Larger Than Memory

The Heard Museum presents a large collection of contemporary art from Indigenous North America.

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PHOENIX, AZ

The Heard Museum in of Phoenix is making history with the largest exhibition of contemporary art they’ve ever organized. The exhibition, titled Larger Than Memory: Contemporary Art from Indigenous North America, features more than 40 works by 24 artists from different nations and communities from the U.S. and Canada.

“Diversity was a big part of what we wanted to accomplish as far as the communities these artists are from,” says Erin Joyce, fine art co-curator, alongside Diana Pardue, chief curator. “There’s also a lot of diversity with the artists’ age ranges and stages in their careers. In terms of the works themselves, it was also important to have diversity in the mediums these artists explore.”

Mediums include painting, textiles, photography, and even soft sculpture that takes form in 10- to 12-foot-tall earrings. In addition, there are large murals, diptychs, sculpture,s and film installations. The museum also received several commissioned pieces made just for the exhibition.