An exhibition of Navajo (Diné) weavings from the collection of the late artist Frank Stella opens on 15 May at Peter Pap Rugs at Arader Galleries in New York City, running until 10 June. The show features 40 weavings from the 19th and early 20th centuries, acquired by Stella over four decades for their optical effects and resonance with his own work. Organized by dealer Peter Pap in collaboration with Stella’s widow Harriet McGurk, the exhibition also includes geometric drawings by Stella from the 1960s, on loan from the Frank Stella Estate.
This exhibition matters because it reveals a lesser-known aspect of Stella’s collecting practice, placing him within a lineage of major artists—including Donald Judd, Andy Warhol, and Georgia O’Keeffe—who collected Navajo textiles. It also highlights the enduring appeal of Navajo weavings as undervalued art forms, with strong demand from both collectors and general buyers. The show underscores the cross-cultural dialogue between modernist abstraction and Indigenous weaving traditions, a connection Stella himself explored.