The Minnesota Museum of American Art in St. Paul has opened “Queering Indigeneity,” a new exhibition curated by artist Penny Kagigebi and supporting curator Ben Gessner. Featuring works by 16 queer and two-spirit Indigenous artists, the show includes a birch bark basket by Kagigebi that retells an Ojibwe story about two-spirit ancestors, a glass mosaic by Sharon Day, beaded soundwave portraits by Ryan Young, and an abstract quilt by Delia Touché. The exhibition opens Thursday in the Nancy and John Lindahl Gallery.
The exhibition matters because it centers queer Indigenous voices in a conversation that has often framed them as needing tolerance rather than respect. By placing these artists at the forefront and supporting their professional development, Kagigebi shifts the narrative toward care and cultural continuity. The show also highlights the role of two-spirit people in Native traditions, offering visitors a deeper understanding of gender and sexuality within Indigenous communities.