EITELJORG MUSEUM OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND WESTERN ART INC

EXHIBITIONSIN FISCAL-YEAR 2025, EXHIBITION-RELATED PROGRAMMING ENRICHED EACH MAJOR SHOW. FOR ACTS OF FAITH: RELIGION AND THE AMERICAN WEST, AUDIENCES WERE CAPTIVATED BY A LIVE DANCE PERFORMANCE FEATURING JOTI SINGH AND ZENON, BRINGING MOVEMENT AND CONTEMPORARY EXPRESSION INTO DIALOGUE WITH THE EXHIBITION'S THEMES. THE OPENING OF ALFRED JACOB MILLER: REVISITING THE RENDEZVOUS IN SCOTLAND AND TODAY WAS EQUALLY COMPELLING, HIGHLIGHTED BY A GALLERY TALK WITH GUEST CURATOR KAREN MCWHORTER AND INDEPENDENT SCHOLAR GREGORY HINTON, WHO OFFERED INSIGHTFUL PERSPECTIVES ON MILLER'S LEGACY AND THE EXHIBITION'S TRANSATLANTIC CONTEXT.LARGE CROWDS GATHERED FOR RAVEN AND THE BOX OF DAYLIGHT, ESPECIALLY FOR A GALLERY TALK AND PRESENTATION BY SPECIAL GUEST ARTIST PRESTON SINGLETARY (TLINGIT). VISITORS WERE INSPIRED NOT ONLY BY HIS INCREDIBLE GLASS WORK BUT ALSO BY HANDS-ON OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE THE MEDIUM THEMSELVES THROUGH ADDITIONAL GLASS WORKSHOPS OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL STUDIO HOT BLOWN GLASS. THE SPRING EXHIBITION RADICAL STITCH OPENED WITH AN ENERGETIC WEEKEND OF PROGRAMMING THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER TWO GUEST CURATORS AND SIX FEATURED ARTISTS. THROUGH GALLERY TOURS, LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS, AND A LIVELY PANEL DISCUSSION, VISITORS GAINED FIRSTHAND INSIGHT INTO THE CREATIVE PROCESSES AND CULTURAL NARRATIVES EMBEDDED IN THE WORKS ON VIEW.IN MAY, THE NEWLY RENOVATED LILLY COMMUNITY GALLERY REOPENED WITH AN EXHIBITION FEATURING MEMBERS OF THE WATERCOLOR SOCIETY OF INDIANA, UNDERSCORING THE MUSEUM'S COMMITMENT TO LOCAL ARTISTS.THE ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM EXPANDED ITS REACH BOTH WITHIN THE MUSEUM AND THROUGHOUT THE BROADER COMMUNITY. EPHRAIM ANDERSON (NAVAJO), GLENDA MCKAY (COOK INLET REGION ATHABASCAN), AND BOBBY SILAS (HOPI) ENGAGED GUESTS THROUGH DEMONSTRATIONS, CONVERSATIONS, AND WORKSHOPS. THEIR IMPACT EXTENDED BEYOND THE MUSEUM WALLS TO INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON, PURDUE UNIVERSITY WEST LAFAYETTE, THE BONER COMMUNITY CENTER, HAUGHVILLE BRANCH LIBRARY, AND WORKSHOPS HOSTED AT THE INDIANAPOLIS ART CENTER. MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE COFFEE AND CONVERSATION PROGRAMS PROVED ESPECIALLY POPULAR, AND ARTISTS PROVIDED EXCITING WORKSHOPS FOR VISITING SCHOOL GROUPS AND ADULT LEARNERS ALIKE. A BRIEF BUT IMPACTFUL RESIDENCY WITH DANTE BISS GRAYSON CULMINATED IN THE MUSEUM'S FIRST-EVER FASHION SHOW, MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM PARTNERS PURDUE NATIVE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL CENTER AND THE INDIANA NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION. THAT EVENT MARKED AN EXCITING EXPANSION INTO NEW CREATIVE FORMATS AND CELEBRATED INDIGENOUS DESIGN AND EXPRESSION.

PUBLIC PROGRAMSFISCAL YEAR 2025 WAS A DYNAMIC AND DEEPLY ENGAGING YEAR OF PROGRAMMING, MARKED BY VIBRANT EXHIBITIONS, MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUDIENCES TO CONNECT WITH MUSEUM'S MISSION. COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS AND FREE DAYS DREW LARGE AUDIENCES AND STRENGTHENED COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS. THE MUSEUM HOSTED ITS FIRST FREE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY FEATURING PROGRAMMING THAT WELCOMED MORE THAN 500 VISITORS WHILE DA DE MUERTOS FESTIVITIES ATTRACTED NEARLY 4,000 ATTENDEES. SIGNATURE ANNUAL PROGRAMS CONTINUED TO THRIVE AND NEW INITIATIVES EXPANDED THE MUSEUM'S REACH AND BROADENED AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT. THE ANNUAL LEON JETT LECTURE FEATURED MONICA RICKERT-BOLTER, A CHICAGO-BASED VISUAL ARTIST OF POTAWATOMI, AFRICAN AMERICAN AND GERMAN DESCENT. A COLLABORATION WITH THE INDY FOLK SERIES LED TO A KERRY & ASPEN PERFORMANCE AND RELATED SONGWRITING WORKSHOP. FEATURED PROGRAMMING ON FOOD SOVEREIGNTY WELCOMED SPECIAL GUEST CHEF LORETTA ODEN (CITIZEN POTAWATOMI NATION), SPARKING IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CULTURE, SUSTAINABILITY, AND INDIGENOUS FOODWAYS WHILE ENGAGING GUESTS IN A SHARED CULINARY EXPERIENCE.THE MUSEUM ALSO MAINTAINED A STRONG PRESENCE AT COMMUNITY FAIRS AND FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING INDY PRIDE, THE PROPYLAEUM PORCH PARTY, INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL, FIESTA INDIANAPOLIS, KOKOMO POWWOW, AND INDIANA BLACK EXPO.ROUNDING OUT THE YEAR, BOOK CLUB DISCUSSIONS, ARTIST AND CURATOR TALKS, GUIDED TOURS, HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS, AND SENSORY-FRIENDLY EXPERIENCES ENSURED THAT PROGRAMMING REMAINED ACCESSIBLE, INCLUSIVE, AND RESPONSIVE TO COMMUNITY INTERESTS.