This exhibit features artworks and cultural items in a variety of media ranging from works on paper, to Katsinas and polychrome vessels, and shares the talents of Indigenous artists spanning across the American Southwest and beyond. The curated works highlight the unique heritages and traditions of individual Indigenous artists and Tribes, yet convey the collective themes that unify all of humanity.  The Tucson Museum of Art’s (TMA) permanent Indigenous Arts collection holds a diverse array of Native American art forms dating as early as 1000 years old to contemporary pieces. The works on loan to VVAC primarily focus on the American Southwest, specifically Hopi, New Mexico Pueblo peoples, and Apache.  

 

TMA concentrates on collaborative and intersectional research, display, and interpretive methods with the Indigenous Arts collection. Using a community-based exhibition practice, TMA's Indigenous Arts Gallery is comprised of a committee of community curators, or representatives of Indigenous communities, who work with museum staff to recommend works of art and write texts for exhibitions. “The Tucson Museum of Art has a hundred year legacy of commitment to establishing relationships with diverse audiences and different perspectives throughout the State of Arizona and Tribal Nations, as well as the Sonoran Desert region,” said Monica Buckle, VVAC’s Executive Director. Buckle also served as a Community Curator for TMA’s Indigenous Arts Gallery and an Arizona Humanities Scholar for the development of TMA's exhibit, Enduring Legacies: The James T. Bialac Indigenous Art Collection.  “There are artworks and cultural items of varied traditions and different tribal affiliations reflected in VVAC's installation," continued Buckle. “However, there's a common thread that connects Native Americans and Indigenous people, which is reverence for the land, existing in harmony with all living beings, and honoring the traditions of those who have walked before.”  

 

The exhibit also feature artworks from TMA’s James T. Bialac Indigenous Art Collection. James T. Bialac (1928–2022) was a collector and supporter of Indigenous arts who gathered over 4,000 works in his lifetime. On display are paintings by prominent names in contemporary Indigenous art from the Bialac collection, including Pablita Velarde, Fritz Scholder, and Woody Crumbo.  

 

Pottery by Maria Martinez will be on display, alongside pitchers and modern polychrome vessels. Martinez was a prolific Tewa potter from San Ildefonso Pueblo known for her distinct black-on-black pottery. Additionally, a wall of Hopi and Zuni Katsinas will greet museum attendees as they enter the exhibit.

 

This exhibit would not be made possible without the tremendous generosity and support of Christine Brindza, Senior Curator, Glasser Curator of Art of the American West, Rachel Adler, Collections Manager and Registrar, Marianna Pegno, Director of Engagement and Inclusion, and Christopher Gordon, Interim Director & CEO/CFO/COO. Please note, VVAC and TMA adhere to NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) guidelines and collects and curates in accordance with this federal law.​