Maggie Thompson (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maggie Thompson
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Thompson at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2024
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| Occupation | Textile artist  |
Maggie Thompson is a talented Native American artist. She is a textile artist and designer from the Fond du Lac Ojibwe tribe. She mainly creates "knitwear and tapestry" art.
Her artwork often explores her family background and who she is. She also talks about important topics like cultural appropriation (when one culture uses parts of another without respect) and what it means to be truly Native. Maggie Thompson is also in charge of the Two Rivers Gallery in Minneapolis.
Maggie uses many different things in her art. These include photos, bottle caps, and even 3-D printed designs. She often weaves traditional Ojibwe patterns into her work. This helps her show off her Native heritage. She lives in Minneapolis and has her own small business called Makwa Studio. It sells knitwear.
About Maggie Thompson
Catherine "Maggie" Thompson was born in October 1989. She grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her family is part of the Fond du Lac Ojibwe tribe.
Her father was a graphic designer with Ojibwe roots. Her mother is a painter and photographer with Irish and German heritage. Maggie has said that having a mixed background made it hard to figure out her identity. She sometimes felt like she didn't quite fit in.
When she was younger, Maggie loved skateboarding and rollerskating. These activities later influenced her art. In college, she first studied architecture. But in her fourth year, she found the textile program. She "fell in love with fibers" there. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2013.
A year later, Maggie's father sadly passed away. This event deeply inspired her to create art. One of her projects, called Body Bag, came from this experience. She says her parents were her biggest inspirations.
Maggie believes her art can tell a story. She wants people to understand the message in her work. She uses symbols and words to share her ideas. Maggie also challenges what people think "Native art" should be. In 2014, she started Makwa Studio. The name "Makwa" means "bear" in the Ojibwe language. It represents her father's clan.
Maggie's Artworks
Maggie Thompson creates art that tells personal stories and explores her heritage.
- Family Portrait
This artwork has three panels. They show the idea of "blood quantum." This is a way some people measure the "percentage of Indian blood" in a family. The first panel shows her father. It is about 75 percent filled, showing his Native American heritage. The panel for her mother has no fill, as she is of Irish and German background. The middle panel shows Maggie's own "blood quantum." It is less than 50 percent Native American. This means she is "three-eighths Ojibwe."
Maggie made this piece in 2012. It was shown at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It was part of an exhibit called Fresh Water: Contemporary Native Artist from our Great Lakes. Maggie was inspired by her mixed heritage. She often questioned her identity. This artwork helped her explore those feelings. Even though she is less than 50 percent Native American, Maggie identifies as Native American. This piece helped her think about what it means to be "authentic."
- Body Bag project
This project was inspired by the passing of Maggie's father. She saw coroners carrying him away in a plain bag. This made her want to create a bag that felt more hopeful. The artwork is about sadness and loss. It also explores her Native Ojibwe heritage.
This piece was shown at the Freeborn County Arts Initiative. The "body bag" is made of black vinyl. It has a star quilt design sewn onto it. This design uses green, blue, red, orange, yellow, and white triangles. The design wraps around the bag. It is inspired by a star quilt her mother gave her father when they got married. Maggie made this piece to honor her father and say goodbye. The textiles in the art help share a difficult memory and story.
- Assumptions
This artwork is part of Maggie's collection called Where I fit. In this piece, Maggie explores her Native heritage. She also tries to clear up misunderstandings people might have about Native Americans. This artwork uses different materials. It includes bottle caps woven into an Ojibwe design.
Art Shows and Collections
Maggie Thompson's art is part of the permanent collections at the Minnesota Historical Society. Her works have also been shown in many art exhibitions.
Some places her art has been displayed include:
- The Minnesota Museum of American Art
- The McKnight Foundation
- The Minneapolis Institute of Art (in 2015)
- The Plains Art Museum (in 2015)
She has also had exhibitions at:
- Where I fit, All My Relations Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2014
- On borrowed Time, Minnesota Textile Center, Minneapolis, MN
- For Love Alone, Freeborn County Arts Initiative, Albert Lea, MN
- Forgiving our Fathers, My Relations Arts, Minneapolis, MN, 2014
In 2023, her work was part of:
- "Sharing Honors and Burdens: Renwick Invitational 2023", at the Renwick Gallery Smithsonian Institution. This show ran from May 26, 2023, to March 31, 2024.
Awards and Recognitions
Maggie Thompson has received several awards for her art.
- In 2015, she received the NACF Regional Artist Fellowship.
- She also received the Minnesota State Arts Board Cultural Community Partnership Grant in 2015.
