Denver City Wire

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is set to open a new exhibition titled "SUSTAINED! The Persistent Genius of Indigenous Art" on December 22, 2024. This exhibition will remain on display through 2025 and marks a century of the museum's efforts in collecting Indigenous arts from North America.

"SUSTAINED!" was developed with input from a panel of seven Indigenous community members who collaborated with the museum's Native Arts curatorial team. Their insights helped shape an exhibition that aims to be meaningful to both the Indigenous communities and the wider public.

The exhibition explores themes such as beauty, connections, and spirituality within Native cultures. These are examined through various mediums including fashion, family ties, ancestral heritage, and communal activities like games, ceremonies, and dance.

Over its history, DAM has been committed to collecting works by contemporary Native artists. In 2023 alone, it acquired 156 pieces by North American Indigenous artists. Among these is Jeffrey Gibson’s work "CAN'TTAKE MY EYES OFF OFYOU," which was featured in his first major museum exhibition at DAM in 2018. The current exhibition includes Gibson’s video piece "one becomes the other," showcasing contemporary Indigenous people's relationship with DAM's collections.

DAM has been one of the pioneering art museums in the U.S. to focus on Indigenous artworks from North America. It dedicates over 20,000 square feet in its Lanny and Sharon Martin Building to its extensive collection of more than 18,000 works by Indigenous artists.

Indigenous artworks are also integrated into various other exhibitions at DAM across different categories such as Modern & Contemporary Art and Textile Arts and Fashion. This integration provides diverse perspectives within global art contexts.

DAM's longstanding collaboration with Indigenous communities is reflected in its practices of collecting, conserving, and presenting Native artworks. Since forming a dedicated advisory group in 2020 for ongoing partnerships with local Native communities, DAM continues this collaborative approach for exhibitions like "SUSTAINED!" Advisors for this project include Angela K. Parker (Mandan, Hidatsa, Cree), Chelsea Kaiah (White River Ute and White Mountain Apache), Felicia Alvarez (Shoshone), Sid Whitting Jr. (Sičháŋǧu Lakȟóta), Montoya Whiteman (Cheyenne and Arapaho), Raelene Whiteshield (Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa), and Cassandra Atencio (Southern Ute).