Native American Textiles — Photo courtesy of Peabody Essex MuseumThe largest Native American art exhibit in more than thirty years makes its way to Salem, Massachusetts. The Peabody Essex Museum is the fortunate recipient of this groundbreaking display. Allowing around eighty works of art to live within its walls (both from private and public collections), the Peabody Essex Museum presents Shapeshifiting: Transformations in Native American Art. This fantastic display bridges the gap between historic and contemporary. On exhibit from January 14- April 29th 2012, Shapeshifting: Transformations in Native American Art impresses audiences with the bold move to intermingle art and present it thematically.
Atypical of Native American art exhibits, Shapeshifting carves a new path by mingling the past and the present of Native American culture. Tossing old habits aside (like the typical chronological, geographical or medium focused Native American exhibits). Mixing time, place and medium, the show consists of sculpture, painting, ceramics, textiles, photography, drawing, and film. Visitors are able to draw connections between generations of Native Americans.
Shapeshifting is organized into four thematic sections: Voicing, Locating, Knowing and Changing. Each section brings the art to life in a way that allows guests the opportunity to get to know a bit more about Native American culture and how it has changed through generations.
