For many contemporary artists, innovation is everything. But for American Indian artists, tradition counts for a lot. So much so that some Indian art exhibitions insist that participants make their work entirely in old-school ways, from the type of clay used in a pot to the style of decoration applied to a moccasin.
Heid Erdrich has other ideas. As the director of Ancient Traders Gallery, a Minneapolis showplace for American Indian art, Erdrich wants to broaden the field. Her current show, “RE: Generations, Legacy & Tradition,” up through Feb. 23, features contemporary beadwork, paintings, ledger drawings, quilts and sculpture by 10 artists who honor the past but leaven their work with distinctly modern sensibilities. full story
