American Indian art has existed for thousands and thousands of years. Some of the most though-provoking, inspirational and influential pieces in history can be attributed to American Indian art. American Indian art takes on several forms, including beadwork, quillwork, ceramics, metalwork, paintings, basket weaving and carvings.
American Indian Art
American Indian art illustrates the culture, lifestyle, religion and environment both past and present. The timeline of American Indian art begins 11-thousand years before the beginning of the common era. Throughout the history of mankind, American Indian art has been a big part of the culture and fabric of the nation. The National Museum of the American Indian was opened in 2004 in Washington, DC. The museum was established to serve as a living memorial to Native Americans and their traditions. Over 800-thousand pieces are American Indian art are on display at the museum.
Native American Artists
Some very notable Native American artists have existed throughout history. In 1877, Edmonia Lewis was commissioned by then American President Ulysses S. Grant to carve his portrait in 1877. Prior to World War One, Angel DeCora was perhaps the most well-known creator of American Indian art. In addition to exhibiting paintings and illustrating books, she also taught art to young students. In the 1920s and 30s, the Kiowa Five or Six gained worldwide recognition for their painting. In the 1960s, performance art grew in popularity. In 2005, performance artist James Luna represented the National Museum of the American Indian at the art exhibition known as Venice Biennale. The event takes place only once every two years in Italy.