Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass

May 18, 2024 - August 18, 2024

To honor of our 100th Anniversary and continue our commitment to presenting the myriad of voices that make up the American experience, the KIA is pleased to present Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass. Clearly Indigenous is a groundbreaking exhibition giving broader and overdue recognition to a wide range of contemporary Native American and Indigenous, Pacific-Rim artists working in glass. The importance, rarity, and excellence of this milestone event are not to be missed. Clearly Indigenous includes nearly 100 glassworks created by twenty-nine Native American artists, four Pacific Rim artists from New Zealand and Australia, along with selections from leading glass artist Dale Chihuly. Chihuly was a part of a collaboration between the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) which resulted in establishing a glass program and a hot shop for the IAIA.

This stunning exhibition embodies the intellectual content of Native traditions, newly illuminated by the unique properties that can only be achieved by working with glass. Whether reinterpreting traditional stories and designs or expressing contemporary issues affecting Indigenous societies, Indigenous artists have created content-laden bodies of work via the medium of glass. Clearly Indigenous demonstrates the generations of Indigenous artists who have and continue to investigate the expressive properties of glassmaking. Among the artists included in this seminal exhibition are Larry Ahvakana (Inupiat), Dan Friday (Lummi), Carol Lujan (Diné), Robert “Spooner” Marcus (Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo), Lillian Pitt (Warm Springs, Wasco, Yakama), and Preston Singletary (Tlingit). Don’t miss this exciting exhibition on view throughout the summer at the KIA!

Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass was originated by The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The traveling exhibit was curated by Dr. Letitia Chambers, and is toured by International Arts & Artists.

 


Clearly Indigenous Special Exhibition Admission

Adults: $13
Active Military, Groups (10 or more): $8
College Students (18+ with ID) & Youth (ages 7-17): $7
Children (ages 6 & younger): Free
Museum Members: Free admission for Members. Member guests admitted based on membership level.

Admission price includes all Special Exhibitions and the museum’s permanent collection galleries.

We strongly recommend advance ticket purchase. Guests purchasing tickets on site may experience a wait to enter this exhibition. Plan ahead and purchase your admission tickets online or a timed entry ticket at the Guest Services Desk. Timed entry tickets are available 30 days in advance. Nonrefundable tickets are “final sale” tickets that may not be returned for a full refund after purchase.

Admission discounts such as Art Bridges Foundation Access for AllMuseums for All, and Blue Star Museums may also be available. See those program pages for more information or call 269-349-7775 to speak with a Guest Services team member.

Some exhibitions, programs and events carry an admission charge or registration fee beyond the museum’s general admission and include admission to exhibitions and the collection galleries as part of that admission charge or registration fee.

 

Angela Babby, Melt: Prayers for the People and the Planet, 2019, Kiln-fired vitreous enamel on glass mosaic on tile board, 30
Preston Singletary, Raven Steals the Sun, 2017, Blown, sand carved glass, 21 Carol Lujan, Grandmothers Legacy Series, 2014, Slumped glass, 12 x 14½” x 1½”, Images courtesy of Carol Lujan, Photo by Stephen Lang, © Carol Lujan.