Each Fellowship, the Eiteljorg Museum honors a selection of fellowship artists (Fellows) and an invited artist for their contributions to the world of Native contemporary art. Support includes: monetary grants, purchasing art for the permanent collection, and sharing their art and stories worldwide.
Each Fellowship builds on 20+ years of
increasing awareness and appreciation for
Native contemporary art.
The boundaries of Native art, particularly contemporary Native art, are shifting. This shifting, like tectonic plates, is exciting to experience because like the forces of Earth, Native art is an energy. This energy is growing, bold and free from confinement. Contemporary Native art does not ignore its origins nor does it exclude. The artists in the 2021 Fellowship epitomize this dynamic shift, taking their mediums beyond a 180 degree -turn, taking them past any boundaries.
In 2017 Eiteljorg chose to reflect on the 20 past years of Contemporary Art Fellowships. Native Art Now! (A Retrospective) highlighted nearly 40 works by past Fellows. In this documentary film, hear their stories to better understand the impact and exploration of past and present Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowships.
“What I want people to take away from my work is a sense of humanity. I want people to recognize that Native people are human beings and our history is everybody’s history.”
– Wendy Red Star (Crow, b. 1981)