Zig Jackson (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, b. 1957), ‘Buffalo Enclosure, Golden Gate Park (Entering Zig’s Indian Reservation),’ 1997-1998, silver gelatin print, 14¼ × 18 in. Clara S. Peck Fund. 2001.13.1
Rockwell Museum
Contemporary.
Native.
Art.
Art every bit as Contemporary as it is Native. Contemporary with a capital “C.”
All art is contemporary when it’s made, this art is additionally Contemporary in how it is in part informed and inspired by and created to be in dialogue with global trends and conversations in Contemporary art.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Rockwell Museum in Corning, NY presents an exhibition highlighting its sustained, dedicated commitment to collecting Contemporary Native Art since its founding. Art as Contemporary as it is Native.
“This is the cutting edge of art in the U.S. right now,” Amanda Lett, The Rockwell’s curator of exhibitions and collections, told Forbes.com in a Zoom interview. “It talks about everything. It’s powerful. It’s surprising. It’s exciting. It’s everything you want to see when you go see an art show.”
Native art that doesn’t look “Native”–not like the stereotypes.
No buckskin. No fringe.
No paintings of stoic elders in headdresses. No jacked-up, galloping warriors wielding bow and arrow. No Indian maidens.
“The works in this show are representative of Native artists breaking out of that stereotypical box (of) what people think (Native art is) supposed to be,” Randee Spruce (Seneca Nation, Heron Clan), an independent curator who aided in the exhibition, told Forbes.com in a Zoom interview. “These Native artists are telling their stories. It’s modern-day storytelling through contemporary ideas and contemporary materials.”
Pottery, beadwork, and baskets.
Sure.
Photography, glass sculpture, abstract painting, too. Items acquired by Rockwell curators over a half century. Curators mostly concerned with the “Contemporary” attributes of Native artworks.
Native American artists produce a vast array of art from jewelry and fashion to illustrations and bronzes; among that artwork, some is produced in a traditional style, others in radically contemporary styles. Neither is better; the Rockwell has chosen to acquire from the leading edge of Contemporary Native American art, which has also been the leading edge of Contemporary Art writ large in America since the mid-century.
Artists from the museum’s permanent collection featured in “Native Now: Contemporary Indigenous Art at The Rockwell Museum” include a who’s who of Contemporary American Art. They also happen to be Native American: Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (Citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation, 1940-2025), Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo, b.1969), Wendy Red Star (Apsáalooke (Crow), b. 1981), Edgar Heap of Birds (Cheyenne, Arapaho, b. 1954), Preston Singletary (Tlingit, b. 1963), Julie Buffalohead (Ponca, b. 1972). To name a few.
None produce “traditional” Native American art–re: stereotypical; all of what they create is grounded in tradition.
“Any museum you go to, go to the Native American section, it’s always the historical pieces; obviously, it’s important because a part of museums is to have kids come and learn, but also part of my journey as a curator is making sure those kids also know that, yes, the historic stuff is important, and it’s still important because these (artforms) are still being practiced today,” Spruce said. “Not only are they still being practiced, but the art is evolving, the materials are evolving. A key takeaway (from the exhibition) is the adaptability of what Native American art has become.”
Spruce embodies another key takeaway.
“This collaboration between the Rockwell Museum and a Native curator is very important. It symbolizes a step forward,” she added. “It’s important for Native communities to feel like our stories are being shared by a Native perspective. Museums are no longer just telling our stories for us. We’re in the conversation too, which is awesome.”
Augmenting Rockwell artworks in the presentation are pieces loaned by powerhouse art foundation Art Bridges.
Art Bridges x Contemporary Native Art
Jeffrey Gibson (b. 1972), ‘Be Witched Bothered and Be Wildered,’ 2019, found canvas punching bag, glass beads, plastic beads, artificial sinew, steel studs and chain, acrylic paint, 68 x 20 x 20 in. Art Bridges
Art Bridges
Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of Walmart heir, philanthropist, and arts patron Alice Walton. Founded in 2017, Art Bridges creates and supports projects sharing works of American art with communities across the United States and its territories. The Rockwell Museum has been an Art Bridges partner for years.
In the summer of 2025, Art Bridges acquired 81 contemporary Native artworks from the John and Susan Horseman Collection accessible as long-term loans to museums, free of charge. With the acquisition, one third of the Art Bridges Collection became contemporary Indigenous art.
Loans to “Native Now” from Art Bridges include works by renowned Contemporary artists–the tippy-top of the game, who happen to be Native–such as Jeffrey Gibson (Mississippi Choctaw/Cherokee, b. 1972), Raven Halfmoon (Caddo, b. 1991) and Cannupa Hanska Luger (Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold Reservation, b. 1979).
“Native Now” can be seen January 24 through May 4, 2026.
The Rockwell At 50
David P. Bradley (Chippewa, b. 1954), ‘Surrounded by Indians,’ late 20th century, lithograph, 22 ¾ x 30 ¼ in. Gift of Julie and Stuart Chase. 2000.51.3
Rockwell Museum
The Rockwell Museum’s interest in Contemporary Native American art stems from its founders Bob and Hertha Rockwell. The museum started with their private collection. The Rockwell Museum has no connection to Norman Rockwell.
Bob Rockwell grew up on a ranch in Colorado, enchanted by the Western landscape and cultures. The couple collected Western art–cowboy stuff like Frederic Remington and C.M. Russell–along with Indigenous art from the Southwest including Pueblo pottery. They put their artwork on display at the Rockwell Department Store in Corning. Shoppers enjoyed Russell paintings, Remington sculptures, and Native pottery, baskets and beadwork while browsing for slacks and dresses.
Until 1976.
That’s when most of the collection was donated to function as the core objects for a new museum. Guided by a deep belief that art should be shared, the Rockwell’s—alongside a group of civic and corporate leaders—transformed a private collection into a public resource for the community.
“The best of the West in the East” is what the Rockwell Museum liked to say before widening its focus to share a broader range of stories from the American experience through American art. That broader focus takes center stage during its 50th anniversary year.
The 2026 exhibition lineup spans a vast array of media, from historic art to contemporary textiles, sculpture, and photography, beginning with “Native Now.” The lineup also features a sweeping 150-year survey of African American art from the Key Collection and an exploration of the New Deal era, highlighting how the Works Progress Administration used art to advocate for a more equitable society.
