Savages and Princesses: The Persistence of Native American Stereotypes

Stereotypes of Native American peoples are ubiquitous and familiar. The exhibition Savages and Princess: The Persistence of Native American Stereotypes brings together twelve contemporary Native American visual artists who reclaim their right to represent their identities as Native Americans. Whether using humor, subtlety, or irony, the telling is always fiercely honest and dead-on. Images and styles are created from traditional, contemporary, and mass culture forms.

The exhibition intends to counteract the disappearance of Native portrayals. It embraces Native Americans’ power to replace stereotypical images that permeate the current pop culture landscape. Recognizing that stereotypes often occur without conscious awareness, the exhibition includes didactic information that explores common stereotypes about Native peoples that are falsehoods, followed by the truths behind them. The exhibition’s artists use the unexpected—humor, emotion, or shock—to encourage viewers to question and challenge stereotypes, even unspoken, unacknowledged ones.

The artists represented are:

Matthew Bearden (Citizen Potawatomi-Kickapoo-Blackfeet-Lakota) mixed media artist, painter, Tulsa, OK

Heidi BigKnife (Shawnee Tribe), jeweler, Tulsa, OK

Mel Cornshucker (United Keetoowah Band), ceramic artist, Tulsa, OK

Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria-Cherokee), mixed media artist, Norman, OK

Anita Fields (Osage-Muscogee), ceramic artist, Stillwater, OK

Shan Goshorn (Eastern Band Cherokee), photographer, Tulsa, OK

Juanita Pahdopony (Comanche), sculptor, Lawton, OK

K. H. Poole (Caddo-Delaware), draftsperson, Oklahoma City, OK

Zach Presley (Chickasaw), collage and digital artist, Durant, OK

Hoka Skenandore (Oneida-Oglala Lakota-Luiseño), mixed  media artist, Shawnee, OK

Karin Walkingstick (Cherokee Nation), ceramic artist, Claremore, OK

Micah Wesley (Muscogee-Kiowa), mixed media artist, Norman, OK

The exhibition was made possible in part by a grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

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Tour Schedule

Savages and Princesses: The Persistence of Native American Stereotypes is touring April 2019 through March 2024. The dates below reflect seven-week exhibition periods. Dates are subject to change; please contact MoreArt@maaa.org or (800) 473-3872 x208/209 for current availability.

  • April 6–May 25, 2019 Willa Cather Foundation
    Red Cloud, NE     booked
  • July 5–October 19, 2019 Tamástslikt Culture Institute
    Pendleton, OR     booked
  • November 10, 2019–March 16, 2020 Johnson County Museum
    Overland Park, KS     booked
  • September 1–October 28, 2020 Seminole Nation Museum
    Wewoka, OK     booked
  • November 10, 2020-January 7, 2021 Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar
    Stillwater, OK     booked
  • January 28–March 16, 2021 Kenosha Public Library
    Kenosha, WI     booked
  • April 6–August 11, 2021 Mississippi Arts & Entertainment Experience
    Meridian, MS     booked
  • September 1, 2021-October 20, 2021 Refurbishment
    Kansas City, MO     booked
  • January 28–March 16, 2022 Memphis Pink Palace Museum
    Memphis, TN     booked
  • April 6-May 25, 2022 Museum at Warm Springs
    Warm Springs, OR     booked
  • June 16-October 20, 2022 Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County
    Moorhead, MN     booked
  • November 10, 2022–March 16, 2023 Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture
    Spokane, WA     booked
  • June 16–August 11, 2023 Annie & Abel Van Meter State Park
    Miami, MO     booked
  • September 1–October 20, 2023 Misericordia University
    Dallas, PA     booked
  • November 10, 2023–January 7, 2024 Museum Center at 5ive Points
    Cleveland, TN     booked
  • January 28–March 16, 2024 Forsyth Galleries
    College Station, TX     booked

Exhibition Details

including 32 works of art by twelve artists

  • Content

    Fee Includes
    Press Kit
    Registrar’s Packet
    Programming Guide
    Gallery Guide
    Text Panels
    Narrative Labels
    Full Insurance
    Installation Instructions
    Custom-Designed and Built Crates

  • Curated By

    ExhibitsUSA, based on an exhibition curated by America Meredith, Cherokee Nation artist and arts writer

  • Organized By

    108|Contemporary, Tulsa, OK

  • Out-of-Region Rental Fee

    $6500

  • In-Region Rental Fee

    $3900

  • Duration

    7-week display

  • Shipping

    Fine Art

  • Running Feet

    85

  • Square Feet

    275

  • Security

    Moderate D

  • Number of Crates/Total Weight

    7 crates/TBD

  • Insurance

    The exhibition is fully insured by ExhibitsUSA at no additional expense to you, both while installed and during transit.