The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is hosting "Storywork: The Prints of Marie Watt from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation," an exhibition running through June 21. It features over 60 works by Marie Watt, an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation's Turtle Clan, including prints, monumental blanket stacks, hanging textiles, and small-scale sculptures. The show is drawn from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer, a top 200 collector recognized by ARTNews, whose foundation has supported more than 180 exhibitions and loaned works to over 130 museums at no cost.
This exhibition matters because it exemplifies a growing museum trend of fostering dialogue between artists and collectors who prioritize public engagement over private accumulation. Watt's work addresses the entangled histories of colonizer and colonized, offering visitors a chance to understand Indigenous perspectives and contemporary Native identity. Schnitzer's model of philanthropy—lending works freely and producing scholarly publications—challenges the stereotype of aloof collectors and underscores art's role as a public good to inspire, teach, and enlighten.