Choice Review

A century ago, the Denver Art Museum leadership committed to building a world-class collection of North American Indigenous arts. Over the decades, the museum strategically acquired a broad range of Indigenous arts spanning time, geography, tribal traditions, and media, emphasizing aesthetic quality rather than ethnological import. The result is a collection of approximately 18,000 Indigenous artistic pieces recognized nationally and internationally. Here Now celebrates and testifies to the expressive and aesthetic achievements among various Indigenous peoples of North America. The catalogue is organized by region to provide historical and cultural context to artistic styles and traditions. Included are notable artworks that explore the arts of the Plains, the Southwest, California, the Plateau and Great Basin, the Northwest Coast, Alaska, circumpolar Canada, the Northeast, the Great Lakes, Eastern Woodlands, and the Southeast. The lavish illustrations capture not only the collection's evolution but also the depth and breadth of artistic traditions that embody historical and lived experiences of Indigenous lifeways and cultural practices across Native North America. The illustrated works are brought to life and given contextual meaning through an introductory narrative by a range of 14 voices. Introduced by the editors, Here Now offers a vibrant, culturally rooted glimpse into the continuity and innovation of Native American art. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. General readers. --Gregory Ray Campbell, University of Montana