Joanna Bigfeather (Western Cherokee and Mescalero Apache)

Joanna Bigfeather (Western Cherokee and Mescalero Apache) is the guest curator of
Native Views: Influences of Modern Culture. She is a respected Native artist, curator and arts administrator.

The former director of the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico and curator of the American Indian Community House Gallery/Museum in New York City, Ms. Bigfeather received a Masters of Fine Arts from the State University of New York, Albany. She has authored numerous catalogs and articles, has served as a fine arts juror for a variety of organizations including the Eiteljorg Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian, and has been recognized for her work with countless awards. Her artwork can be seen in many collections including the Smithsonian Institution, Heard Museum, Brooklyn Museum and Institute of American Indian Art Museum. Ms. Bigfeather brings an artistís eye and understanding and a deep respect for Native artists and their work to Artrain USAís Native Views exhibition. Ms. Bigfeather lives on the La Jolla Indian Reservation in Pauma Valley, California.