Now on View
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville sits on the Ancestral homelands of eleven Federally Recognized Tribes. Mounds, like the one located on the university’s campus and thousands of others across the region, are still important aspects of contemporary Indigenous lifeways. Homelands: Connecting to Mounds through Native Art centers Native interpretation to explore Indigenous relationships to mounds and placemaking. Featuring contemporary works by 17 Native artists, the exhibition highlights the cultural and spiritual continuity of mounds as sacred spaces.
Homelands is co-curated by four Native Nations connected to Knox County: Cherokee Nation, Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and The Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
Featured Artists
Selected by Cherokee Nation
Vivian Garner Cottrell (Cherokee Nation)
Betty Frogg (Cherokee Nation)
Jane Osti (Cherokee Nation)
Lisa Rutherford (Cherokee Nation)
Selected by Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana
Lucy Alfaro (Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana)
Landon Daigle (Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana)
Eli Langley (Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana)
Loretta Williams (Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana)
Selected by Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Atsei Cooper (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
John Henry Gloyne (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians/Osage/Pawnee)
Aaron Lambert (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Rhiannon Skye Tafoya (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians & Santa Clara Pueblo)
Selected by The Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Johnnie Diacon (Mvskoke)
Mary Smith (Muscogee)
Dana Tiger (Mvskoke, Seminole and Cherokee descent)
Jerome Tiger (Mvskoke, Seminole)
Jon Tiger (Muscogee)
Selected by the McClung Museum
Starr Hardridge (Muscogee)
Sponsors
Support for Homelands is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Lead sponsorship provided by
Exhibition Benefactors
Tennessee Valley Authority
Phil Lawson
Exhibition Supporters
UT Office of the Provost
UT Division of Access & Engagement
Interested in sponsoring Homelands?
Contact Claudio Gómez to explore partnership opportunities: claudio@utk.edu or 865-974-2144.
In the News
Luce Foundation Grant to Support New Exhibition on Mound
McClung Museum Receives Terra Foundation for American Art Grant to Support Native American Mound Exhibition
Due to the preference of our Native partners, we respectfully request that no photos of the Mound be taken or circulated. The Museum will not provide photos of the Mound and we request that no photos be sourced for any usage in relation to press or publication regarding the exhibition. If you have questions, please reach out to Emily Reichard, McClung Museum Communications and Annual Giving Professional, at ereichar@utk.edu.