A new exhibit at the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum in Palm Springs is on display starting Saturday, Oct. 3, which showcases 20th century Indigenous art history.
"A Beauty That Endures: Native Painting, Ritual, and Resilience in the 20th Century" was curated by Tony Abeyta (Diné/Navajo). The exhibit features more than 50 paintings by artists from 16 tribal nations across the United States. Much of the art has never been on display to the public before, and the works come from the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma.
The exhibition will be on view to museum guests through Sunday, May 30, 2027.
Housed in one room in the museum, "A Beauty That Endures" spans the first half of the 20th century, which was a formative period in Native
American art history, according to a press release. During that time, "Indigenous artists transformed inherited artistic traditions into a new visual language that responded to sweeping political, cultural, and social change. Working during an era shaped by federal assimilation policies, boarding schools, Christian missions, relocation, and military service during World War II, these artists negotiated the complex realities of modern life while remaining deeply rooted in the ceremonial, philosophical, and aesthetic traditions of their respective communities."
Several pieces depict rituals, such as a wolf dance or the Southern Cheyenne Sun Dance or the Great-Medicine Lodge Ceremony, and other significant cultural symbols. As a result, photography and videos are not allowed inside the exhibit.
Artists from California, Oklahoma, Florida and the Southwest are spotlighted, as well as their journeys. One of them is Bonita Wa Wa Calachaw Nunez, who was born near the desert town of Valley Center and was later separated from her culture when she was adopted by a New York City woman. Her paintings became a way for her to remain close to her heritage, with much of her work displaying expressive portraits of Indigenous women.
For more information, visit accmuseum.org.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com, on X @ema_sasic or on Instagram @emasasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Agua Caliente opens rare Indigenous art exhibit in Palm Springs
