Curated by both Gail Tremblay and Miles R. Miller, this exhibit seeks to bring together significant artworks by artists in the Pacific Northwest region in order to examine both the evolution of Native American artwork and the artistic strategies used by artists as they represent the complexities of Indigenous realities to the world.
Not Vanishing contains artworks that tackle difficult issues that face our society today. Artists use a variety of methods and a wide range of media that includes drawing, painting, wood carving, metalwork, weaving, glass, and multimedia installation work. Artistic styles greatly very, in part because historically Indigenous people in Native cultures have traditions of both abstract and representational design that have influenced artists and art movements around the world. In addition, Contemporary Native artists who are trained in art are aware of the wide variety of choices they have as they develop their own individual styles.
The majority of Contemporary Native American artists in Not Vanishing have studied art-making styles and technologies from around the world, as well as the historical and evolving style of aesthetic work in their communities. Both established and emerging artists use a wide variety of strategies to make their 20th and 21st century culture and experiences visible to the people who examine their work, and they seek to start a dialogue between themselves, their art, and the world. By presenting this body of artworks to the public, the Museum of Northwest Art seeks to support this important dialogue and encourage interactions between the viewer, the artwork, and the community.
Missoula Art Museum
335 North Pattee
Missoula, MT 59802
August 05 - December 10, 2016
This exhibition was premiered at the The Museum of Northwest Art in the fall of 2015
