Description

This grant will provide support for the presentation of art by Jeffrey Gibson (b. 1972, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Cherokee descent) in the United States Pavilion at the 2024 Biennale di Venezia–the 60th edition of the international art exhibition and the first in which the U.S. will present a solo show of a Native American artist’s work. For an anticipated audience of 800,000, the installation will showcase Gibson’s vibrantly colorful and patterned works across media which celebrate and advance the visibility of Indigenous and queer people and histories and advocate for a more democratic and empathetic future. The project co-commissioners are Kathleen Ash-Milby (Portland Art Museum), Louis Grachos (SITE Santa Fe), and Abigail Winograd (independent curator). In partnership with the Institute of American Indian Arts (Santa Fe, NM) and Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY), they will develop on-site and virtual programming and convenings connecting Native American and international scholars and knowledge holders, artists, advocates, and students in conversations about the centrality of Indigenous peoples in global histories. 
The project aligns with the AAP strategic goal 1a: To encourage and facilitate the representation of diverse perspectives and the participation of diverse communities within art museums.