The Tread of Pioneers Museum unveils a new exhibit on Wednesday, Oct. 22. “This is Native Art” features the artwork of 26 contemporary Native American artists.
Artist, activist, and author Danielle SeeWalker is the curator of the exhibit which originally opened at the Colorado State Capitol last winter before going to the Golden History Museum.
“We wanted to show that Native art is not frozen in time—it is modern, diverse, and deeply connected to lived experiences today,” said curator SeeWalker.
Press Release from Tread of Pioneers Museum; Oct. 2025.
Tales from the Tread — “Tread of Pioneers Museum Hosts Contemporary Native American Art Exhibition”
Steamboat Springs, CO —On October 22, the Tread of Pioneers Museum will unveil the groundbreaking exhibit, “This Is Native Art,” showcasing the artwork of over 26 contemporary Native American artists.
Curated by artist, activist, and author Danielle SeeWalker, the exhibition originally opened at the Colorado State Capitol last winter as an initiative of the Colorado Creative Industries of the State of Colorado. The project aimed to bring vibrant, diverse, and thought-provoking art into the state’s civic center. After displaying at the Capitol, the exhibit moved to the Golden History Museum this spring, where it concluded this month.
“We wanted to show that Native art is not frozen in time—it is modern, diverse, and deeply connected to lived experiences today,” said curator SeeWalker.
Candice Bannister, Executive Director of the Tread of Pioneers Museum, was in Golden this spring attending the Indigenous Connections Summit, which brought together Native leaders from across the country with cultural leaders from around the state. She was inspired by the summit and the exhibit and inquired about the possibility of the exhibit traveling to the Tread of Pioneers Museum in Steamboat Springs. She has been working with the Golden History Museum, SeeWalker, and Colorado Creative Industries staff since the summit to make that vision a reality.
“Taking the exhibit on the road, from the State Capitol to Golden and then to the Western Slope in Steamboat Springs, underscores the significance and central theme of the exhibit,” said Bannister. “Native voices and experiences are not only an important part of Colorado’s history, but also its present and future. We want to echo this message and showcase these talents and stories first-hand.”
The artists’ powerful expressions demonstrate diversity while weaving a shared view of Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and experiences. As contemporary Native American art gains increasing visibility across the country, this exhibition charts a glimpse into the often-untold stories of Native America and the significance of affirming Native modernism. The exhibit showcases a range of aesthetics and compositions that challenge the narrative of what Native art is and what it can be. These and other contemporary Native artists reclaim narratives, confront historical injustices, and shape a future of self-representation.
“Exhibiting Indigenous art helps to counter the false narratives and misunderstandings that Native history and culture are static by demonstrating Indigenous peoples’ continuous existence, highlighting their resilience and sovereignty, and challenging colonial narratives and stereotypes,” said Bannister. “In this exhibition, Native American communities share their diverse perspectives, stories, and talents, creating spaces of connection and more accurate understandings.”
This is Native Art Featured Artists
Zander Arizona, Jason Barnes, Dante Biss-Grayson, Winter E.R. Brown, Jessica Clark, Laney Cully, Garrett Etsitty, John Gritts, Heather Johnston, Brent Learned, Savannah LeCornu, George Levi, Jaylee Lowe, Paul Lucero, Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand, Megan McDermott, Hattie Lee Mendoza, Timothy Tate Nevaquaya, Sarah Ortegon HighWalking, Loriene Pearson, Kimberly Robertson, Rhonda Shelford Jansen, Mason St. Peter, Angelica Trimble-Yanu, Anna Tsouhlarakis, and Kate Wheeler.
More about Curator SeeWalker:
Danielle SeeWalker is Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta and a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. She is a fine artist, muralist, writer, activist, and mother. Her visual artwork often incorporates mixed media and experimentation, while also incorporating traditional Native American materials, scenes, and messaging. Her artwork reflects her passion to redirect the narrative to an accurate and insightful representation of contemporary Native America while still acknowledging historical events.
Alongside her passion for creating visual art, SeeWalker is a freelance writer and published her first book in 2020 titled “Still Here: A Past to Present Insight of Native American People & Culture.” She is also very dedicated to staying connected and involved in her Native community and has served as a mayoral-appointed City Commissioner for the Denver American Indian Commission since 2019.
*Special thanks to Colorado Creative Industries for their support for this exhibition, and Danielle SeeWalker and the Golden History Museum.