Coming soon: A self-guided tour exploring the Indigenous artwork featured within the collection.

A university art collection should reflect the complexity of the world around us. It should encompass diverse people, perspectives, cultures, and lived experiences, creating a body of knowledge that can be continually reconsidered through contemporary eyes. Art invites us to look beyond aesthetics and ask deeper questions about identity, authority, ownership, ethics, and whose stories are represented.

Under the guidance of Curator Marria Thompson, intentional efforts have been made to broaden the perspectives represented in the University’s permanent collection and deepen its connection to the cultural histories and contemporary artistic practices of the region. There is always more work to be done, but we are pleased to announce the recent acquisition of artworks by prominent Indigenous artists, many of whom share ties to the lands Minnesota occupies.

These artworks will be displayed alongside Indigenous works acquired through the University’s exhibition program, as well as previously unseen works from the permanent collection. Together, they will bring new perspectives and moments of visual interest to spaces across the St. Paul campus later this fall.

Among these new acquisitions are works by Dyani White Hawk, Andrea Carlson, George Morrison, Star Wallowingbull, and others.

Support our work by giving to the University Art Collection today!