PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Laura Phipps, Associate Curator and Co-chair of Indigenous Artists and Audiences Working Group at Whitney Museum of American Art
1:39:34
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3 min
Laura Phipps presented testimony on behalf of the Whitney Museum of American Art, focusing on their efforts to incorporate indigenous art and engage with indigenous artists and communities. She highlighted the museum's progress in collecting and exhibiting indigenous art, as well as their educational programming and community partnerships.
- The Whitney has increased its collection of indigenous art by over 20% in the past 9 years, now including over 140 works by 43 indigenous artists from 38 sovereign nations.
- Since 2017, the museum has presented 20 exhibitions featuring indigenous artists and hosted 13 unique educational programs focused on indigenous art and culture.
- The museum has partnered with the American Indian Community House and adopted its first land acknowledgment in 2022 after a multi-year process.
Laura Phipps
1:39:34
Thank you, Chair Rivera and members of committee for the opportunity to speak about the Whitney Museum of American Art's work with indigenous art, artists, and community based organizations.
1:39:43
I'm Laura Phipps, associate curator and cochair of the Whitney's Indigenous Art Artists and Audiences Working Group, IAWG.
1:39:51
It's an internal body that was convened in 2017 with members of the museum staff across departments to think critically and collectively about the place of indigenous art in the Whitney's collection and program.
1:40:02
Indigenous art was a field that the museum had not historically engaged with in our program, and one aim of the group since its inception has been to focus on how the Whitney, as an institution dedicated to American art, can address this absence and articulate a way forward.
1:40:16
Alongside our work to build the collection, and organize exhibitions, the ongoing and evolving aim of this group has been to develop programming to pursue various forms of outreach to and engagement with indigenous artists and audiences, to create resources for museum educators and appropriate terminology for interpretation.
1:40:35
So I'd like to share just, briefly some top highlights of, our work together with the committee.
1:40:41
So the group has, as I mentioned, researched work by indigenous artists in the Whitney's collection, built relationships with artists for programming within the museum, and we are working to frame the museum's engagement with contemporary indigenous artists and communities.
1:40:54
Since the Whitney's move to its new home downtown, in 20 15, the museum's collection of indigenous art has grown to include over a 140 works by 43 indigenous artists representing 38 sovereign nations.
1:41:06
It may not sound like a huge number, but it represents a more than 20% increase over the past 9 years, and is an example for us of what focused attention and resources can accomplish, we cannot simply hold them in our collection.
1:41:19
They need to be visible and available to audiences.
1:41:22
And to that end, since 2017, the Whitney has presented 20 exhibitions that include works by Indigenous artists, including notably all 4 of the most recent Whitney biennials, the museum signature exhibition, and has presented the 1st New York Museum solo shows for at least 3 Indigenous artists at different stages in their career.
1:41:40
Further, since 2017, the Whitney has, hosted 13 unique educational programs and special events focused on indigenous artists and culture to share this work with all aspects of our public, and one special partnership has been with, as we've all heard, the American Indian Community House, which has been a community partner through the museum's, Whitney Education Community Advisory Network, WE CAN, since 2018.
1:42:04
And these are partnerships that are sustained and extended.
1:42:06
And a part as a part of that partnership, the Whitney has hosted, H's community gathering since 2018, reflecting this need for space.
1:42:16
And in March 2025, everyone's invited.
1:42:18
The Whitney will host their spring social, which invites the public to engage with the work of this important organization.
1:42:24
The indigenous Art, Artists, and Audiences Working Group at the museum also presents its work regularly to the internal Whitney community through presentations and workshops and has advised Whitney leadership on policy development, including the adoption of the museum's first land acknowledgment in 2022, which was the culmination of a multiyear process of conversation, research, and relationship building.
1:42:45
I will end there and thank the members of the committee for holding this hearing on this topic for, exploring and helping us explore more ways to support the arts and culture of indigenous people in New York.
