Lynn Farmer Chief Audience & Engagement Officer j | Official Website
Lynn Farmer Chief Audience & Engagement Officer j | Official Website
The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) is set to showcase the work of Yankton Dakota artist Mary Sully in an exhibition titled "Mary Sully: Native Modern." The exhibit, which runs from March 15 to September 21, 2025, is a collaboration with the Mary Sully Foundation and The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met). It offers visitors a chance to view Sully's unique approach to art.
Katie Luber, Director and President of Mia, stated that "Mary Sully, a groundbreaking Dakota artist, was overlooked by art historians for nearly a century. In the early 20th century, Sully quietly revolutionized Native and American art by forging connections between these seemingly distinct genres."
Philip J. Deloria, Harvard historian and Sully’s great nephew, remarked that "Mary Sully staked a claim to native modernism." Despite working without patronage and largely self-taught, Sully created over 130 'personality prints' that reflect her Dakota heritage and experiences in New York City during the 1920s and ’30s.
This marks the first solo exhibition of her work. Valeria Piccoli from Mia commented on how the exhibition "highlights Mia’s recent acquisitions" and challenges conventional definitions of Native American and modern art.
Among the notable works featured are "Shirley Temple," depicting the child star with Dakota motifs; "Spring," showcasing traditional designs; and other pieces like "Judge Hartman" and "Pavlova," which blend Western art with Dakota traditions.
The exhibition is organized by Mia in partnership with The Met and includes works acquired recently as well as loans from the Mary Sully Foundation. It follows The Met's presentation of her work earlier this year.
Mary Sully was part of a distinguished family including sister Ella Cara Deloria and nephew Vine Deloria Jr., both prominent figures in their fields. Her life has been documented by Philip J. Deloria in his book on her artistic contributions.
For more details about this free exhibition at Gallery 276 or other events at Mia, visit www.artsmia.org.
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