From the ancient petroglyphs at Nevada’s Grimes Point Archaeological Site to the vibrant murals adorning Indian Alley in Los Angeles, Native American communities have been harnessing the power of visual art to tell their stories for thousands of years. And we’re not just talking about paintings hung behind gallery doors. Instead, many Indigenous artists are sidestepping institutional barriers and bringing their works into the public eye via moving outdoor installations intended to amplify the diverse history, traditions, and stories of their peoples. (Not that their body of work isn’t gaining more and more recognition in the exhibition space as well—Jeffrey Gibson is set to be the first solo indigenous artist to represent the US at the Venice Biennale in 2024.)

Why public art? Part of the reason lies in the numbers. While the US Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey noted a significant growth in those identifying as American Indian and Alaska Native—from 5.2 million in 2010 to 8.7 million—Indigenous peoples still only account for about 2.6% of the country’s total population. As such, going public is a way for Native artists to make their voices heard, to shout from the rooftops, “We exist.”

Heather Ahtone, the director of curatorial affairs at the First Americans Museum, says that while it’s important to remember that there’s no singular Native viewpoint, there is some commonality between works created by Indigenous Americans, including a continuous reverence for and connection to the land and their communities.

For Ahtone, the significance of Indigenous narratives goes beyond just dates and events; it’s about a spiritual connection to a specific place, or what she calls a Genesis story. She says that for many Native American cultures, “Knowledge doesn’t rest in books but in music and oral history.” What’s more, she sees Indigenous architecture like Navajo hogans, Plains tipis, and Pawnee lodges as not just functional buildings but artistic expressions of cultural identity.

Today, Native artists across the country and beyond are projecting their creative visions larger and louder than ever before, pushing the boundaries of contemporary art and paving the way for a more inclusive and dynamic cultural landscape. Here are just a few of the places where Indigenous artists have transformed buildings, town squares, city streets, and more into captivating super-sized canvases.