The Denver Art Museum is hosting 'Kent Monkman: History is Painted by the Victors,' a major exhibition of the Cree artist's provocative, large-scale paintings that challenge Western art history through an Indigenous lens. The show, co-organized with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, runs until August 17 before traveling to Montreal in September. It has drawn widespread critical acclaim and emotional visitor responses, with reviewers praising its blend of humor, beauty, and political urgency.
The exhibition matters because Monkman is one of the most influential contemporary Indigenous artists working today, using historical painting conventions to subvert colonial narratives and center Indigenous perspectives. The show's success—evident in both media raves and visitor testimonials—reflects a growing institutional and public appetite for art that confronts difficult histories while remaining visually stunning and accessible. Its co-organization between two major North American museums also signals a commitment to bringing such work to broad audiences.