Forms of Exchange: Art of Native Peoples from the Edward J. Guarino Collection

This exhibition examined the transcultural dimension of indigenous art - its evolution in response to contact with foreign cultures. From the time that European explorers and settlers first set foot in North America, they began to acquire works produced by Native hands. Native peoples responded to the challenge of foreign occupation in complex ways that are charted in the history of their artifacts. The creative ability of Native peoples to transform new ideas and materials is embodied in the Southwestern pottery, Inuit sculptures and images, and the Iroquois beadwork and baskets displayed in the exhibition. A century ago, scholars and collectors were convinced that Native culture was destined to pass away in the face of "civilization's progress." On the contrary, the works in this exhibition, dating from 1100 AD to the present, demonstrated the enduring vitality of Native aesthetic accomplishment.

The works in this exhibition were but a sample drawn from Mr. Guarino's extensive and wide-ranging collection of Native American objects. Mr. Guarino generously agreed to share them with the Vassar community and facilitated the realization of this project in many other ways. There are works that appeared in this exhibition that were loans to the Loeb and therefore do not appear on this website.