Encouraging work with living artists
As a curator, I am committed to working with living artists whenever possible, to support the innovative working being done on the contemporary Native arts scene. This quickly led me to a bookmarks folder of hundreds of artist websites, making it impossible to search for specific types of work or artists in certain regions, and difficult to keep track of shipping costs and gallery representation. I built this database to solve those problems.
This database tracks important information regarding contemporary Native American artists, with the aim of assisting research and creative projects. Here you can find information such as artists’ websites, Instagram accounts, galleries, and more.
Please fill out the “Add an Artist” form with any additions you would like to make to the database!
Examples of how this database can be used
- To find artists that use a certain media, to include in an exhibition pitch
- To find artists based in a specific region, to request studio visits while traveling for research
- To browse artists to focus on for a college assignment
- To determine where an artist’s studio and galleries are, to estimate shipping expenses for an exhibition
Parameters of the database
The database is intended to encourage scholars and curators to work directly with living artists. Therefore, artists in the database:
- Are living
- Can be reached through a website or Instagram
- Are either enrolled in or descendants of an Indigenous community in the United States or Canada
- Descendant artists should be clear about their status and maintain ties to the community.
- The database may be expanded in the future to include Indigenous artists from elsewhere.
Working with a living artist? Please pay them an acceptable wage!
Click here for the CARFAC-RAAV Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule
Victoria Sunnergren, Ph.D. 