Contemporary Anishinaabe Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts

Works by George Morrison, Jim Denomie, and Maggie Thompson are highlighted in the New York Times by Jane L. Levere on the occasion of Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Curated with an advisory council of Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Potawatomi artists, the exhibition features over 90 artworks by 62 artists, including Frank Big Bear and Star WallowingBull.

George Morrison’s Totemic Column (1995–2024) and Jim Denomie’s Untitled (Totem Painting) (2016) stand side by side at the entrance to the exhibition, greeting visitors before they enter the galleries. Standing at 14 and 12 feet respectively, their monumental forms speak to a lineage of Anishinaabe art making, as Denomie’s work pays homage to the abstracted totemic form employed by Morrison. Beyond the columns, Denomie’s painting Four Days and Four Nites, Ceremony (2019–20) is displayed.

Levere also draws particular attention to On Loving (2022–23) by Maggie Thompson. Composed of three vinyl body bags beaded with star quilt designs, the work was made to honor her father, while also holding timely reference to the loss experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affected Native communities. 

Taken in its totality, the show explores “how contemporary artists connect with Anishinaabe ancestors, teachings, communities, values, stories, future generations and each other,” per the exhibition text. Read additional coverage of the exhibition in Forbes and the Minnpost.