Since 1999, The Eiteljorg Fellowship Program has been a platform where artists’ voices are heard and important conversations are sparked. We invite you to look through past fellowships and witness the profound work that has made the fellowship such an important resource for contemporary Native artists.
2023
Unsettle / Converge
Since 1999, before many others, the Eiteljorg Museum has recognized and celebrated contemporary Native art, led by the renowned Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship. Especially of late, Native art is having a moment. Building on the title and themes of the two previous Fellowship rounds, Blurring the Line in 2019 and Shifting Boundaries in 2021, the 2023 Fellowship is titled UNSETTLE/Converge, highlighting the 2023 Fellows who are leading the way in dismantling settler-colonial definitions of contemporary Native art to present Native voices and visions foremost.
2021
Shifting Boundaries
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.
2019
Blurring the Line
Blurring the Line explored how Native art connects to individual artists, it rejects stereotypes; it reflects today and like all art, has changed over time. It not only blurs the line; it challenges the narrow definitions assigned to contemporary Native art and overcomes them.
2017: A Retrospective
Native Art Now!
20 years of prior Eiteljorg Fellowships laid the groundwork for this unique retrospective exhibition. Nearly 40 works were chosen to challenge conventional notions that Native American art is limited to particular styles or materials or is focused only on particular eras. Native Art Now! revealed how thought-provoking and relevant contemporary artwork can be to the issues of today.
2015
Conversations
Conversations documents the strength, drama, determination, and storytelling genius of contemporary Native art and the artists who create it. This Fellowship is a true and genuine continuation of the dialogue of contemporary Native American art and artistic expression.
2013
Red
This impactful exhibition was so named for the strength, drama, determination, and humor of the art and the artists. The collection spanned a wide variety of styles and offered ideas about power and life and the present.
2011
We Are Here
We Are Here boldly exemplified Native American contemporary art as important, relevant, and deserving of a place in the contemporary art cannon. Powerful stories infused with Native history and experiences were expressed in glass, photography, performance art, and other media.
2009
Art Quantum
While blood quantum laws have been used to determine an individual’s inclusion in a Native group, these Eiteljorg Fellowship artists have instead come to view themselves as belonging to the “Art Tribe,” through the universal process of art creation and collaboration. Art Quantum presented a selection of the extraordinary work that was created to help situate the larger issue of Native identity in the contemporary art world.
2007
Diversity And Dialogue
This stunning collection included sculptures, painting, installations, videos, and even in-your-face performance works that cause viewers to question stereotypes about Native Americans.
2005
Into The Fray
This Eiteljorg Fellowship helped to foster a newer and greater public understanding of part of the struggle for self-expression that Native American contemporary artists face. This Fellowship gave artists the platform to participate in the continually evolving worldwide definition of what art is.
2003
Path Breakers
Path Breakers honored artists of a wide variety of backgrounds, and included paintings, prints, photographs, sculpture, and installation pieces of variety, color, and power. This fellowship truly embodied“the infinitely various ways of negotiating cultural space are apparent in contemporary Native art.”
2001
After The Storm
This Fellowship offered a stunning variety of media, styles, and subjects, demonstrating the versatility of contemporary Native American artists. From intense drawings to otherworldly ivory carvings, the pieces featured represent a a broad geographic and emotional range.
1999
Contemporary Masters
The inaugural Eiteljorg Fellowship was a celebration of modern Native American contemporary masters. This was the first year of many in which the Eiteljorg created a platform for Native American artists to share their work.