Forms of Exchange: Art of Native Peoples from the Edward J. Guarino Collection examines the transcultural dimension of indigenous art — its evolution in response to contact with foreign cultures. From the time that European explorers and settlers first set foot in North America, they began to acquire works produced by Native hands. Pueblo-made pots served the needs of the Spanish in the Southwest; wampum belts recorded treaties between Whites and the Iroquois in the Northeast; Inuit sculptures were collected by explorers, whalers, and missionaries in the Canadian Arctic. Native peoples responded to the challenge of foreign occupation in complex ways that are charted in the history of their artifacts. European glass beads replaced those made of bone, shell, and stone; imported calico fabrics and American flags stimulated design innovations in various media; the Inuit adopted printmaking — an art form entirely new to them. The creative ability of Native peoples to transform new ideas and materials is embodied in the Southwestern pottery, Inuit sculptures and images, and the Iroquois beadwork and baskets displayed in these galleries.
Linguists often note that Native languages have no word for "art," yet aesthetic decisions inform every aspect of the works in this exhibition. In their original context, Native artifacts were inseparable from use — not meant to be seen in a static setting such as a museum. Moreover, both sacred and non-ceremonial objects reflected a spiritual dimension, and this endures in Native societies. Many contemporary makers describe their creative process as more important than the final product. The goal of all life — including creative endeavor — is to "Walk in Beauty," as the Navajo say. By the late-nineteenth century, however, most Native peoples were thoroughly entwined in mainstream culture, buying mass-produced goods rather than making their own. Concurrently, they increased their production of objects for sale to others. As the market for Native crafts expanded, new category of "fine art" developed, instigated largely by women's efforts. Nampeyo and Maria Martinez, whose works were eagerly sought by collectors, became the first Pueblo potters to sign their creations. Kenojuak Ashevek received institutional recognition and was the first Inuit artist elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Art. Yet despite this evolution toward Westernized definitions and practices of art, a distinctive indigenous identity survives in Native work, sustained by ties to kin and community and expressed through iconography, techniques, and attitudes toward the creative process itself. A century ago, scholars and collectors were convinced that Native culture was destined to pass away in the face of "civilization's progress." On the contrary, the works in Forms of Exchange, dating from 1100 C.E. to the present, demonstrate the enduring vitality of Native art.