Marvin Oliver (Quinault/Isleta Pueblo, b. 1946), Our River's Ancestors, 2014. Glass, ink. NMAI purchase from the artist, 2015. (26/9630)
National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center
One Bowling Green
New York, NY
Ancestral Connections explores how ten contemporary artists draw on aspects of their heritage—sometimes combined with personal experiences or tribal history—to create new and compelling works of art. Some have been shaped by their traditional homelands and landscapes, while others draw on traditional worldviews, lifeways, and artistic traditions or remembered ancestors. As a whole, the works illustrate how connections to Native culture, tradition, and history serve as a catalyst for contemporary Native artistic expression.
