We are proud to present this exhibition consisting of a selection of artworks by 19 of the most visually dynamic and critically acclaimed Native American artists working today. While not an exhaustive survey of Native American art, Native Streams features a diverse group of artists exploring a variety of media, styles, and subjects. As Margaret Archuleta comments in her essay in the exhibition catalogue, an important theme of the exhibit is to demonstrate that there is no single artistic strategy adhered to by contemporary Native American artists; to the contrary, a close look at present-day activities reveals a wealth of approaches which resist simplistic stereotyping.

The title itself--Native Streams--points to ways of seeing and thinking about the artists and their artworks. Streams are dynamic, they flow. Contemporary Native Art is not static, clinging without change to the rocks of tradition. This exhibit shows clearly that "authentic" Indian art is not limited just to a recasting of traditional forms of expression.

"Streams" is pluralized to emphasize the fact that there isn't one monolithic North American Native culture. The 19 artists selected for this exhibit represent an array of distinct tribal affiliations. In addition, each artist in the exhibit has also been shaped by a complex amalgam of formal education and the unique experiences of the artist's individual life.

When innovative Native American artists aren't being criticized for not working with traditional Indian imagery, many find themselves being compared to the artistic mainstream, where they are in danger of being relegated to the fringes. Native Streams asks that each of these artists be examined from his or her own aesthetic viewpoint. There is more than one stream, and the power, purpose, and meaning of Native American art should not be measured against and explained solely in relationship to the artistic production of Euro-Americans.

In the past, the creative visual arts of our continent's indigenous peoples centered around utilitarian decoration amd sacred spiritual rites, although each tribal group had its own forms and rites. Among the artists selected for this exhibition, we find an expanded range of goals and styles: some use their art for symbolic expression; some for exploring new concepts of beauty and form; some for criticizing the continuing disempowered status of Indians; and some for urging us to reforge our spiritual connections with nature. The result, we believe, is a gathering of objects and images strikingly elegant and profoundly thought-provoking.