Cahokia to Contemporary: Native American Arts, Past(s) and Future

The arts of Native American communities demand a primary place in both American and global art histories. The historic depth, variety of cultural expression, and circumstances of the collection, exhibition and interpretation of Native arts continue to demand our careful and critical attention. We are well situated in St Louis to consider both indigenous artistic cultures of our own region, and to observe the vitality of Native modern and contemporary art practice. Key concerns include the artists' relationship to space and place, their presentation of identities, politicized and activist dimensions of their practices, their negotiation of issues of race and gender, and their conscious relationships to both historic traditions and to contemporary culture. With a focus on what's on view in St Louis in 2025, we will examine a works from the Mississippian cultures exemplified by the nearby sites of Cahokia and Sugar Loaf Mound, twentieth-century pottery from the Southwest, historic materials at the Kemper Art Museum, and modern and postmodern works on view by such artists as Fritz Scholder, Edgar Heap- -of-Birds, Juane Quick-to-See Smith, Faye HeavyShield, Wendy Red Star, Rose Simpson, and others. Class field trips to Cahokia and a weekend trip to visit the First Americans Museum of Oklahoma City are funded by a generous CRE2 Rotating Graduate Studio grant. Prerequisites: One 300-level course in Art History and Archaeology, or permission of instructor
Course Attributes: AS HUM; AS LCD; AS SC; FA HUM; AR HUM; EN H; FA AH; BU Hum; BU IS; AH MEA

Cahokia to Contemporary: Native American Arts, Past(s) and Future

AMERICAN CULTURE STUDIES 4745

Section 01