The Gregg Museum of Art & Design at North Carolina State University has opened "Stories Told by Breath: Native American Voices in North Carolina," a group exhibition featuring 15 Indigenous artists from across the state. The show includes works by Lumbee artist Karina McMillan, whose painting "575" commemorates the Lumbee Tribe's recent federal recognition as the 575th tribe in the U.S., and Ashtyn Thomas, whose beadwork also celebrates this historic milestone. The exhibition spans diverse mediums—beadwork, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, and regalia—and was curated with extensive community input to highlight both emerging and established Native artists.
This exhibition matters because it centers Native American voices and contemporary Indigenous art within a major museum context, while also documenting a pivotal moment for the Lumbee Tribe after 137 years of seeking federal recognition. By prioritizing relationship-building with artists and communities, the Gregg Museum models a more inclusive curatorial approach that challenges stereotypical presentations of Native art. The show underscores the vitality of Indigenous artistic traditions and their capacity to address current political and cultural realities, making it significant for both art-world discourse and broader conversations about representation and sovereignty.