Post #5 Reading Discussion The Art of Indigenous Americans Art History: A Century of Exhibitions

Substantive Points:

1. In the early 1900s, Native American art inspired white American artists and helped shape a distinctly “American” style of art. Artists admired the designs, colors, and forms, using them in their own modernist works.

2. Large exhibitions, like the 1931 Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts and the 1941 MoMA show, introduced thousands of Americans to Native art. These shows included both historical objects and contemporary paintings, giving wider audiences access to Indigenous art.

3. Artists such as Fritz Scholder, T.C. Cannon, and Jaune Quick-to-See Smith explored Native identity, politics, and culture. Their work placed Native perspectives within the broader American art world.

4. Many museums continued to display Native art only in historical sections, separating it from mainstream American art making it seem like it's only meant to be historical artifacts.

5. Recent exhibitions, such as The Plains Indians: Artists of Earth and Sky, use video and other modern media to show Native art as part of contemporary art conversations.

Discussion Question:

We saw Native Americans out in a field in a collective ritual, and now, you see this amphitheater. What major innovations does this theatre add to entertainment? We still experience some of these changes today?

The amphitheater added many elements to entertainment that the Native Americans didn't have. Native American gathering places focused more on nature and community, utilizing open spaces and natural settings rather than buildings or elaborate stage equipment. Greek amphitheaters were large theaters with rows of seats, built to accommodate large crowds. The architecture, a curved shape, made it easy for everyone to see and hear, and they even used machines for scenery and special effects. They would even have a designated space for the chorus to add to the entertainment. Today, we still use amphitheaters for live entertainment, and the designs, ideas, and innovations used in ancient Greece are still practiced today in modern theater.