Native New York, 1970s to 1990s: A Convening

The gap between the 1941 Indian Art in the United States exhibition and today was filled by independent curators and artists, such as the American Indian Community House Gallery, Amerinda, and experimental galleries downtown. Most of this energy developed in the 1980s and continued into the 1990s outside of canonical art history. To understand the current state of Indigenous art, we must understand this recent past, including MoMA’s role in marginalizing Native American artists during this period. The convening brings together an extraordinary group of participants to explore the often overlooked history of contemporary Native American art in New York from the 1970s to the 1990s through three thematic discussions. Panel 1: Experiences Artists discuss their experience working in New York in the 1980s and 1990s. Peter Jemison, Edgar Heap of Birds, and Kay Walkingstick, moderated by Joseph M. Pierce, 2024–25 MoMA Scholar in Residence. Panel 2: Institutions Curators, scholars, and artists discuss the innovative exhibition spaces and curatorial practices. Jolene Rickard, Diane Fraher, Kathleen Ash-Milby, and Jeffrey Gibson, moderated by Leah Dickerman, MoMA’s Director of Research Programs. Panel 3: Relations Artists discuss the legacies of these Native NY histories. Nicholas Galanin, Rachel Martin, Mekko Harjo, and Laura Ortman, moderated by Stuart Comer, MoMA’s Lonti Ebers Chief Curator of Media and Performance.