Dreaming our Futures: Ojibwe and Ochethi Sakowi? Artists and Knowledge Keepers

Dreaming Our Futures is a beautiful collection of art and life stories of regional Native painters, primarily Dakota and Ojibwe, who live in the Midwest or have family or tribal connections. The volume presents full-color reproductions of art by each painter, along with bilingual artist statements, biographies, and essays on the representation of Indigenous people in historical context, storytelling, and the creative process, and scholarship on several specific artists. The exhibition at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery in 2024 will accompany the book.

Format: Hardback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 16 January 2024
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

Dreaming Our Futures is a captivating collection that showcases the art and life stories of regional Native painters, primarily from the Dakota and Ojibwe communities, who reside in the Midwest or have deep connections to this region. The exhibition features twenty-eight talented artists, representing a diverse range of generations, professional experiences, and artistic genres. From traditional to historical, contemporary to conceptual themes, these artists offer a rich tapestry of artistic expressions. The volume includes full-color reproductions of each artist's work, accompanied by bilingual artist statements, biographies, and insightful essays that explore the representation of Indigenous people in historical context, storytelling, the creative process, and scholarship on specific artists.

One of the featured artists, Grand Portage Ojibwe artist George Morrison, expressed his perspective on his art: "I have never tried to prove that I was Indian through my art. Yet, there may remain deeply hidden some remote suggestion of the rock from which I was hewn, the preoccupation with the textural surface, the mystery of the structural and organic element, the enigma of the horizon, or the color of the wind." The variety of images painted by this collective of artists demonstrates the enduring vitality and dynamic nature of Indigenous painting traditions.

Dreaming Our Futures is accompanied by an exhibition at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery in 2024, in partnership with the George Morrison Center for Indigenous Arts at the University of Minnesota. This exhibition will provide a platform for these artists to showcase their talents and contribute to the ongoing dialogue about Indigenous art and culture.

The artists featured in Dreaming Our Futures are:

Frank Big Bear
David Bradley
Awanigiizhik Bruce
Andrea Carlson
Avis Charley
Fern Cloud
Michelle DeFoe
Jim Denomie
Patrick DesJarlait
Sam English
Carl Gawboy
Joe Geshick
Sylvia Houle
Oscar Howe
George Morrison
Steven Premo
Rabbett Before Horses Strickland
Cole Redhorse Taylor
Roy Thomas
Jonathan Thunder
Thomasina Topbear
Moira Villiard
Kathleen W.

Weight: 907g
Dimension: 298 x 248 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517914974