Indian Theater: Native Performance Art Exhibition Opens at SITE SANTA FE in 2026
Beginning June 5, 2026, SITE SANTA FE in Santa Fe, New Mexico, will present 'Indian Theater: Native Performance, Art, and Self-Determination since 1969.' This exhibition, curated by Candice Hopkins, a member of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation and the Executive Director and Chief Curator of Forge Project, marks its return to New Mexico following a tour across the Northeastern US and Canada. It is the first significant exhibition to highlight performance as a foundational element of contemporary Native art, exploring artistic innovation from the late 1960s, a time characterized by political activism, a revival of Indigenous aesthetic traditions, and a reaffirmation of identity and self-determination, anchored in the critical year of 1969.
Key facts
- Exhibition opens June 5, 2026 at SITE SANTA FE in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- Curated by Candice Hopkins, citizen of Carcross/Tagish First Nation.
- Hopkins is Executive Director and Chief Curator of Forge Project.
- The exhibition marks a homecoming to New Mexico after a tour in the Northeastern United States and Canada.
- It is the first major exhibition to position performance as an origin point for contemporary Native art.
- Traces a lineage of artistic experimentation from the late 1960s.
- The late 1960s were defined by political activism, renewed engagement with Indigenous aesthetic traditions, and reassertion of identity and self-determination.
- The exhibition is grounded in a pivotal moment in 1969.
Entities
Artists
- Candice Hopkins
Institutions
- SITE SANTA FE
- Forge Project
- Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)
Locations
- Santa Fe
- New Mexico
- United States
- Canada
- Alcatraz