Traveling exhibition of Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian features works by Native artists

Ricardo Caté, b. 1964 (Santo Domingo Pueblo)
Untitled (Santa Fe Coyote)
Acrylic on canvas
18” H x 22” W
Image courtesy of Addison Doty, courtesy of
the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian

INDIANAPOLIS – A fascinating look at humor, comedy and satire in Native American cultures comes to Indianapolis on Saturday, May 22, when the Eiteljorg Museum opens the new exhibition, Laughter and Resilience: Humor in Native American Art.

Featuring paintings, cartoons, pottery, jewelry, textiles, cultural objects and mixed media, Laughter and Resilience is a traveling exhibition, organized by the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Some artworks from the collections of the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art also will appear in Laughter and Resilience, on view through Aug. 8. Public programs related to the exhibition are scheduled throughout the summer and include virtual talks with some of the exhibition’s artists as well as comedy performances.

“When we saw how the Laughter and Resilience exhibition at the Wheelwright Museum conveyed many layers of humor in Native American cultures, we were committed to bringing it to Indianapolis to engage audiences,” Eiteljorg Museum President and CEO John Vanausdall said. “After the difficult past year many people endured, this thought-provoking exhibition will be a refreshing experience, exploring how the ability to laugh even under challenging circumstances can be a form of resilience.”

Artworks in Laughter and Resilience are organized under four broad themes: satire and parody, whimsy, cartoons and cartooning, and Tricksters. In some Native American and First Nations cultures, Trickster figures are sometimes represented as Coyote, Raven or Rabbit, and they can be mischievous; Tricksters teach parables or engage in clever pranks that help implement standards of conduct in the community. Additionally, some of the exhibited works include parodies or adaptations of symbols from popular culture to poke fun at or comment ironically on life’s quirks.

Among the artists whose works are included in the exhibition are Kathleen Wall (Jemez Pueblo), Frank Buffalo Hyde (Onondaga/Nez Perce), Ricardo Caté (Santo Domingo Pueblo), 2005 Eiteljorg Fellow Harry Fonseca (Nisenan/Maidu/Portuguese/Hawaiian), 2021 Eiteljorg Fellow Steven Yazzie (Diné), and many others.

Heidi Brandow, b.1981 (Diné/Kanaka Maoli)
Cute Monster Series, 2015
Mixed media
10.25” H x 24” W
Image courtesy of Addison Doty, courtesy of
the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian

Check Eiteljorg.org/events for a full lineup of virtual and in-person Laughter and Resilience public programming events, some of which have registration fees. Highlights include:

• May 21, noon: Virtual talk with 2021 Eiteljorg Fellow Steven Yazzie (Diné); register at the website.
• May 29: Laughter Yoga with Christine Eartheart of Joy Potential at 10 a.m., followed by a virtual talk with artist and author Dwayne Wilcox (Oglala Lakota) at 1 p.m.; registration at the website is required for both.
• June 4, noon: Virtual talk with Dorene Red Cloud (Oglala Lakota), Eiteljorg associate curator of Native American art.
• July 7, noon: Virtual talk with 2007 Eiteljorg Fellow Gerald Clarke (Cahuilla).
• July 20, 1 p.m.: Virtual comic book workshop with artist Jason Garcia (Santa Clara Pueblo/Tewa). Registration required.
• July 21, noon: Virtual talk with artist Kathleen Wall (Jemez Pueblo).
• Aug. 6, noon: Virtual talk with Elisa Phelps, Eiteljorg vice president and chief curatorial officer.
• Aug. 7, 6 p.m.: In-person performance by dancer and hip-hop artist Christian “Supaman” Parrish Takes the Gun (Apsáalooke (Crow)).

Additional events are planned; check Eiteljorg.org/Laughter&Resilience or Eiteljorg.org/events for details.

The Laughter and Resilience exhibition is included with regular Eiteljorg Museum admission. Sponsors include Capital Group, Faegre Drinker, the Margot L. Eccles Arts and Culture Fund (a CICF Fund), the Indiana Arts Commission and the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

Fredrick Cruz, b. 1961 (Tohono Oʼodham)
Untitled (Dog with Hat), ca. 2009
White and green yucca, devil’s claw, and beargrass
10.25” H x 8.46” W
Image courtesy of Addison Doty, courtesy of
the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian

About the Eiteljorg Museum
A cultural pillar for 32 years in downtown Indianapolis’ scenic White River State Park, the Eiteljorg Museum seeks to inspire an appreciation and understanding of the arts, histories and cultures of the Indigenous peoples of North America and of the American West by telling amazing stories. Located on the Central Canal at 500 West Washington St., the Eiteljorg is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. It was named one of the USA Today Readers’ Choice 10 Best Indiana Attractions.

Donald F. Montileaux (Oglala Sioux, born 1948)
Fast Food/Super Sized, 2002
Pencil, ink on paper
Gift of Carole Leve Tavel, 2018.21.4

Media Contacts
Bryan Corbin
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317.275.1315
bcorbin@eiteljorg.com

Bert Beiswanger
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317.275.1317
bbeiswanger@eiteljorg.com

Sophia Holt-Wilson
Digital Communications Coordinator
317.275.1388
shwilson@eiteljorg.com