11/09/2026
Throughout November we’ll be highlighting artwork by Native artists in our collection in recognition of Native American Heritage Month. Each week, we’ll feature an artwork acquired through our Native art juried exhibition, "Contemporary Indigeneity." To learn more about "Contemporary Indigeneity 2027" and to apply, visit our website.
In her work, Mona Cliff engages with issues of Native American identity and generational knowledge, utilizing beadwork and fabric appliqué as her primary media. Artworks like "Past/Presence/Future," which was included in "Contemporary Indigeneity 2022," combine traditional Native practices—like beadwork—with contemporary subject matter. On "Past/Presence/Future," the artist states, “The title encompasses all aspects of this work and is reflective of the present world we face, where we came from, who we came from—for is not just for the future. Our ancestors were Indigenous futurists, we were always in their prayers and now we walk with our future generations in mind.”
Artwork:
Mona Cliff
Gros Ventre (Aaniiih) tribe (enrolled), Ft. Belknap, MT/Assiniboine/Cayuse
"Past/Presence/Future," 2020
Gas mask, seed beads, smoked brain-tanned hide, acrylic paint, Oklahoma red dirt, and matte medium
41 1/2 x 10 x 5 inches
Museum purchase through the generosity of Lincoln Community Foundation and BNSF Railway Foundation, 2022.0002.0001
© Mona Cliff. Courtesy of Mona Cliff.
