Mindy N. Besaw, PhD & Jami C. Powell, PhD| Knowing the West [Visual Legacies of the American West]

Mindy N. Besaw, PhD- Director of Research, Fellowships and University Partnerships and Curator, American Art, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Jami C. Powell, PhD- Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs and curator of Indigenous Art at the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth

Knowing the West [Visual Legacies of the American West]

Co-curators Jami Powell and Mindy Besaw will share insights about the exhibition to embrace the American West as more inclusive, complex, and reflective of the diverse peoples who contributed to art and life there. Americans often feel they "know the West," whether informed by direct experience or popular culture. The exhibition of over 120 historic works by Native Americans and non-Native American artists brings together textiles, baskets, paintings, pottery, sculpture, beadwork, saddles, and prints to encourage deeper exploration of a familiar topic. This talk will discuss themes of the exhibition, highlight remarkable artworks and stories about the artists, and share more about the deeply collaborative process used to organize and realize the exhibition.