Search the Collection:

Artwork copyright Helen Mary Thompson. Photo courtesy of the artist, 1985.

Radical Tradition: Native American and Women Artists

These artworks in Washington's State Art Collection were created by artists who are Native American and are women. Their artworks offer a unique insight into a world that holds onto tradition but is also constantly adapting. Several of these artists are called "masters" – they carry on techniques and art forms that are hundreds of years old. Other artists from this group work in the world of contemporary art but still hold close ties to their traditional Indigenous communities. In our modern world, tradition is radical.