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Native Now: Contemporary Indigenous Art at The Rockwell Museum

From January 24, 2026 to May 11, 2026

Location: Spotlight Gallery (Floor 1M)

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In celebration of The Rockwell Museum’s 50th Anniversary and in recognition of America 250, we are proud to present Native Now—a bold, timely exhibition showcasing 25 years of Contemporary Native American Art from The Rockwell’s permanent collection. 

Hayden Haynes (Onödowa’ga:’ (Seneca Deer Clan) Kiowa, Mvskoke, b. 1983), Pretendian, 2024, moose and white tail deer antler, marine shell, wood, quartz, red acrylic, black glass, leather dye, stove polish, and enamel paint, 5 ½ x 2 in. Museum Purchase with the Bob and Hertha Rockwell Deaccession Fund in honor of The Rockwell Museum Ambassadors. 2024.9.

Jaune Quick-To-See Smith (Native American; Flathead, 1940-2025), NDN (for life), 2000, Mixed media on canvas, 72 × 48 in. Gift of Joanna Wurtele. 2000.13. The Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY.

Sarah Sense (Chitimacha/Choctaw, b. 1980), Lone Ranger and Tonto with Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull, 2018, woven archival inkjet prints on bamboo paper, 32 x 48 in. Museum Purchase with Funds Donated by Mary Spurrier. 2024.12. The Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY.

Teresa Baker (Mandan/Hidatsa, b. 1985), Yellow Prairie Grass, 2023, acrylic, yarn, willow and buckskin on artificial turf, 38 x 75 in. Museum Purchase with the Bob and Hertha Rockwell Deaccession Fund. 2024.3. The Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY.

Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo, b.1969), Ancient Elder Figure / Pueblo Revolt 1680 / 2180 Series, 2012, polychrome ceramic, 20 × 7½ × 2 in. Purchased with Funds from the Silver Dollar Society in memory of Bryan J. Lanahan. 2014.6.1 © Virgil Ortiz. The Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY.

Wendy Red Star (Apsáalooke (Crow), b. 1981), Catalogue Number 1950.76 from “Accession” Series, 2019, pigment print on archival paper, 28 x 18 in. Clara S. Peck Fund. 2021.2.15. The Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY.

Featuring powerful works by artists such as Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Virgil Ortiz, Wendy Red Star, Sarah Sense, Hayden Haynes, and many more, Native Now centers Indigenous perspectives and honors the past, present, and future of Native creativity. With works ranging from painting and photography to sculpture and installation, this dynamic exhibition affirms the continued vitality of Native voices in American art today. 

Organized into three themes—Indigenous Landscape, Past/Future, and Thrivance—Native Now explores connections to land, identity, memory, and possibility. Visitors will encounter artists who draw deeply from cultural traditions while pushing boundaries through humor, innovation, and resistance. The exhibition explores the concept of “thrivance,” a term that builds on “survivance” to describe the flourishing of Native culture and art in the present moment. 

Through a partnership with Randee Spruce (Seneca Nation, Heron Clan), Curator at the Seneca Iroquois National Museum, and with support from Art Bridges, Native Now brings together some of the most compelling Native artists working today. 

Don’t miss this major milestone exhibition at The Rockwell Museum—a powerful and celebratory look at what it means to be Native now.