This exhibition surveys the artist’s singular vision and signature style over the second half of the artist’s career, from 2007 to 2022. Jim Denomie (Ojibwe, Lac Courte Oreilles Band, 1955–2022) drew inspiration from lived experiences, pop culture, Anishinaabe traditions, and American histories to tell compelling narratives that depict his experiences of being Native in America. Despite the emotional weight of his subject matter, the artist’s dry wit opened space for necessary conversations about the legacies of colonization and the nature of humanity. The exhibition examines Denomie’s creative process, tracing his ability to transform inspiration into monumental artworks.

Jim Denomie: Biography and Selected CV

Jim Denomie (Ojibwa, Lac Courte Oreilles Band, 1955–2022) has exhibited nationally and internationally, including the 21st Contemporary Art Biennial Sesc_Videobrasil, São Paulo; El Colegio del San Ildefonso, Mexico City; Kusthalle Wien, Vienna; Minneapolis Institute of Art; Projek Traum, Friedrichshafen, Germany; St. Patrick Centre, Downpatrick, Ireland; and the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. During his lifetime, the artist received numerous awards, including the Bush Artist Fellowship (2008); the McKnight Distinguished Artist Award (2018); and the National Artist Fellowship, Native Arts & Cultures Foundation (2018). Denomie was awarded a Painters and Sculptors Grant (2015) and selected for the Joan Mitchell Foundation Artist-In-Residence Program (2017) by the Joan Mitchell Foundation.

Denomie’s work is held in numerous private and public collections, including the Denver Art Museum; Forge Project Collection, Hudson Valley, NY; Heard Museum, Phoenix; Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, Eugene, OR; LWL Museum für Naturkunde, Münster; the Minneapolis Institute of Art; the Minnesota Museum of American Art, Saint Paul; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa; Tia Collection, Santa Fe; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; and the Weisman Art Museum, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, among others.