A Conversation with Kathleen Ash-Milby
Jason Lujan
Katheen Ash-Milby is the staff curator at the American Indian Community House Gallery in New York City. The AICH Gallery is non-profit, is the only Native American owned and operated art gallery/museum in New York City. The gallery presents a minimum of four exhibitions each year and presents artist lectures and forums on contemporary Native arts and issues,
Jason: Hi!
Kathleen: Hey, Jason.
J: So you’re not from New York. Where are you from originally, and where did you study?
K: I’m Navajo. I was born in Albuquerque, and from there lived several different places before moving East. I received my B.A. in art history in Seattle, and then earned my Masters degree in Native American Art History back in Albuquerque. My thesis was about 19th Century plains feather headdresses; very conservative.
J: How did you make the jump from historical art and artifacts to contemporary art?
K: I was interested in contemporary art from the beginning, but I didn’t think I was ready to get into it. At that time, and in that location, it was too political an environment for contemporary Native art.
J: You’re talking about the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.1
K: Yeah. It all started in New Mexico.
J: So how did you start curating?
K: I moved to New York, and started at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian as a curatorial research assistant in 1993. I helped out with a variety of exhibitions there. During that time I kept thinking about contemporary art, pursuing and researching it when I could, and when I left the museum in 1999 I started working as a freelance curator. I guest-curated some shows here at the AICH Gallery, I did one at the University of Wisconsin, and some consulting at places like the Rockwell Museum of Western Art in Corning, NY and I’m now consulting with the NMAI again; I assisted with the Spirit Capture photography exhibition. And, of course, I’m currently the Staff Curator and Co-Director of the AICH Gallery.
J: Besides curating your own exhibitions at the AICH Gallery, you also receive and manage proposals for guest-curators.
K: Yes. It’s so important to us to be a venue not only for Native artists, but also for other people in the field to have opportunities for expression. The gallery has been around in some form or another since 1979, in several different locations. We’re more than just a space, we’re a resource for Natives nationwide.
J: Let’s talk about art. How would you assess the current Contemporary Native Arts scene, and are there any general or conscious movements you’re seeing as a curator?
K: Since the Quincentenary in 1992 (re: celebrating the Discovery of America in 1492) there has been an explosion in recognition of Native artists in this hemisphere. A lot of artists came to the forefront because of opportunities that emerged during that time. But then there was a lull, mostly because one tended to see a lot of the same work by the same artists. Now larger institutions are beginning to show interest in newer artists, and many of those artists who’ve emerged recently have been able to escape certain constraints… they’re able to be more individualistic in their art. Some artists who are Native don’t even want their ethnicity mentioned, and it’s a realistic possibility for them to thrive as artists, whereas before they would have been forced to identify with a group or with traditional iconography like eagles and feathers.
J: What cultural assets do American Indians have to contribute to the Culture? Especially in New York, where there are already so many different cultures to draw from and experience.
K: We can’t relegate American Indian Art as irrelevant or non-existent within the American Art process. It’s a mistake to ignore it, just like it’s a mistake to ignore Native history in American history. I think the Native world-view has a quality that a lot of people can relate to in terms of exploring identity in modern society. You don’t have to know about the Native culture in order to appreciate the aesthetic value of the art.
J: Let’s go back to the American Indian Arts and Craft Act. How has it influenced your ability to work with artists, and has it affected your strategy for future development?
K: It used to intimidate me, all the political infighting that was around early in my career. But since then I can’t say it has. I continue to pursue the artists that I’m interested in. I know a lot of institutions that work with Native artists are starting to deal with this issue again, and they’re choosing to follow their own ideas rather than let this dictate what they can and can’t do.
J: Do you have any advice for beginning artists aspiring to a successful career?
K: I think something that’s really important that a lot of young artists don’t think about, early in their career, is documenting their work. As you find success, people become really interested in seeing how your work evolved, and it can make a great resource for future researchers. As far as professional advice: be a professional! It’s a job, and it’s important to be organized, make contacts, and be active in the Native Art world. If you’re responsible, you’ll find there are a lot of opportunities.
The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-644) is a truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation in marketing of Indian arts and crafts products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States.
Under the Act, an Indian is defined as a member of any federally or State recognized Indian tribe, or an individual certified as an Indian artisan by an Indian tribe. If an individual cannot furnish proof of membership in a Federally recognized tribe, then that person may be found in violation. Artists, while being of direct Native descent, yet who do not have Federal recognition, cannot legally publicize themselves as American Indian artists or participate in certain career opportunities.
