ATLANTA – Passengers coming and going through the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will have an opportunity to view Southeastern tribal artwork in an exhibit called “This Land Calls Us Home: Indigenous Relationships with Southeastern Homelands.”

The exhibit is presented by the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, and features more than 60 works by 26 artists. The 10 Cherokee Nation artists included in the exhibit are Vivian Garner Cottrell, Roy Boney, Jeff Edwards, Bill Glass, Tonia Hogner-Weavel, Steven Morales, Carolyn Pallett, Tama Roberts, Ronald Mitchell and J. Ross Davis. 

The exhibit seeks to amplify Indigenous voices and increase public understanding of contemporary Native identity and experience, according an ucmission.org press release. 

The featured artists are descendants of the Indigenous peoples historically tied to the region where the exhibit is located. 

“Talking with visitors to the country, they think that the Indigenous people are no longer here. When they see the exhibit, I think they’ll take away that we’re still here. We’re still practicing our culture and still have our knowledge of our ways continuing,” Cottrell said. 

Cottrell, a Cherokee National Treasure for basketry, has two river cane baskets on display. She learned to weave baskets from her mother using white oak, honeysuckle and buck brush materials.

Roy Boney said it’s neat to be a part of this process and show art by tribes that are indigenous to the area.

“It was pretty neat to be a part of this process because when I first heard the idea of an airport show, I didn’t know what to think. But the organizers put together a pretty good concept and they have some pretty good artists in it,” Boney said. “They contacted some Creek artists, Cherokee artists, Chickasaw, some Caddo, you know, just some different Southeastern tribes who have a historical connection there. Atlanta is in the southeast; that was the site of a lot of tribes that called that area home.”

Boney’s art in the exhibit is a digital piece inspired by the chunkey game. He uses digital, watercolor and other mediums in his work, and is inspired by Cherokee history, culture and language.

“You’ve seen some of the gorgets with the chunkey players on it. It’s that image but its been updated and it’s a guy wearing tennis shoes and a hoodie. The idea is that we’re still here as a people and we continue these kind of games and traditions,” Boney said. 

The exhibit is located in the gallery space of the Concourse T North terminal and opened Nov. 6 and will run for one year. To view the full collection visit umcmission.org/thisland/.

This new exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum examines the close aligned relationship between non-Natives and Natives alike through portraiture.

The Tacoma Art Museum is currently showcasing the “Native Portraiture: Power and Perception” exhibit. It features several portraitures of Native Americans that range from classic western artwork to contemporary pieces as recent as 2017. While historically Native artwork is typically reflective of the U.S. western landscape, the museum says that it wants to break this stereotype by featuring more contemporary artists, particularly ones in the Pacific Northwest.  

“Western art is laden with images of Native Americans that range from recordings of direct observations to highly romanticized, invented images,” the museum states on its website. “Yet many of these paintings are made by non-Native artists. What is communicated when an outsider portrays someone from another culture? How are these depictions different from when a person connected to a culture shares an individual or collective experience?”  

When you walk into the exhibit, you are met with an enormous colorful oil-painted portrait of a Native American buffalo hunter. It mixes navy blues to create a darkened hue background with outlined black horses. A white ambiance shaded with strong brush strokes amplifies the figure in front. The Native with pale beige skin and dark long hair poses. He is wearing a white beaded necklace and small circle earrings. He has a traditional feathered headdress which distinguishes him from other tribes.  

He is a member of the Crow Nation, which is known for having an enduring relationship with horses. Artist Kevin Red Star depicts the strong connection this buffalo hunter has with horses. Not only are horses a crucial part to their tribe’s well-being, this specific breed is important to track down buffalo to kill. The warm copper colors draw your attention to the figure’s body. The face is marked with white vertical lines that represent the figures significance to the tribe.  

The artist Kevin Red Star has painted many other notable Native artworks including “Chief and his men,” “Counting Coup,” and “Crow Indians – Small War Party Departing” to name a few. He is a member of the Crow Nation and has made several artworks that are shown in dozens of galleries across the U.S. 

Across the gallery from Kevin Red Star’s work is another portraiture titled “Taos Indian Chief” by Ernest Blumenschein. It is a depiction of a Plains Native American wearing a large red and turquoise feathered headdress. The picture is cropped and cuts off below the shoulders. We only see a glimpse of the red cloak he is wearing on top of his shoulders, but not what he is looking towards. It’s a classic western depiction of Indigenous people. The tan skin with classic Native attire. In comparison to other contemporary works at the exhibit, this one sticks to historical western style.  

Typically, Native American artwork was painted by non-natives. George Catlin, a lawyer, author, painter and traveler was considered by many to be the most notable for depicting Native figures. One of this most famous works “Wah-ro-née-sah, The Surrounder, Chief of the Otoe Tribe” is an 1832 portrait that is currently housed inside the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It used dark hues and oversimplified textures. The colors blend seamlessly together and create a realistic appearance of the Native.  

Many pieces of art at this time during the 1800s focused on creating idealistic depictions of people. It wanted to give the viewer an alluring experience of the artwork. Rather than reflect the intricacies and details of the subject, the inspirational and romanticized thoughts of the subject were reflected. As revered as Catlin was for his innovative works depicting Indigenous people, he was also highly criticized for his lack of awareness and overall attention to the Native experience and perspective. Through the romanticized appearance of Natives, he missed the true experience of their lives and messages they were revealing.  

While many classic style art pieces reflect this similar idea, it is still a significant addition to the Native tribes. Several of the art pieces depict Natives in western, classic, contemporary and abstract. They all give a voice to an often overlooked group of people in the U.S.  

The works depict several Indigenous tribes such as the Navajo Nation, Apsáalooke Nation, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Apsáalooke Nation, and much more.  

If you would like to view any of these paintings, you can visit the Tacoma Art Museum Wed-Sun from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. The “Native American Power and Perception” exhibit will be on display at TAM until March 17, 2024. Thursdays are open and free to the public, otherwise, you can purchase tickets in person or online through their website at https://www.tacomaartmuseum.org. 

Beyond the celebration of design and artistry, this collaboration aligns with The Plated Project’s noble mission to combat hunger through art. A remarkable 6,000 meals will be donated to the needy said to illustrate Lamborghini’s commitment to social responsibility.

Sharad Agarwal, head of Lamborghini India said, “As we celebrate 60 years of Lamborghini’s relentless pursuit of excellence, we are delighted to join hands with ‘The Plated Project’ to create a truly exceptional art showcase, ‘Shadanga’. This initiative not only pays homage to our iconic brand but also contributes to a meaningful cause.”

The ‘Shadanga’ project is not only beautiful to look at but also showcases how art can be used for the good of humanity. The addition of Indian heritage only adds to the celebration.