Indigenous Affairs

Phoenix Art Museum receives gift of nearly 200 Indigenous artworks

KJZZ | By Ignacio Ventura

Published June 13, 2026 at 1:30 PM MST

A highly dynamic, stylized painting full of fluid motion and swirling, geometric lines, characteristic of modern Native American art. The composition focuses on a central figure captured in a powerful, twisting dance pose. — Oscar Howe, “The Medicine Dancer,” 1965. Casein on paper. Gift of William P. Healey and part of “The Way We Came: A Century of Indigenous Art” (The William P. Healey Collection at Phoenix Art Museum).

The Phoenix Art Museum has received the largest gift of Native art its 65-year history. According to the museum, nearly 200 Indigenous artworks have been donated.

The donation includes paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures from 99 artists representing 44 tribal nations. The works come from the collection of William P. Healy, who has been a member of the museum for many years.

The works consist of stories and traditions tied to the Americas throughout time and to Native artists in the Southwest.

An abstract, split-composition painting on a horizontal canvas, divided into two distinct halves with contrasting colors and styles. — Del Curfman, Untitled, 2015-2017. Oil on canvas. Gift of William P. Healey and part of “The Way We Came: A Century of Indigenous Art” (The William P. Healey Collection at Phoenix Art Museum).

Museum CEO Jeremy Mikolajczak says the gift from Healy helps address the critical need for Indigenous works from the modern and contemporary periods.

“So it was a really great opportunity for us to really engage and really understand and work with this particular collector, this collection that he built, and really what we could do and how we would utilize it here at the museum, and how it would fit within our own goals and objectives here,” he said.

Photograph of a woman with tattoos wearing a grass skirt and several beaded necklaces against a green backdrop with gold circles and Native American artifacts. The bright red frame around the photo includes symbols related to playing cards — “Fawn,” 2025. Archival pigment print on Legacy Platine, part of “The Way We Came: A Century of Indigenous Art” (The William P. Healey Collection at Phoenix Art Museum).

He says the gift brings about community support.

“It really creates this great strategy and this great opportunity for future partnerships to really happen between institutions, between curators, creating a larger, greater network and more visible platforms for Indigenous artists through the course of history and contemporary art as well,” he said.

An exhibition of this collection is planned to open in August.

A highly complex, powerful painting rich in symbolism, vibrant colors, and geometric divisions. The composition centers on a medicine man or spiritual leader engaged in a profound ritual, surrounded by elemental and ancestral imagery. — Blackbear Bosin, ”Sing Back the Buffalo (Singer with Buffalo Skull),” 1963. Gouache on board. Gift of William P. Healey and part of “The Way We Came: A Century of Indigenous Art” (The William P. Healey Collection at Phoenix Art Museum)

An abstract, mixed-media collage artwork on a square, off-white background with a textured, slightly uneven border. The piece combines drawing, painting, and collaged elements in a layered, expressive style. — Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, “Xeriscape,” 1991. Mixed media and paper collage on paper. Part of “The Way We Came: A Century of Indigenous Art” (The William P. Healey Collection at Phoenix Art Museum).

A stylized, figurative painting featuring two Indigenous warriors carrying rifles and standing side-by-side against a bold, graphic landscape backdrop. The artwork uses clean, dark outlines and flat blocks of color, reminiscent of a graphic novel or pop art style. — Douglas Miles, Untitled, 2001. Acrylic on canvas. Gift of William P. Healey and part of “The Way We Came: A Century of Indigenous Art” (The William P. Healey Collection at Phoenix Art Museum).

Painting in blue and purple hues on a cream-colored background that suggests shapes of Native American pottery vases as well as birds and shapes of people and buildings. — Emmi Whitehorse, #817 “Naked”, 1990. Mixed media on paper, mounted to canvas. Part of “The Way We Came: A Century of Indigenous Art” (The William P. Healey Collection at Phoenix Art Museum).

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