The C.N. Gorman Museum CollectionsRick Bartow, Yellow Jock: Homage to Little Beaver Fry III, 2004. Gift of the Richard E. Bartow Estate & Froelick Gallery.
The permanent collections have grown alongside the C.N. Gorman Museum since its establishment in 1973 to include artworks by Native American, First Nations and Indigenous artists. The Native American and First Nations collections emphasize the museum focus upon contemporary fine art, representing the wide range of media in which Indigenous artists are working today.
Most of the pieces in collections have been created since 1990, with the majority being works on paper, painting, and mixed media. The collection also includes a range of sculpture, ceramics, basketry, and textiles. Earlier pieces include artists who are considered to be foundational in the canon of Native American and First Nations art.
The collections also reflect museum collaborations and relationships with artists globally to include contemporary artworks from Aotearoa (New Zealand), Australia, Samoa, Bali, Peru, Central America and Spain.
Artworks from the collections are regularly exhibited at the C.N. Gorman Museum and through loans to other institutions. The collections have an active role in university teaching and research, particularly within the Native American Studies curriculum.
