San Francisco's de Young Museum will unveil its newly reinstalled galleries of Native American art on August 26, following a years-long overhaul led by a group of predominantly Native curators. The reimagined spaces, called the Arts of Indigenous America galleries, feature contemporary works alongside historical pieces—some over 1,000 years old—as well as recent acquisitions and new commissions. One gallery focuses on Native California with rotating regional exhibits, while another covers all of North America, with ceramics, textiles, paintings, beadwork, and basketry arranged thematically. The museum consulted the communities of origin for historical pieces, as required by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and invited members to help interpret the works.
This project matters because it represents a significant shift in museum practice, centering Indigenous voices and collaborative partnerships rather than a single curatorial perspective. By placing contemporary Indigenous art alongside ancient objects and commissioning new works, the de Young challenges traditional narratives and honors the Bay Area's legacy of Indigenous activism. The reopening also sets the stage for the museum's first solo exhibition by a contemporary Indigenous artist, Rose B. Simpson, signaling a broader institutional commitment to elevating Indigenous art and artists.