Smithsonian – For decades, the artistic endeavors of Native Americans and other indigeneous groups were rarely acknowledged as fine art. Native art was displayed separately and in isolation from Western or American art, often curated as anthropological artifact and not as contemporary, living expression. In recent years, well-meaning exhibitions at such prestigious venues as New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago have reckoned with that historical track record. Still, the shows couldn’t escape criticism; the exhibitions lacked the critical involvement of indigenous scholars, curators and advisors. – read more
