- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Creative Continuities: Family, Pride, and Community in Native Art showcases the perspectives of three contemporary Plains Indian artists—John Pepion (Blackfeet), Brocade Stops Black Eagle (Crow), and Jessa Rae Growing Thunder (Dakota/Nakoda)—as they engage with artworks created by their Ancestors. Each artist has curated a section of the exhibition, selecting pieces from the Autry Museum’s Native American collections that come from their respective communities. These selections are organized around three central themes: Knowing, Create, and Transference.
Through these themes, Creative Continuities explores cultural histories, meanings, and practices. The artists’ voices form the core of the exhibition’s narrative, offering personal reflections and insights. Objects are labeled with names in their Indigenous languages, accompanied by English translations, emphasizing the importance of language and cultural continuity.
To engage with these works is to connect with a living legacy of cultural traditions, history, and knowledge. For many contemporary Native artists, historical artworks are not just artifacts—they serve as foundational sources of inspiration, shaping and guiding modern creative expression and innovation.
This exhibition invites visitors to view historical objects through the eyes of today’s Native artists. It offers insight into how, within many Native communities, artistic practices remain vital to cultural life. When considered in the context of place, family, and community, these objects reveal deeper layers of meaning and significance.
Creative Continuities weaves together cultural items and personal stories to highlight the richness and diversity of Native American art, culture, and tradition—across tribal nations and across time. By centering the voices of Native artists, the exhibition creates space for authentic storytelling, allowing for a more informed and meaningful understanding of the histories and communities behind these works. The Autry is proud to serve as a platform for these important conversations.
The exhibition features a range of works including beadwork, drawings, horse regalia, and utilitarian objects that were and continue to be part of daily life. Curated by Joe D. Horse Capture—Vice President of Native Collections, Chief Curator, and Ahmanson Curator of Native American History and Culture—Creative Continuities is the result of a four-year collaboration with the artists. The project included visits to their home communities, which are reflected in the stories and media incorporated throughout the gallery.
Exhibition Sponsors:
Creative Continuities: Family, Pride, and Community in Native Art is generously supported by Leslie and Aaron Kern; the Henry Luce Foundation; the Mildred E. and Harvey S. Mudd Foundation; Caryll and William Mingst; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Paloheimo Foundation; the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company Foundation; the Terra Foundation for American Art; and the Wyeth Foundation for American Art.
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