The de Young Museum in San Francisco has unveiled its completely reimagined Arts of Indigenous America galleries, featuring nearly 2,000 objects from across North, Central, and South America. Developed in close collaboration with Indigenous scholars and community advisors, the new installation moves away from traditional chronological or ethnographic displays. Instead, it integrates historical artifacts with contemporary works to emphasize the continuity and living nature of Indigenous artistic traditions across four regional sections.
This reinstallation represents a significant shift in how major American institutions handle Indigenous collections, moving from a framework of historical preservation to one of active cultural dialogue. By prioritizing Indigenous perspectives in labeling and layout, the museum addresses long-standing criticisms of how colonial institutions have historically decontextualized Native art. The project highlights a growing museum trend toward co-curation and the dismantling of rigid boundaries between 'ancient' and 'modern' Indigenous creative expression.