The general public is often unaware that there is a huge body of innovative, contemporary American Indian art being produced today. Gifts Given by the Creator is intended to introduce this genre of contemporary art to a broad audience. The viewer will notice incredible diversity, poignancy, and even humor in the artwork, as artists examine their personal and community identities within the framework of modern American society.

Some artists are reinterpreting traditional themes, infusing them with new cultural meanings. Influenced by their ancestors' renderings of great warriors, hunters, heroes, nature, and family, contemporary artists have gone a step further, using their artwork to voice their opinions on social injustices, political issues, sovereignty, and Indian stereotypes.

By providing a platform for the artists to speak, Gifts Given by the Creator helps us to understand that paintings mean different things to different people. As Lipan Apache artist Ikoshy Montoya remarks: “People see different things than I do. And all of it is right, none of it is wrong. Everybody has a truth. You will learn that Indian artists have gone back to traditional art forms to learn about spirituality, love, beauty, sovereignty, and human rights.”

Throughout this exhibit, we witness cultural rebirth, a connection with nature and the land, a struggle for identity, and various other sources of influence, such as family, history, and ceremonies. We also see the effects that United States governmental policies have had on American Indian communities, both past and present.

—Lindsay Jones