Exhibitions

Despite centuries of outside influence, the Native People of New York State are culturally and governmentally distinct and today remain deeply proud of this designation. While language, values, ceremony, and physical territory unite and define these communities, their most accessible expressions are found in the fine and traditional arts.

Recent acquisitions to the New York State Museum’s Contemporary Native American Art Collection from the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Tuscarora, and Shinnecock Nations include beadwork, basketry, painting, sculpture, and ceramics. Together, they weave an inspiring story of adaptation, resiliency, community, and investment in the future.