyond the horizon is a section of dark blue paint with small gray stars. There is a lighter blue section at the bottom of the photograph, separated by a rough edge and filled with horizontal rows of stars.
  • This black-and-white photograph shows a woman lying on the ground on top of train tracks. She is lying on her back. Her face is turned towards us, and her wrists and ankles are tied with ropes. She has pale skin and dark hair that appears to be tied back. She is dressed in a patterned dress or apron with a light-colored shirt underneath, and she is wearing white boots. Resting on her stomach is a large, smooth pot. The background displays an expansive, flat landscape with a few barns and train cars, a small hill on the left, and bare trees scattered around. The train tracks diverge into the distance. The sky above is filled with scattered clouds.
  • This painting displays irregular patches of various bold colors in an abstract composition. It includes a mix of bright warm tones like red, orange, pink, and yellow ochre, along with cooler hues such as green, blue, and purple. The paint has been applied thickly, and it has visible texture.
  • This print features an abstract scene with colorful shapes. In the bottom right corner, the torso and head of a human figure are seen in profile. The figure has a straight nose, a square chin, and long, dark hair. Their eye is indicated by a straight black line, and they have two long oval shapes coming from the top of their head. Their skin is colored in spots of bright pink, yellow, green, and blue that appear through streaks of gray. Their clothes are painted with dashes of the same bright colors. Extending diagonally from the human figure's forehead up to the top right corner is a zigzagging line in pink, white, and blue that ends in a cross shape. Down by the figure's nose there's a small blue shape that looks like the top and sides of a plus sign. On the figure's left and above their head are two bright pink and yellow parrots in flight. The background is a gradient, starting dark blue at the top of the print and fading to white at the bottom. On the left side, there is a thin white crescent.
  • This is a photograph of a room with a painting on the wall, a wooden shelf, and a table covered with office supplies.
  • This print displays a blend of jagged lines and curved forms, creating an abstract composition. A creature is in the center, with the body and hands of a human but the head of a black crow or raven. The creature’s beak is turned to the left, and we can see one bright red eye. Its hands are prominently visible, both partially raised with palms facing us. One of the creature’s knees also seems to be raised, suggesting that it is frozen in some kind of pose, perhaps mid-dance. Its body is mostly black and white, with some highlights of bright red and green. There is the outline of another hand near the top-right corner. The background is mostly off-white paper, but there are some dots and thin lines across it, as well as two small rectangles of red and green near the upper-left and upper-right corners.
  • The image shows a view from the edge of a canyon, likely the Grand Canyon, taken from a high vantage point. In the foreground, three individuals can be seen standing and sitting on the rugged rock surface, each wearing white shirts and dark pants. One of the standing figures is pointing into the distance. The canyon stretches out in the background with shadows on its cliffs. The horizon is placed high in the composition, offering a sweeping view of the canyon's formations. The image is in black and white, emphasizing the textures of the rock faces and the play of light and shadow.
  • This print shows a person seated on a chair with a stylized representation of the American flag draped across their lap. The individual has long, dark hair with white beaded ornaments hanging in it, and light, reddish-tan skin. Horizontal white lines are painted on both of their cheeks, right below their eyes. They wear a cream-colored, robe-like garment over their torso under layered blue and red necklaces. Their hands are placed in their lap, holding a large white feather with black and blue details. The large flag is draped across their legs. On the right, a blue and white object hangs down from the purple-and-black chair they sit on, similar to a thick blanket or animal hide. The background is plain, pale yellow.
  • The image contains an assortment of vertical and diagonal lines forming an abstract composition. A fluid, swirling shape resembling a human dancer is depicted alongside silhouetted oil pump jacks below. The dancer's dynamic posture and flowing garment suggest the motion of a sea creature moving through a current.
  • Two vertically oriented, rectangular canvases are stacked over each other, and a dart board is affixed to the uppermost edge. The canvases are collaged with newspaper articles, headlines, black-and-white pamphlets, cartoons, comic books, illustrations of animals like chipmunks and buffalo, and a triangular pennant celebrating the “Washington Redskins” as “Super Bowl XXVI CHAMPIONS.” Streaks and drips of red paint create horizontal bands across the panels, separated by bands streaked in yellow. Text is visible throughout, including the title of the pamphlet, which repeats across the composition: “Community Service and Interest Courses/Workshop.” Headlines include “The Heist,” “For People Who Inherited Brains Instead of Wealth,” “Defying the Stereotypes,” and “Destroy The Myth.” The comic is titled “Son of Tomahawk,” and fliers are titled “Help Locate Handicapped Indian Children” and “2nd Annual Flathead Reservation Culture Fair.” One piece of blue fabric with white polka dots is along the bottom edge of the top panel and a piece of red fabric with white dots is along the bottom edge of the lower panel. The outer band of the dart board is smeared with red, and darts with red, blue, yellow, or green feathers line the upper perimeter of the board.

Stories

This is a black-and-white photograph of a rocky landscape with a patch of scrubland stretching out into the distance. Closest to us, on the left side, a tall rocky mountain rises up. Standing on the rocks is a woman with her back to us. She has long, dark, straight hair that falls down her back, and she is wearing a dark, long-sleeved shirt and a wide white skirt. In her left hand, she appears to hold a rope, or perhaps her hand is tangled in her long hair. In her right hand, she holds a large square object with a handle that looks like a radio or similar device. She stands behind tall, dark gray leafy plants. On the right, the background reveals a vast open terrain dotted with small shrubs under a light gray sky.

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This painting displays a composition of curved and linear shapes, forming an intricate abstract pattern of golden-yellow lines. The abstract forms suggest a landscape with undulating lines reminiscent of topographical maps. Standing among the yellow lines are three tall brown sunflowers with their flowers facing the ground. There is another small figure at the bottom of the image that is hard to identify but appears to be made of crossed sticks. All of these figures cast dark blue shadows behind them. At the top of the painting there is a row of trees, some green and healthy while others are thin, brown, and leafless. Around the trees are mountains capped with snow. Above them is a sliver of light blue sky.

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Tall, billowing, lavender-purple and shell-pink clouds line the distant horizon over a vast plain of flat grassy land in this horizontal landscape painting. Closest to us to the lower left, a tree with a gnarled trunk and round, sage-green canopy sits mostly in shadow. A river curves from near the tree to cut across most of the landscape in a tight S-shape. One plump haystack, shaped like a giant teardrop, sits near a curve of the river in the vivid, lemon-lime field, to our left of center. One brown and one white cow graze across the river, to our right. Above tawny-brown hills lining the horizon, sunlight from our left turns the tops of the band of clouds pale pink, and the undersides are grayish-purple. The sky above is turquoise. The artist signed the lower right corner, “M J Heade.”

Environment

Artists are keen observers of the natural world. The landscapes they create capture the progression of seasons, the changing climate, and conservation concerns.