A vibrant mural featuring a central figure with closed eyes, surrounded by abstract patterns, plants, and fish. Above the figure is a shining star, and rays extending from it. Text arches across the scene

Indigenous artists offer perspectives on the art of Chicagoland in new exhibition

by nublockmuseum

Woven Being: Art for Zhegagoynak / Chicagoland to run January 25–July 13, 2025

Zhegagoynak, the place now known as Chicagoland, has long been a vital center for Indigenous art. This winter, The Block will celebrate the region’s Indigenous creativity with a major exhibition, Woven Being: Art for  Zhegagoynak/Chicagoland (January 25-July 13, 2025).

Through the collaboration of four artists with connections to Zhegagoynak—Andrea Carlson (Grand Portage Ojibwe/European descent), Kelly Church (Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Tribe of Pottawatomi/Ottawa), Nora Moore Lloyd (Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe), and Jason Wesaw (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi) —Woven Being explores confluences that continue to shape Indigenous creative practices in the region and beyond.

Chicagoland is the traditional homeland of the people of the Council of Three Fires— the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa—as well as the Menominee, Miami, Ho-Chunk, Sac, Fox, Kickapoo, and Illinois nations. It has been a longstanding cultural and economic hub for Indigenous peoples and continues to be today. People from many Indigenous nations call the region home, and the city of Chicago has the third-largest urban Indigenous population in the United States.

Just as a black ash basket is given form through the interweaving of many splints, Woven Being was developed through an in-depth collaboration with and between these artists and The Block’s project team.

– Jordan Poorman Cocker (Kiowa), Terra Foundation Guest Co-Curator of Woven Being

The richness of Indigenous experiences and contributions are often excluded from Chicago’s art histories. Woven Being counters this by centering the ideas, choices, and voices of Indigenous artists. “The Block was interested in exploring the question: How does our understanding of Chicago change when seen through Indigenous perspectives? This exhibition helps shift views about the place Chicagoans call home by revealing Indigenous stories that have been erased or omitted from mainstream narratives,” said Jordan Poorman Cocker (Kiowa), Terra Foundation Guest Co-Curator of the exhibition and Curator of Indigenous Art at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

A woven sign with the text Native Land casts a shadow on a gray wall. The shadow reads You Are On Native Land.
Kelly Church (Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi/Ottawa, born 1967) Native Land Mat, 2024, White cedar bark, black ash, ribbon, wood, laminated black construction paper. Collection of the artist, Image courtesy of the artist.

The exhibition presents more than 80 artworks by 33 artists active from the mid-20th century to today and includes multiple newly commissioned works. “Just as a black ash basket is given form through the interweaving of many splints, Woven Being was developed through an in-depth collaboration with and between these artists and The Block’s project team,” says Cocker.

This artist-centered approach has resulted in a distinctive exhibition where the artists have shaped a context for their work amid works by other artists of their choosing. “The assignment for us, the organizing artists, was to choose art and artists who’ve inspired our own works. The resulting exhibition locates our chosen artists and artworks as a network of influence that happens to culminate in and around Chicago. Woven Being has tangents, unexpected artists who aren’t even Native, and diverse materiality and forms because artists cast a wide net when it comes to where we draw inspiration,” notes artist Andrea Carlson.

 

A forest scene with green foliage and tall trees, some of which have patterned markings. The image is framed by a black and white border depicting similar trees in monochrome. Text at the bottom reads Papa’s Pine Grove.
Nora Moore Lloyd (Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe, born 1947), Birchbark/Wiigwaas,[recto] 2020. Photograph on fabric, two-sided, 50 x 84, Courtesy of the artist
A diptych featuring two abstract paintings with geometric shapes. Both pieces have pink borders and accents on a beige background. Pink vertical lines are scattered across the lower half of each canvas.
Jason Wesaw (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, born 1974), Neon Sunrise, 2023. Hand-sewn muslin hand-dyed with sassafras bark and Rit dyes, polyester ribbon, copper cones, and artificial sinew, in custom-constructed and painted frame, DIMS. Courtesy of the artist. Photograph by Holly Trevan, 2024.
A pair of high-heeled shoes crafted from woven wicker material, displayed on a flat grey surface. The shoes have a unique textured appearance and earthy color tones.
Lisa Telford (Haida, born 1957) Going Places, 2024 Red and yellow cedar bark Collection of Kelly Church. Photograph by Holly Trevan, 2024.
A vibrant artwork of five blue horses running through a colorful field of flowers. The background showcases shades of purple, and the edges of the image are adorned with a floral design.
Sharon Skolnick (Fort Sill Apache/Lakota, born 1946) Courage is like a wild horse, 2002 Acrylic paint on deer hide Collection of Pam Silas. Photograph by Holly Trevan, 2024.
A collage of diverse scenes, including urban art installations, groups taking photos, and people interacting in city and museum settings. Vibrant colors and dynamic compositions create a lively and engaging visual narrative.
Frank Big Bear (White Earth Ojibwe, born 1953), The Walker Collage, Multiverse #10, 2016 [detail], Mixed media on invitation cards for an exhibition by the artist’s son Star Wallowing Bull, 8 1/2 x 6 inches each, of 432. Collection Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Commissioned by Walker Art Center, , 2018.30.1-432. Walker Acquisition Fund, 2018. Artwork image copyright of the artist and Bockley Gallery, courtesy of Walker Art Center.
A panoramic mural features diverse landscapes and abstract designs, with text spanning across the artwork. The background displays mountains, water, and surreal elements.
Andrea Carlson, The Indifference of Fire, 2023. [installation view] Oil, acrylic, gouache, ink, color pencil, and graphite on paper approximately 46 x 182 inches (overall), 11.5 x 30 inches (each of 24 elements), Gochman Family Collection. ©Andrea Carlson, courtesy Bockley Gallery and JAMES FUENTES
An elderly person wearing a sweater and beanie sits comfortably on a chair in a spacious room, smiling and looking content. Their hands are clasped in their lap, and the background is softly blurred.
Nora Moore Lloyd (Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe, born 1947), Angie DeCorah (Ho Chunk), 2007/2008. Digital photo scanned from original negative, 8×10 inches. Copyright of the artist.
Hanging art installation featuring various elongated, colored objects suspended from the ceiling against a white wall. The objects cast shadows on the wall and floor, creating an abstract and dynamic visual effect.
Jason Wesaw (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, born 1974) Breath of Life…The First Song, 2023. Vintage “Calumet” cans, elm bark, elk hide, and poplar and oak dowels, with harvested cherry, Osage orange, sassafras and twisted wood, copper BB’’s, pebbles, and paint. Collection of Jason Wesaw. Image courtesy of the artist.
Abstract artwork of a mysterious, fox-like creature with vivid colors. It features a bold, red-toned body and contrasting dark background, creating a dynamic and striking visual impact.
Rick Bartow, (Wiyot, 1946-2016) Why He Sings, 2004. Pastel and aqueous medium on paper, 24.5 x 39.25 in. Denver Art Museum: William Sr. and Dorothy Harmsen Collection, by exchange, 2005.61. ©Rick Bartow
An ornate, egg-shaped object with a textured brown and beige pattern and a circular handle at the top. It sits beside a pair of small metallic objects on a plain gray background.
Kelly Church (Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi/Ottawa, born 1967) Looking to the Future—What Would You Choose?, 2024 Black ash, copper strips, size 15 beads, sinew, vial with corn seeds, vial with gold flakes, flash drive with photos Collection of Kelly Church
A colorful totem pole sculpture with three uniquely painted faces, featuring exaggerated expressions and abstract features, stands on a wooden pedestal in a white-walled gallery space.
Jim Denomie (Lac Courte Oreilles band of Ojibwe), Totem, Animal Spirits, 2021. Wood, oil paint, deer antlers, horse hair, found objects, 78 × 32 × 32 in. Forge Project Collection, traditional lands of the Moh-He-Con-Nuck. Copyright Estate of the artist and Bockley Gallery
A black metallic sculpture of a humanoid figure holding a long, curved weapon, similar to a scythe. The figure is intricately detailed, standing upright with a serene expression and elaborate headpiece, set against a plain white background.
Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti), Tracker, 2012. Clay and slip. 22 x 15 x 9 in. Denver Art Museum: Gift from Vicki and Kent Logan to the Collection of the Denver Art Museum, 2016.117A-D ©Virgil Ortiz

Together, the artworks highlight the shared aesthetics, materials, values, communities, and kinship of the interconnected artists.  The themes of land and waterways, kinship with plants and animals, and Indigenous concepts of time likewise connect the exhibition’s artworks and stories. “These perspectives are central to understanding Chicago’s specific cultural landscape. While our focus is on Indigenous artists here, we are also recognizing how they are interconnected with art and artists across the entirety of North America. Woven Being is just one of many stories that could be told about Indigenous art in the Chicagoland region. We want people to walk away recognizing that there’s a lot more to experience and many ways to do that,” added Kathleen Bickford Berzock, exhibition co-curator and Block Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs.

The exhibition is crafted to welcome all visitors while acknowledging that everyone will enter with their own backgrounds and ways of seeing and understanding. “The artists and exhibition team have been thoughtful about framing Woven Being as a gift: art for Zhegagoynak,” said Janet Dees, Woven Being co-curator and former Steven and Lisa Munster Tananbaum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Block. “ The selected art is a gift to the land and to our audiences, reflecting the concept of reciprocity that is central to many Indigenous communities.”

The artists and exhibition team have been thoughtful about framing Woven Being as a gift: art for Zhegagoynak. The selected art is a gift to the land and to our audiences, reflecting the concept of reciprocity that is central to many Indigenous communities.

Janet Dees, Woven Being co-curator

Collaborations and Constellations

Over five years in the planning, Woven Being is rooted in the ongoing dialogue between Carlson, Church, Lloyd, Wesaw, exhibition curators, and The Block’s staff. “I was impressed by The Block’s willingness to create space for curating Indigenous art from a different lens, as well as its openness to collaborative models,” notes Jordan Poorman Cocker. 

The exhibition’s collaborating artists have close ties to Chicago, whether because they have lived in the city or they are from nations forcibly displaced from the area in the nineteenth century. “Chicago is like a center of Indigenous world trade in many ways, both historically and in modern times,” says artist Jason Wesaw. “Our stories are really powerful, and I’m hopeful that people will begin to see and place us in these conversations where we’ve often been invisible.”

Collaborating artists include:

Smiling person with long brown hair takes a selfie in front of a colorful mural featuring abstract mountain and coastal scenery.

Andrea Carlson (Grand Portage Ojibwe/European descent, born 1979) works in drawing, painting, print, sculpture, and video to create vividly intricate imagery that maps the mosaic entanglements of cultural narratives and institutional authority. Her current research involves land narratives, decolonization, Indigenous futurisms, and assimilation metaphors in film. 

A woman with shoulder-length dark hair smiles warmly at the camera. She is wearing a black outfit with a bright blue scarf and blue earrings. The background is softly lit, suggesting an indoor setting.

Kelly Church (Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Tribe of Pottawatomi/Ottawa, born 1967) is a fifth-generation black ash basket maker, as well as a fiber artist, educator, activist, and culture keeper. She learned black ash basketry from her father, Bill Church, and cousin, John Pigeon.

A smiling woman with long white hair and glasses is wearing a dark cardigan over a white blouse. She stands against a plain white background.

Nora Moore Lloyd (Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, born 1947) was trained as a photographer and videographer. She works in multiple mediums to create artworks that document the stories of Indigenous elders and to connect with cultural practices related to harvesting birch bark and wild rice. Nora has been an active member of Chicago’s Native American community for decades.

A person with glasses and long hair, wearing a blue patterned shirt with a gold and blue floral design on the chest, stands against a dark background.

Jason Wesaw (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, born 1974) works in an array of media including ceramics, drawings, and textiles to create abstract works that are informed by the land and relate stories that are rooted in place and the acknowledgment of spirit. He serves as a peacemaker in his community.

The exhibition’s content builds from “constellations” created by the collaborating artists, consisting of their own artwork and historical and contemporary artworks with which they have an affinity. Collectively, Carlson, Church, Lloyd, and Wesaw have placed their work alongside that of  29 primarily Indigenous artists, weaving overlapping stories through dialogue and collaboration. 

In addition to the collaborating artists, exhibited artists include Josef Albers, Rick Bartow, Frank Big Bear, Roy Boney, Avis Charley, Woodrow Wilson Crumbo, Nancy Fisher Cyrette,  Jim Denomie, Jeffrey Gibson,  Teri Greeves, Denise Lajimodiere, Mark LaRoque, Courtney M. Leonard, Agnes Martin, Wanesia Misquadace,  George Morrison,  Barnett Newman, Daphne Odjig, Virgil Ortiz,  Chris Pappan, Cherish Parrish, John Pigeon,  Jason Quigno, Monica Rickert-Bolter, Sharon Skolnick, Skye Tafoya, Lisa Telford, Joe Yazzie, and Debra Yepa-Pappan.

Exhibition Highlights

Woven Being embraces joy, hope, resilience, and the importance of remembering difficult histories. The exhibition highlights intergenerational learning and dialogue, Indigenous languages, and sensory elements including the scent of sweetgrass and the sounds of ricing, pounding black ash bark, and of song.  “From the beginning, we worked together to envision the exhibition as a constellation of stories that included many voices—a space where artworks are grouped in ways that reveal connections and invite discovery. Together, we have worked on an exhibition design that felt welcoming, layered, and alive,” says Dan Silverstein, Associate Director of Exhibitions and Collections and member of the Woven Being planning team.

 The exhibition includes the first large-scale installation by artist Kelly Church, a woven sheltering circle of braided sweetgrass titled Honoring Our Children: Never Forgotten, 2024. Church notes, “Being able to create with the same teachings and materials as my ancestors gives me a connection to my relatives and weaves together our experiences and our voices of the past and present.” 

Other exhibition highlights:

Teri Greeves’ My Family’s Tennis  Shoes features intricately beaded tennis shoes that pay homage to the artist’s mother and the matrilineal heritage passed through generations. Greeves’ work transforms everyday footwear into a symbol of cultural pride and personal history, blending contemporary items with traditional artistry to reflect resilience and identity in modern Indigenous life.

Kelly Church’s We Must Remember Where We Come From,  an intricately woven  basket made with splints from the endangered black ash tree, threatened by the invasive emerald ash borer. The basket contains a vial with a single black ash seed, representing preservation and cultural continuity.

Chris Pappan’s Howageji Nizhuje Akipé (Where the Rivers Meet) utilizes the iconic “Y” shape of the Chicago River to layer distorted portraits, examining the transformation of the region and Indigenous displacement.

Nora Moore Lloyd’s Treaty with the Chippewa reproduces the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, overlaying the treaty’s text onto an image of birch bark. The work speaks to the history of forced removals of Indigenous people, including Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi , from Zhegagoynak and its region, providing a poignant visual narrative of endurance.

Cherish Parrish’s The Last Rose, a black ash basket in the form of a jingle dancer, celebrates the jingle dance tradition as a symbol of healing and resistance. With its finely woven details, the piece emphasizes both the cultural significance and resilience of Indigenous communities.

Frank Big Bear’s The Walker Collage, Multiverse #10, a monumental work comprising 432 individual panels. Each panel is crafted on an invitation card from an exhibition by his son, Star Wallowing Bull, symbolizing the intergenerational transmission of artistic expression. This expansive collage interweaves personal and cultural narratives.

Abstract painting featuring overlapping, multicolored human figures and faces with elongated features. Background elements include stylized faces and geometric shapes in a mix of blue, green, gray, and red tones.

Daphne Odjig’s Entrance to the Lodge, foregrounds Odjig’s legacy as a pioneering Indigenous modernist and Potawatomi artist. This work captures Odjig’s unique approach to Indigenous narratives through modernist abstraction and is a testament to her influential role in Indigenous art history.

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Opening Celebration – Saturday, February 1

Poster for Woven Being: Art for Zhegagoynak/Chicagoland at The Block Museum of Art, Northwestern. Features woven patterns and details event dates January 25 - July 13, 2025, with an opening celebration on Saturday, February 1 at 2 PM.

Woven’s Being’s kickoff event will be held on Saturday, February 1.  The day will include open galleries, hands-on activities, a Community Room welcome, and a 2PM keynote panel conversation with the collaborating artists and co-curator Jordan Poorman Cocker. (RSVP) A free public reception will follow the opening program at 3:30 PM. 

The 2PM keynote conversation will be held in Northwestern’s Galvin Recital hall, overlooking Lake Michigan, and will celebrate the work of Andrea Carlson, Kelly Church, Nora Moore Lloyd, and Jason Wesaw. The artists will address the questions the exhibition raises about Zhegagoynak’s histories, present experiences, and futures.

The opening event marks the first of a series of talks and tours throughout the exhibition’s run. (View Exhibition Events) “Programming for the exhibition will center dialogue and Indigenous perspectives, intergenerational teaching and learning, and celebrate the joy, resilience, and creativity of Indigenous artists across disciplines,” notes Erin Northington, Susan and Stephen Wilson Associate Director, Campus and Community Education and Engagement.

Woven Being: Exhibition Publication

Cover of a book titled Woven Being: Art for Zhegagoynak / Chicagoland. It features logos for Northwestern The Block Museum of Art, Marquand Books, DCF, and University of Washington Press. The background is a subtle gradient of pink and beige.

The Block Museum is publishing an accompanying book that will be distributed by the University of Washington Press. The 160-page multi-authored publication centers Indigenous voices and explores the exhibition’s expansive themes and questions. Forthcoming in Spring 2025, the book will be available midway through the exhibition run to document the installation and represent the constellations of artwork on view in the galleries. (Preorder now)

Following an introduction by the exhibition’s co-curators, contributors Blaire Morseau (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi), Denise Lajimodiere (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe), John Low (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi), and Anne Terry Straus and Jacqueline Lopez expand on the collaborating artists’ contributions from their own disciplinary and personal vantage points,   These chapters are interspersed with poetry and prose, including by Heid Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe), Mark LaRoque (White Earth Ojibwe), and Mark Turcotte (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe), a resource guide focusing on Chicago’s Indigenous-led arts organizations, and installation views of the exhibition. 

The Woven Being publication is produced by Marquand Books, Seattle, and designed by OTAMI, Montreal.

Also on View: Jordan Ann Craig’s first solo Chicago exhibition

Jordan Ann Craig (Northern Cheyenne, born 1992). Sharp Tongue: Used to Cut Deep (2024). Acrylic on canvas, 70 x 70 x 2 1/2 inches. Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University. Julie and Lawrence Bernstein Family Art Acquisition Fund purchase. Image courtesy of the artist and Nicholas Valdes.

Opening concurrently with Woven Being, The Block will present  It takes a long time to stay here: Paintings by Jordan Ann Craig(January 25- April 13, 2025) the first solo Chicago exhibition by Jordan Ann Craig.

Jordan Ann Craig (b. 1992 San Jose, CA) is a Northern Cheyenne artist living and working in Pojoaque Valley, New Mexico.  Craig is known for large-scale paintings, prints, and painting-inspired installations. Her work develops out of an engagement with abstraction rooted in Northern Cheyenne and other Indigenous aesthetic traditions and a dynamic and innovative exploration of color, line, and form. 

Community Welcome and a City-Wide Celebration

The Woven Being exhibition includes a Community Room designed to center Indigenous community and is open to all. This space is dedicated to conversation, reflection, laughter, and learning and will include hosted drop-in hours with conversations and activities related to the themes of the exhibition. 

Colorful promotional graphic for Art Design Chicago. Text: Experience art in your backyard. Mentions 75+ Cultural Partners, 35+ Exhibitions, Hundreds of Events. Website: artdesignchicago.org. Vibrant red, orange, and yellow background.

Woven Being is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities. Including more than 75 cultural partners and 35 exhibitions across the city Art Design Chicago seeks to expand narratives of American art with an emphasis on Chicago’s diverse and vibrant creative cultures and the stories they tell.

“We are deeply grateful to our foundation partners, particularly the Terra Foundation, whose support enabled The Block to embark on an extended period of learning and discovery in the planning of Woven Being. This support allowed us to embrace Indigenous methods of exhibition building—prioritizing collaboration, dialogue, and centering relationships. While we couldn’t foresee where these conversations would take us, we were profoundly moved by the journey, building connections, working styles, and partnerships that will be an essential part of our future,” said Lisa Graziose Corrin, The Block’s Ellen Philips Katz Executive Director

While we couldn’t foresee where these conversations would take us, we were profoundly moved by the journey, building connections, working styles, and partnerships that will be an essential part of our future

Lisa Graziose Corrin, Ellen Philips Katz Executive Director, The Block Museum of Art

The Block is not alone in this work. Over the coming months, a series of powerful exhibitions is highlighting the rich history and contemporary culture of Chicago’s Native American communities. Woven Being is one of a number of Art Design Chicago exhibitions showcasing the breadth and depth of the work of Indigenous artists with ties to the region, including: 

Exhibition Credits

Lead support for Woven Being is generously provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Major support is provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Joyce Foundation, and by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Additional generous support is provided by the Sandra L. Riggs Publication Fund and the Alumnae of Northwestern University.

Woven Being project development is led by a collaborative team:

  • Kathleen Bickford Berzock, Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs
  • Jordan Poorman Cocker (Kiowa), Curator of Indigenous Art, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and Terra Foundation Guest Co-Curator
  • Janet Dees, former Block Museum Steven and Lisa Munster Tananbaum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art
  • Erin Northington, Susan and Stephen Wilson Associate Director, Campus and Community Education and Engagement
  • Dan Silverstein, Associate Director of Collections and Exhibition Management.

The project Terra Foundation Fellows are Marisa Cruz Branco (Isleta Pueblo/Portuguese) and Teagan Harris (Cherokee Nation). The Block is grateful for the participation of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research and its affiliates. For more information about Native American and Indigenous research at Northwestern University visit Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR)

Note: We have used the preferred spelling provided by the artist for the names of Indigenous nations. 

Header Image: Andrea Carlson, The Indifference of Fire, 2023. [detail] Oil, acrylic, gouache, ink, color pencil, and graphite on paper approximately 46 x 182 inches (overall), 11.5 x 30 inches (each of 24 elements), Gochman Family Collection. ©Andrea Carlson, courtesy Bockley Gallery and JAMES FUENTES

Exhibition Details:

Dates: January 25, 2025 – July 13, 2025
Location: The Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University
Address: 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208
Museum Hours: Wed-Friday 12P –8PM, Sat & Sun 12PM–5PM Closed Mon & Tues
Admission: Free and open to the public
Keynote Event: Opening Celebration –Woven Being, February 1, 2PM, RSVP
Media Inquires: Lindsay Bosch, lindsay.bosch@northwestern.edu, [FULL MEDIA KIT]

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