COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 28, 2022) — The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC) is pleased to present “Action/Abstraction Redefined” on view July 29, 2022–Jan. 7, 2023.
“Action/Abstraction Redefined” is the first major traveling exhibition that analyzes modern Native American art from the mid-1940s through the 1970s that was inspired by Abstract Expressionism, Color Field, and Hard-edge painting and created by leading artists, including George Morrison (Chippewa), Fritz Scholder (Mission/ Luiseño), and T.C. Cannon (Caddo/Kiowa). These innovative artists explored new ways of artistic expression and challenged stereotypical expectations of American Indian art. Their paintings, sculptures and works on paper were created at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe and in art studios across the nation. IAIA’s revolutionary art approaches encouraged experimentation and risk taking; artists combined New York School art influences with Native art traditions. George Morrison actively contributed to the Abstract Expressionism movement in New York, where he exhibited and was associated with Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and other avant-garde artists of the time. Like Abstract Expressionists, who broke with representational conventions and prioritized experimentation, IAIA artists redefined the concept of abstraction by creating deeply personal works informed by their own traditional aesthetics and art influences coming out of New York. Their innovative works pushed the boundaries of Native art and contributed to the development of contemporary Native Art. Among the artists included in this exhibition are George Morrison (Chippewa); Lloyd Kiva New (Cherokee); T.C. Cannon (Caddo/Kiowa); Fritz Scholder (Mission/ Luiseño); Alfred Young Man (Cree); Linda Lomahaftewa (Hopi/Choctaw); John Hoover (Aleut), Edna Massey (Cherokee), Earl Eder (Yanktonai Sioux); Neil Parsons (Blackfeet); Kevin Red Star (Crow); Redstar Price (Crow); Peter Jones (Onondaga); George Burdeau (Blackfeet); Ralph Aragon (San Felipe/Acoma pueblos); Henry Hank Gobin (Tulalip/Snohomish); Alice Loiselle (Chippewa); Patrick Swazo Hinds (Tesuque Pueblo); Carl Tubby (Choctaw), and others.
“Action/Abstraction Redefined” was co-curated by MoCNA Chief Curator Dr. Manuela Well-Off-Man, MoCNA Curator of Collections Tatiana Lomahaftewa-Singer, and IAIA Associate Professor and IAIA Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts Director Dr. Lara Evans. The exhibition was on view at MoCNA from July 28, 2017 through July 7, 2019. Support for “Action/Abstraction Redefined” is provided by ArtBridges.
Among the works are paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and ceramics, which illustrate the depth and variety of MoCNA’s collection of Abstract Expressionism inspired works from the 1960s and 1970s.
The traveling exhibition is supported by Art Bridges. Among the six museums that will host the “Action/Abstraction Redefined” exhibition are Cahoon Museum of American Art, Barnstable, MA; Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO; Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, PA; Saint Louis Art Museum St. Louis, MO; Schingoethe Center of Aurora University, Aurora, IL; and Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Little Rock, AR.
VISIT THE FAC MUSEUM
Museum free days are offered the second Saturday and third Friday of each month.
The Ladyfingers at the FAC shop is open during regular museum hours with handmade, locally sourced, and inclusive goods paired with a selection of items designed to expand and enrich your FAC experience.
PLEASE NOTE: Exposure to COVID-19 is possible in public places. For the latest information on any COVID guidelines and requirements, visit the FAC website.
ABOUT THE FINE ARTS CENTER MUSEUM
The FAC Museum’s permanent collection of over 15,000 objects showcases the rich history and vibrant contemporary cultures of the Southwest and the Americas, containing works of art from Native America, Hispanic and Spanish Colonial New Mexico, and 20th and 21st-century America.
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College
The story of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC) began with the founding of the Broadmoor Art Academy 1919. A museum, performing arts theatre, and community art school, the FAC is a pillar in the cultural community of the Rocky Mountain West providing innovative, educational, and multi-disciplinary arts experiences designed to elevate the individual spirit and inspire community vitality. The FAC and Colorado College recognize and honor the original inhabitants of the land on which it resides. For more information about the FAC, visit fac.coloradocollege.edu or follow on Facebook @CSFineArtsCenter.
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