An Indigenous Present, a thematic exhibition spanning one hundred years of modern and contemporary Indigenous art, includes new commissions and significant works by fifteen artists who use strategies of abstraction to represent personal and collective narratives, describe specific and imagined places, and build upon cultural and aesthetic traditions. Co-organized by artist Jeffrey Gibson (member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent), whose work was presented at the Frist in 2023, and independent curator Jenelle Porter, the exhibition offers an expansive consideration of Indigenous art practices, highlighting a continuum of elders and emerging makers.
An Indigenous Present draws from Gibson and Porter’s landmark 2023 publication of the same title, which, through a collaborative process, brought together work by Native North American artists exploring diverse approaches to concept, form, and medium. Their engagement with artists during the making of the book inspired this exhibition—one that demonstrates the endless variability of abstraction and its capacity to hold multiple forms and histories.
An Indigenous Present is organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. The exhibition is curated by Jeffrey Gibson and Jenelle Porter, guest curators.
Exhibition gallery
Mary Sully. Edison, ca. late 1920s–early 1940s. Colored pencil, graphite, ink, silver paint, and watercolor on paper; three parts, 2 7/8 x 18 in., 12 x 19 in., 9 1/2 x 12 in. Courtesy The Mary Sully Foundation. Photo: Charles Meyer Photography
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. Cree Prayer Series #1, 1978. Acrylic and pastel on paper; 22 x 15 in. Courtesy the Estate of Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York. © The Estate of Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. Photo: ShootART/Christopher Burke Studios
George Morrison. Three Surrealist Forms, Automatic, 1984. Color pencil, ink, and wash on paper; 17 x 15 in. Courtesy the George Morrison Estate and Bockley Gallery, Minneapolis. © George Morrison Estate
Dakota Mace. So’II (Stars II), 2022. Unique arrangement of 40 chemigrams; 38 x 51 in. Courtesy the artist. © Dakota Mace
Teresa Baker. Knife River, 2024. Yarn, buckskin, artificial sinew, and willow on AstroTurf; 63 x 107 in. Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. Acquired through the generosity of the Acquisitions Circle. Courtesy the artist and Broadway Gallery, New York. © Teresa Baker. Photo: Ruben Diaz
George Longfish. Take Two Aspirins and Call Me In The Morning, You Are On Target (detail), 1984. Acrylic on canvas; 85 x 117 in. Courtesy The Fine Arts Collection, Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, University of California, Davis. © George Longfish. Photo: Cleber Bonato
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Events and programs
Opening Conversation: An Indigenous Present
