- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
CHICAGO — The Center for Native Futures, a fine arts organization operated by Chicago-based Native American artists, will have its grand opening for its art gallery in the heart of downtown Chicago this coming weekend.
Located across the street from the Calder’s Flamingo sculpture at Federal Square, at 56 West Adams, the Center for Native Futures (CfNF) will open its doors to the public on Saturday, September 16, 2023 at 4 pm - CDT. The grand opening celebration will last until 7 pm - CDT and will resume on Sunday at 12 noon until 4 pm - CDT. (Note: A private reception will be held for the Native American community at 3 pm - CDT).
The new art gallery promotes Native arts, artists, and writers, who have been culturally displaced and underrepresented through exhibitions, residencies, programs, conferences, and partnerships. By offering a platform for these artists and writers, CfNF also challenges the definition and assumptions of “Native Arts” and encourages Indigenous Futurists.
“This initiative has been a long time coming and the outpour of support is a clear indication that the city wants more contemporary Native art,” Monica Rickert-Bolter (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation), CfNF’s co-founder and director of operations said. “CfNF is an investment in the community and a reaffirmation of the need for Indigenous artists for future generations.”
The inaugural "Native Futures" exhibition promises to showcase the creative brilliance of more than a dozen established and emerging Native artists hailing from the Great Lakes region. This impressive collection will include works by CfNF co-founders Noelle Garcia, Kelly Church, Jason Wesaw, Tom Jones, Holly Wilson, John Hitchcock, Camille Billie, June Carpenter, Codak Smith, Le’Ana Asher, Dakota Mace, Ji Hae Yepa-Pappan, Chelsea Big Horn, Lydia Cheshewalla, Hattie Lee, and the TIES poets. Additionally, the event will shine a spotlight on women-owned businesses and feature a special guest performance by Lakota hip-hop artist Frank Waln.
“We’re designing a foundation for working with Native artists and exhibiting their artwork within Chicago,” Debra Yepa-Pappan (Jemez Pueblo), CfNF’s Co-Founder and Director of Exhibition & Programs elaborated. “Indigenous Futurism isn’t only limited to science fiction; through art, we’re turning visions into reality.”
The art gallery's mission is to champion Native arts, artists, and writers who have historically been marginalized or displaced. This is accomplished through exhibitions, residencies, programs, conferences, and partnerships. By providing a platform for these talented individuals, CfNF aims to challenge preconceived notions of "Native Arts" and inspire Indigenous Futurists.
The co-founders of CfNF, who are accomplished artists and writers themselves, include Andrea Carlson (Ojibwe), Debra Yepa-Pappan (Jemez Pueblo), Chris Pappan (Kanza/Osage/Lakota), Monica Rickert-Bolter (Potawatomi), Patrick Del Percio (Cherokee descent), and River Kerstetter (Wisconsin Oneida). Each of them has revitalized their respective cultural practices, preserving traditional art forms while seamlessly integrating modern materials and styles into their work.
Founded in 2020, the art center has hosted virtual artist talks and poetry readings, advised institutions and organizations, and nurtured artists within the Urban Native Community. In partnership with the Terra Foundation for American Art and MacArthur Foundation.
The art gallery will be open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm.
More Stories Like This
"Your'e No Indian" Examines the Disenrollment IssueAgua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to Open New Exhibition: Section 14 – The Untold Story
Actor Jonathan Joss, Voice of John Redcorn, Killed in Texas Shooting
Celebrate Summer and Father’s Day at the Chickasaw Cultural Center – June 14
After 30 Years, Berkeley's Turtle Island Monument Foundation Will Be Built
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
