“You Can’t Take It With You….” (detail) by Nani Chacon

Through sculpture, murals, and ephemeral installations, contemporary Native artists are honoring their heritage, while also giving voice to the indigenous community. By working on public art projects, indigenous artists are also making a statement by reminding the public, “We Exist.” Whether that means creating memorials to honor the contribution of Native American veterans to reclaiming public spaces, the work of these artists is invaluable in teaching the public to move beyond stereotypes.

We’re looking at five contemporary Native American artists who often focus on public work in an effort to bring native art to a wider audience. Scroll down to read more about them and discover where you can travel to see their incredible murals and installations.

Here are 5 contemporary Native artists who create public art that reflects their heritage.

Nani Chacon

Photo: Nani Chacon

Nani Chacon is a Diné and Chicana painter and muralist who uses her public art to facilitate social engagement and community-based integration. One of her most impressive pieces is a 100-foot-long mural, You Can’t Take It With You…., located at the Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Inspired by a contemporary Diné and a traditional Seneca basket in the center’s collection, Chacon’s piece speaks to how artistic traditions can connect people through time and space.

Andrea Wilbur-Sigo

Squaxin Island artist Andrea Wilbur-Sigo is breaking barriers as a female carver. Raised on the Skokomish Reservation in Washington State, she came from a family of artists but was told that women are not carvers. Despite this obstacle, Wilbur-Sigo became a master of Coast Salish art. Today, she is known for her incredible carved boxes, masks, panels, and figures that pay homage to her Native heritage. Her carvings can be found throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the Squaxin Island Tribe Veterans Memorial and two large wood figures outside of the Seattle Convention Center’s new Summit Building.

Anna Tsoulharakis

Anna Tsoulharakis is a performance, video, and installation artist of Greek, Navajo, and Creek heritage. She seeks to push the boundaries of Native American art by creating thought-provoking work. Oftentimes, she asks Natives to recount their experiences or share personal objects as a way to break the stereotypes of how they are perceived by the outside world.

Nora Naranjo-Morse

Artist and poet Nora Naranjo-Morse works in several mediums but is most well-known for her metal sculptures. A member of the Tewa tribe, her work explores issues of environment, culture, and creating community art. In 2013, she created Guardians, a set of three abstract steel sculptures. These pieces are located in Albuquerque’s Altura Park, looming over the environment with their imposing structures. The silhouettes of these sculptures were inspired by the shapes Naranjo-Morse encountered in her visits to the park and are a calm meditation on the land.

Jaque Fragua

Indigenous artist Jaque Fragua grew up in Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico. He connects traditional Native American design with current trends through graffiti, mural art, and sculpture. In 2016, he made headlines for painting the phrase, “This is Indian Land,” on a temporary construction wall in Los Angeles. One of his most iconic pieces is in an alley in Los Angeles’ Skid Row neighborhood, called Indian Alley. Fragua painted a warrior on horseback next to the words, “Decolonize and Chill.” He continues to use his artistry to work as an agitator, activating his community and advocating for his culture.

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Dyani White Hawk

This year, the MacArthur Foundation declared what Minnesota art fans have long known: Dyani White Hawk is a genius.

That’s the label that will be forever affixed to the Sičáŋǧu Lakota artist since she and 19 others were awarded MacArthur fellowships, known as the “genius grant,” in 2023.

And frankly, it fits. White Hawk’s most striking, shimmering pieces, made with thousands of bugle beads, honor and elevate Lakota art forms. Their geometric designs, infused with symbolism, spotlight the influence Indigenous aesthetics have had on Western abstraction. They’re beautiful, too.

This year, those works popped up in publications and art galleries nationwide. In February, W Magazine highlighted White Hawk, who has a Minneapolis studio and a Shakopee home, in a lengthy feature on Native artists “Doing It Their Way.” In March, Elle declared: “Dyani White Hawk Is Rewriting Art History.”

Then, in news that made the New York Times, the Whitney Museum of American Art picked White Hawk to create one of two new public artworks for its restaurant reboot. The resulting ceramic tile piece, “Nourish,” spans more than 30 feet, her largest work to date.

In November, White Hawk opened her first exhibition in Los Angeles, titled “Reflection,” still on view at Various Small Fires. It features nine new beautifully detailed paintings and a video installation with eight Indigenous women speaking their languages. ARTnews included her works at Frieze Los Angeles, a precursor to that solo show, among its best booths.

Then there were at least 10 group shows, too. And the Walker Art Center announced that in 2025 it will exhibit White Hawk’s first career survey.

Just as she’s challenging art history’s long-held ideas, she might be shifting how we think about the lone genius. Upon winning the prestigious $800,000 MacArthur grant, she honored a wide web of people, past and present, including the many friends and family members who help her bead her canvases.

Brilliance, indeed.

Jenna Ross

Kelsey Cook

Chad Daniels has long reigned as the most famous comic residing full-time in Minnesota. But he may be getting surpassed by his girlfriend. Kelsey Cook bought a house in the Twin Cities with Daniels earlier this year, establishing herself as one of us.

Not that she’s been able to spend a ton of time here. Cook is a wildly successful road comic with two appearances on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” under her belt. Her recent YouTube special, “The Hustler,” has attracted more than 2.3 million views.

Cook leans into her All-American looks to trick audiences into thinking they won’t get anything edgier than knock-knock jokes. Then she bowls them over with bits about the joys and tribulations of dating an older man in painfully funny — and raunchy — detail. Woe to the heckler who dares to flirt or belittle. Same goes to anyone who challenges her to a foosball match (she’s a former world champion player).

Cook may have spent much of the year crisscrossing the country, but the Washington state native made time to put down some local roots, helping to judge Acme Comedy Company’s Funniest Person in the Twin Cities contest and closing out the 10,000 Laughs Comedy Festival with Daniels. Her podcast, “Self-Helpless,” which she hosts with Delanie Fischer, is distributed by Lemonada Media, which is based in Minneapolis.

But she’ll continue to be in demand everywhere else. One of her best friends, Taylor Tomlinson, takes over the CBS late-night spot from James Corden early next year. Don’t be surprised if that program becomes Cook’s second home.

Neal Justin