2023–2024 IAIA BFA Exhibition: Indigenous Presence, Indigenous Futures

2023–2024 IAIA BFA Exhibition: Indigenous Presence, Indigenous Futures is an exhibition that aims to show how students of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) honor the future, as much as the past. Although the community at IAIA is comprised of students from diverse backgrounds, the students’ voice culminates to an exceptional message: “The world needs more of what we got to offer”.

Each student at IAIA has a unique vision for the future, based on their personal history, cultural background, and worldview. However, despite these differences among individuals, there exist values that unite us as a community: embracing Indigenous self-representation, combating settler mentality, and making a difference in the world by sharing Indigenous perspectives by means of a contemporary visual language.

The Museum of Contemporary Native Art (MoCNA), this upcoming spring, welcomes audiences to recognize IAIA’s BFA Seniors for their exceptional creativity. As ambassadors they carry the legacies of their cultures, and as teammates they reflect our collective vision for what lies ahead. These up and coming Native artists offer unique insights in how we can further our collective vision for a brighter future.

The Institute for American Indian Arts and Culture stands as a beacon for innovative Indigenous creativity.

Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) for the 2023–2024 IAIA BFA Exhibition: Indigenous Presence, Indigenous Futures, an exhibition representing the culminating achievements of the BFA in Studio Arts, Cinematic Arts, and Creative Writing students. The opening is Friday, March 1, at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. The exhibition will be on view from March 1 through June 9, 2024. 2023–2024 IAIA BFA Exhibition: Indigenous Presence, Indigenous Futures will feature art inspired by contemporary and traditional ifluences, created during the student’s final semesters of study.

Initiatives pioneering the field of contemporary Native art are fostered at IAIA. This exhibition seeks to unveil the contemporary self representations of Indigenous students. By acknowledging their pasts, the featured artists in 2023–2024 IAIA BFA Exhibition: Indigenous Presence, Indigenous Futures extend their cultural backgrounds to their visions of the future. This exhibition invites visitors to contemplate to what shapes them, and question how their values shape their worldview.

This exhibition is co-curated by Museum Studies student Zoe Childs and installed with the help of student preparators Sally Mittler and Charlize Pourier (Oglala Lakota), who work closely together with IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts Curatorial Assistant Erika Knecht to gain practical experience in the field.