Storytellers: The Blackfeet Nation and Charles M. Russell

Storytellers: The Blackfeet Nation and Charles M. Russell honors the reciprocity between Russell and the Indigenous people on whose land he lived and worked. For the sake of focus and clarity, it celebrates Niitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy), and specifically Amskaapii Pikanii (Blackfeet Nation), art and culture. By presenting Niitsitapi objects from the Denver Art Museums collection alongside Russells paintings and sculptures, it offers new insight into this largely unexamined intercultural exchange. This project seeks to answer the questions: What can we learn about Russells life and work when we broaden our lens and redirect our focus to include Indigenous perspectives? And, how is our understanding of the art, history, and cultures of the Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain region enhanced when we follow Russells example of being curious about other cultures and making space for conversation and storytelling?This is the first known exhibition that gives Indigenous art and cult