Native Art and Artists

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Article:  Holding Place: The Work of Alaskan Artist Sonya Kelliher-Combs

The tools, textures, and symbols of daily life in rural Alaska inspire this Indigenous artist to create works that tell layered stories of loss and resilience.

Article:  Making Home Anew with Clay and Fire

Oklahoma potter Richard Zane Smith revives techniques, memories, and practices of Waⁿdat culture.

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.

Article:  Artists Who Expand Views of the Southwest

You may know Georgia O’Keeffe, but have you heard of Tonita Peña? Learn about the many artists inspired by the Southwest.

A black and white photograph shows a man with greyish hair standing against a wall of stacked cubes of wood in different shades. He is shown from the waist up. He is turned to the right and looks to the left. He rests his left hand on his waist, with his elbow bent. He has a serious expression.

Article:  George Morrison Gets His Due

The Minnesota painter merged abstract expressionism with traditional Ojibwe values. 

Article:  Emmi Whitehorse Paints the Harmonies of Her Homelands

How the Diné artist's serene paintings "tell the story of knowing land over time."

Article:  Called Back: On George Morrison, Land Acknowledgement, and Returning Home

In her tribute to the late George Morrison, Ojibwe artist Andrea Carlson asks, how can Indigenous artists be called back to the land?

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.

Article:  What Did We Eat Before Colonization? A Native Chef and Artist Connect Over Plant Knowledge

Chef and Native American food historian Loretta Barett Oden reflects on her friendship with artist G. Peter Jemison.