Rockwell Museum’s “Native Now” Exhibition Shatters Stereotypes, Celebrates Contemporary Indigenous Art
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The Rockwell Museum in Corning, New York, is redefining perceptions of Native American art with its upcoming exhibition, “Native Now: Contemporary Indigenous Art at The Rockwell Museum,” opening January 24, 2026. The show, coinciding with the museum’s 50th anniversary, highlights a dedicated commitment to collecting cutting-edge works by Native artists – art that is, as one curator put it, “Contemporary with a capital ‘C.’”
Challenging Conventional Narratives
For too long, representations of Native art have been confined by stereotypical imagery. The Rockwell’s exhibition actively rejects these tropes. “No buckskin. No fringe. No paintings of stoic elders in headdresses. No jacked-up, galloping warriors wielding bow and arrow. No Indian maidens,” the exhibition boldly declares through its curatorial choices. Instead, “Native Now” showcases a diverse range of mediums and styles, from photography and glass sculpture to abstract painting and pottery, demonstrating the breadth and innovation of contemporary Indigenous artists.
According to a senior official at the museum, “This is the cutting edge of art in the U.S. right now. It talks about everything. It’s powerful. It’s surprising. It’s exciting. It’s everything you want to see when you go see an art show.”
A New Generation of Storytellers
The exhibition features a remarkable roster of artists, including Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (Citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation, 1940-2025), Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo, b.1969), Wendy Red Star (Apsáalooke (Crow), b. 1981), Edgar Heap of Birds (Cheyenne, Arapaho, b. 1954), Preston Singletary (Tlingit, b. 1963), and Julie Buffalohead (Ponca, b. 1972). These artists, and others, are not simply recreating traditional forms; they are grounding their work in tradition while simultaneously pushing boundaries and engaging with contemporary ideas.
Randee Spruce (Seneca Nation, Heron Clan), an independent curator who contributed to the exhibition, emphasized this point, stating, “These Native artists are telling their stories. It’s modern-day storytelling through contemporary ideas and contemporary materials.” The works represent a breaking down of the “stereotypical box” of what people expect Native art to be.
Collaboration and Expanding Access
The exhibition’s impact is amplified by a partnership with Art Bridges, a foundation dedicated to sharing American art with communities nationwide. In the summer of 2025, Art Bridges acquired 81 contemporary Native artworks from the John and Susan Horseman Collection, making them available as long-term loans to museums. This acquisition significantly expands the foundation’s commitment to Indigenous art, now comprising one-third of its entire collection.
Featured works loaned by Art Bridges include pieces by Jeffrey Gibson (Mississippi Choctaw/Cherokee, b. 1972), whose 2019 work, ‘Be Witched Bothered and Be Wildered’ – a punching bag adorned with beads and paint – exemplifies the innovative use of materials and challenging subject matter found in the exhibition. Also included are works by Raven Halfmoon (Caddo, b. 1991) and Cannupa Hanska Luger (Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold Reservation, b. 1979).
A Legacy of Collecting and a Shift in Perspective
The Rockwell Museum’s dedication to contemporary Native American art traces back to its founders, Bob and Hertha Rockwell, who began collecting both Western and Indigenous art in the mid-20th century. What began as a personal collection displayed in their department store evolved into a public museum in 1976. While initially known as “The best of the West in the East,” the museum has broadened its scope to encompass a wider range of American experiences.
Spruce highlighted the significance of the collaboration between the Rockwell Museum and a Native curator, stating, “It symbolizes a step forward. It’s important for Native communities to feel like our stories are being shared by a Native perspective. Museums are no longer just telling our stories for us. We’re in the conversation too, which is awesome.”
The exhibition underscores a crucial shift in how Native American art is perceived and presented – not as a relic of the past, but as a vibrant, evolving force in the contemporary art world. The adaptability of Native American art is a key takeaway, demonstrating its continued relevance and innovation. “Native Now” promises to be a landmark exhibition, challenging preconceptions and celebrating the dynamic creativity of Indigenous artists.
