The exhibition, Reflections of Venice, March 6–26, 2025, captures the essence of the transformative experience IAIA students, mentors, and staff had while exploring Venice, Italy’s rich artistic and cultural landscape during the IAIA Venice Indigenous School in Summer 2024.

Mirrors, glass, and the waterways that weave through Venice serve as metaphors for reflection—capturing the essence of our students, their aspirations, their heritage, and the future they carry within them. The exhibition explores reflection, history, and identity themes, offering a visual dialogue between past and present.

This immersive exhibition follows the Institute of American Indian Arts’ (IAIA) groundbreaking Venice Indigenous School, held in conjunction with artist Jeffrey Gibson (Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent)—the first solo Indigenous artist to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale. Gibson’s remarkable exhibition, the space in which to place me, served as a catalyst for students and mentors to engage with the international contemporary art world while maintaining a deep connection to ancestral histories and Indigenous memory. During the week-long program, participants attended lectures by international Indigenous guest speakers, toured Venice with local experts, and participated in public programs at the historic U.S. Pavilion.

The resulting works—created by IAIA’s MFA in Studio Arts (MFASA) classes of 2025 and 2026, mentors, undergraduates, and staff—embody a dialogue between past and present, interweaving traditional materials, lived experiences, and modern artistic practices. These pieces testify to the transformative impact of cross-cultural collaboration and experiential learning, reflecting both the vibrancy of Venice and the students’ own evolving perspectives as future Indigenous leaders in the arts.

Reflections of Venice celebrates the resilience, creativity, and visions that emerged from IAIA’s time in Venice, offering viewers a glimpse into a journey shaped by Indigeneity, contemporary art innovation, and the enduring power of community.

The opening reception takes place on Thursday, March 6, 4–6 pm, in the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery in the Academic building on the IAIA campus.