The Phoenix Art Museum has received a major gift of 185 artworks by Indigenous artists from the William P. Healey Collection of Native American Art. The collection includes works by Cara Romero, Allan Houser, and Jaune-Quick-to-See Smith. To celebrate, the museum will open an exhibition titled “The Way We Came: A Century of Indigenous Art (The William P. Healey Collection at Phoenix Art Museum)” in August, featuring over 100 of the newly acquired pieces and running through July 2027. The show is curated by Dr. JoAnna Reyes and artist Tony Abeyta, and centers on the concept of “survivance,” a term coined by scholar Gerald Vizenor that blends survival and resistance.
This gift is significant because it addresses a critical gap in the museum’s holdings and advances its commitment to telling a more expansive story of the Americas. By honoring the enduring influence of Native artists in the Southwest and across North America, the acquisition underscores the essential role of Indigenous art in shaping modern and contemporary art. The exhibition’s focus on “survivance” also highlights the resilience and creativity of Indigenous peoples, offering a vital narrative that has often been marginalized in mainstream art institutions.