Hudson County Community College Foundation Art Collection Honors Native American Heritage Month

October 18, 2024

The HCCC Foundation Art Collection is Proud to Exhibit Over 100 Works of Art About the Native American Experience.


October 18, 2024, Jersey City, NJ – The Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Foundation Art Collection is proud to honor Native American artists and celebrate their work during National Native American Heritage Month, which takes place in November.

The HCCC Foundation Art Collection features over 100 works of art by Native American and Indigenous artists, in addition to dozens of prominent works depicting Native Americans and the Native American experience. The pieces of Native American art are included in the more than 2,000 original works in the Collection permanently installed in all HCCC campus buildings.

While some people think of Native American art as a relic from a long-distant past, the Native American art in the Foundation Art Collection spans many centuries, from tools and artifacts of the pre-Columbian era to modern works by some of today’s prominent Native American artists.

Edward S. Curtis’ works can be viewed on the fourth floor of the Gabert Library. This portrait features a woman of the Nespelem people in Eastern Washington.

Edward S. Curtis’ works can be viewed on the fourth floor of the Gabert Library. This portrait features a woman of the Nespelem people in Eastern Washington.

The Exhibit features a large collection of hand-carved stone tools from the Lenni Lenape people. The tools were found in a farmer’s field, so their exact date of origin and purpose cannot be known for certain because the Lenni Lenape have lived in this area for over 10,000 years. The objects include what are believed to be stone arrowheads, hand axes, fire starters, and more. Seeing and even touching these tools while on a guided tour is a unique opportunity for students and others to connect with the past and imagine what life was like in this region thousands of years ago.

The Collection is also home to many photographs by renowned photographer Edward S. Curtis depicting Native Americans after the turn of the 19th century. Curtis was awarded a $75,000 grant (worth about $2.5 million today) by legendary American financier J.P. Morgan to travel the country for 20 years, taking over 40,000 photographs of Native Americans at a time when their traditional way of life was under threat. Curtis also documented and recorded languages, history, folklore, and music of the tribes with which he interacted. While some aspects of this work may be considered controversial by modern standards, it’s important to note that if not for his painstaking work, the history, languages, and memories of many of these people and cultures would be lost. Kiowa and Cherokee novelist, poet and National Medal of Arts recipient N. Scott Momaday stated “Taken as a whole, the work of Edward S. Curtis is a singular achievement. Never before have we seen the Indians of North America so close to the origins of their humanity . . . . Curtis' photographs comprehend indispensable images of every human being at every time in every place.”

Dr. Andrea Siegel, Curator of the HCCC Foundation Art Collection, recalls how an HCCC student of Native American and Hispanic heritage told her that he felt a strong connection with one portrait in particular because he felt like it could be one of his ancestors. To Siegel, it was a reminder that art connects us across culture and time, and that the HCCC Foundation Art Collection is a living art museum that resonates with students in powerful ways every day.

While the stone tools of the Lenni Lenape and the photos by Curtis remind us of our nation’s past, more recent works by prominent Native American artists like Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Fritz Scholder, and Terran Last Gun speak to the modern experience of the artists. Like many of the pieces discussed above, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith’s What is an American, Fritz Sholder’s Self Portrait with Dark Glasses, and an untitled serigraph by Terran Last Gun can be viewed at the Gabert Library on 81 Sip Avenue.

HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber stated, “We are proud to honor Native American artists. Their works invite us to reflect on our shared history and remind us of the importance of preserving and honoring these Indigenous voices today.”

To arrange a free tour to see these remarkable works by Native American artists, along with any of the other 2,000+ works at Hudson County Community College, please email Dr. Siegel at asiegelFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE. If you’re interested in checking out the collection online, visit https://www.hccc.edu/community/arts/foundation-art-collection/index.html.