Native American Art Galleries

The design of the Native American Galleries brings to fruition the Museum’s long-standing efforts to illuminate the importance of Native artistic traditions, and the significant role these traditions have played in the development of our nation’s cultural identity.

The collection is arranged according to seven geographic areas: Woodlands, Plains, Southwest, Plateau, California and the adjacent Great Basin, Northwest and Arctic. The design of galleries demonstrates departure from the neo-classical details of the original building, instead focusing on clean, modern details with a material palette that exudes richness and depth to place emphasis on the collection itself.

The Israeli Greige Limestone flooring and base create a monolithic field on which glass cases provide a setting for vibrant works of Native art. Designed, constructed, and installed by the renowned casework fabricator Goppion in Milan, the large expanses of glass provide an uninhibited view of the collection and allows the bright and colorful work of one Native culture to be viewed through the lens of another.