Revealing the extraordinary range of art produced by Native American cultures, Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection features more than 100 outstanding works from one of the premier collections in the country. The exhibition presents an astonishing variety of pieces, including ritual objects, ceremonial clothing, pottery, and basketry. These masterworks provide a glimpse of the diversity of expression found in Native American art, and reflect the importance of the arts in sustaining ancient traditions that still exist today and will endure in the future.

In this video, artist Paula Hayes discusses her early life growing up on a working farm and the importance of nurturance in her work and society.

In this video, Bright Ugochukwu Eke recounts how experiencing the effects of acid rain while working in Nigeria led him to the theme of water in his art. As he explains, “My inspiration as an artist comes from everyday life. As I move about, I experience cultures, people and their attitudes to life in relation to the surrounding earth.”

In this video, Bob Braine and Leslie Reed discuss the genesis of their piece Brick Row Planter, Mayone Woodland and how it is informed by the ecosystem of Murderers Creek, a small tributary of the Hudson that flows through their backyard.

In this video, artists Bob Braine and Leslie Reed discuss their approach to creating Brick Row Planter, Mayone Woodland for the Tang exhibition Lives of the Hudson.

About 20 feet in diameter, Indianapolis Island is a fully inhabitable experimental living structure that examines the daily needs of contemporary human beings. Each summer, the island will be occupied by one or two commissioned residents who are local art students. They will collaborate with Zittel by adapting and modifying the island’s structure according to their individual needs.

New York-based artist Mary Miss shares her latest city-wide project, commissioned by the IMA: FLOW (Can You See the River)? FLOW is Miss’ precedent project for City as Living Laboratory: Sustainability Made Tangible through the Arts (CaLL), a framework developed by Miss and Marda Kirn, Executive Director of EcoArts Connections. CaLL offers a vision for linking the arts with science, urban planning, and education to help us imagine and create cities that redefine how we live our lives, use our resources, communicate, educate, and work.

Lee Ufan: Marking Infinity
June 24–September 28, 2011

Marking Infinity presents the work of artist-philosopher Lee Ufan, charting his creation of a visual, conceptual, and theoretical terrain that has radically expanded the possibilities for painting and sculpture since the 1960s. Lee is acclaimed for an innovative body of work that revolves around the notion of encounter—seeing the bare existence of what is actually before us and focusing on "the world as it is."