A Landmark Exhibition Developed with Caddo Artist Chase Kahwinhut Earles
The Longview Museum of Fine Arts (LMFA) marks America’s 250th anniversary with a major regional exhibition elevating contemporary Indigenous voices from across the American South from May 23 to September 12. Visitors encounter ceramic traditions alongside contemporary painting, intricate beadwork, and mixed media works that connect ancestral knowledge to present-day Indigenous life. The exhibition brings together artists, scholars, and cultural leaders to honor the legacy, resilience, and creativity of Native communities. More than an art exhibition, it is a platform for dialogue, education, and community reflection.
Caddo artist Chase Kahwinhut Earles’ pottery work is held in the collections of nearly 30 museums and institutions, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Autry Museum of the American West in California, the Dallas Museum of Art, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Grounded in lived experience and ancestral tradition, his practice explores themes of identity, continuity, and place. His voice brings an essential perspective to contemporary art, emphasizing the importance of Indigenous leadership in shaping cultural narratives.
The exhibition features 13 artists representing 11 tribes, including Choctaw, Cherokee, Seminole, Chickasaw, Muscogee, Coushatta, Otoe-Missouria, Delaware, and Sac and Fox Nations. In addition to Earles, artists include Martha Berry (beadwork), Jacquline Bullard (basketry), Jason Carrasco (painting), Dylan Cavin (collage), Tom Farris (paintings), Yonavea Hawkins (beadwork), Elisse John (basketry), Bobby C. Martin (painting), Jeri and Moira Redcorn (pottery & collage), Tony Tiger (painting & printmaking), and Billy Hensley (printmaking & painting).
Earles says, “I am excited to be part of an exhibition that brings awareness to the Caddo people and to the art of the tribes of the Southeast. Caddo history and culture — along with many Mississippian tribes — are underrepresented in the broader Native American art world. There is so much contemporary Native art reinterpreting history, that should not be overlooked. These ancient cultures, present on this continent since time immemorial, played a significant role in shaping what is now the United States. I am especially honored that this exhibition is taking place in Texas — one of the Caddo homeland states — whose name derives from the Caddo word ‘taysha,’ meaning friendship.”
LMFA hosts a special panel discussion on “Indigenous Voices 250” at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 23, followed by an opening reception for members and their guests from 5-7 p.m.
Earles teaches a workshop from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 15–18 on the history of the Caddo and their traditional pottery. Participants will make their own pots using Caddo methods. Class has limited seating and is for ages 16 and up.
Museum staff is also planning a tour bus field trip that includes viewing the Native Perspectives exhibition then heading to Caddo Mounds State Historic Site for an experiential traditional Caddo meal and docent tour to learn more about this important Caddo homeland.
The Longview Museum of Fine Arts (LMFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located at 215 East Tyler Street. They serve approximately 12,000 visitors, members, and students annually from East Texas and surrounding regions. LMFA currently operates full programming —including exhibitions, education, and community initiatives — at its Tyler Street location. Its Fredonia Street building currently serves as an event center and site for concerts, pop-up exhibitions, and special programming. Acquired in 2021, the Fredonia facility will ultimately expand the museum’s footprint to more than 50,000 square feet, positioning LMFA as a growing cultural hub in an underserved region.
LMFA is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Learn more about the museum and the Native Perspectives exhibition on www.lmfa.org.
