Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art facts for kids
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Established | 1989 |
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Location | White River State Park, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
Type | Art museum |
Visitors | 114,488 (2019) |
Public transit access | ![]() ![]() |
The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is a cool art museum located in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. It's a special place that shows off amazing art from both Native American cultures and the American West. A kind businessman named Harrison Eiteljorg (who lived from 1903 to 1997) collected much of this art. The museum is known for having one of the best collections of modern Native art anywhere!
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Exploring the Eiteljorg Museum
The Eiteljorg Museum is found in White River State Park in Indianapolis. This park is also home to other fun places like the Indiana State Museum. Visitors to the Eiteljorg Museum can even park for free in the park's underground garage.
Western Art Collection
The museum has a gallery called the Gund Gallery. Here, you can see many paintings and bronze sculptures. Famous artists like Frederic Remington and Charles Russell have their works displayed. You'll also find art by George Winter, Thomas Hill, and Albert Bierstadt. Another part of the museum features a large collection of art from New Mexico. This includes pieces by Joseph Henry Sharp and even Georgia O'Keeffe.
Museum Expansion and Modern Art
In 2005, the museum got much bigger! It added three new galleries, a café, and an education center. This expansion doubled the space for visitors. Two of the new galleries are all about modern art. This collection includes works by artists such as T. C. Cannon and Andy Warhol. The third new gallery is the Gund Gallery of Western Art. It holds 57 pieces of traditional Western art, all donated by the George Gund Family.
Award-Winning Architecture
In 2021, a group of architects in Indianapolis chose the Eiteljorg Museum as one of the top ten most important buildings built in the city since World War II. This shows how special and well-designed the museum's building is!
Eiteljorg Art Fellowship
The Eiteljorg Museum also has a special program called the Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship. This award is given every two years to some of the most creative and important modern Native artists. It helps recognize their amazing talent and contributions to the art world.
Some of the artists who have received this fellowship include:
- Rick Bartow (Wiyot), a painter and mixed media artist.
- Julie Buffalohead, (Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma), a painter.
- Nicholas Galanin, (Tlingit/Unangax), an installation artist.
- Jeffrey Gibson, (Mississippi Band Choctaw/Cherokee), a painter and installation artist.
- James Lavadour, (Walla Walla), a painter.
- Shelley Niro, (Six Nations of the Grand River Mohawk), a photographer and filmmaker.
- Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, (Salish-Kootenai), a printmaker and mixed media artist.
- Kay WalkingStick, (Cherokee Nation), a painter.