MacDowell Presents: Indigenous Art, Advocacy, and the Museum System

About the Participants

Karl Duncan is the Executive Director of the Poeh Cultural Center at the Pueblo of Pojoaque and a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). A proud member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, and San Carlos Apache tribes, Karl’s work is deeply rooted in his heritage and commitment to Indigenous culture. He serves as Chair of the City of Santa Fe’s Arts Commission, President of the Buffalo Thunder Incorporated Board, and Vice President of the Continuous Pathways Foundation. Duncan’s achievements include establishing the Pathways Indigenous Arts Festival, a premier showcase of diverse and top-quality artworks by admired Indigenous artists. In 2022, the Poeh Cultural Center was recognized as a Model Native Museum & Cultural Center by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM). He has spoken at Yale University on museum collections engagement and cultural sensitivity, sharing his expertise in collections stewardship. Duncan is a dedicated mentor for the Pueblo of Pojoaque Youth Council and the Pueblo of Pojoaque Youth Hoop Dancers, where he coordinates and teaches Native American hoop dancing. He remains committed to advancing the preservation and celebration of Indigenous cultural heritage. His vision is to continue empowering future generations through mentorship and leadership in the arts and culture.

Candice Hopkins is a citizen of Carcross/Tagish First Nation and lives in Red Hook, New York. Her writing and curatorial practice explore the intersections of history, contemporary art, and Indigeneity. She is Executive Director and Chief Curator of Forge Project, Taghkanic, NY. She is curator of the exhibitions,  Indian Theater: Native Performance, Art, and Self-Determination Since 1969, at the Hessel Museum; Impossible Music, co-curated with Raven Chacon and Stavia Grimani at the Miller ICA, and the touring exhibitions, Soundings; An Exhibition in Five Parts co-curated with Dylan Robinson, and ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᒃ, Double Vision,  featuring textiles, prints and drawings by Jessie Oonark, Janet Kigusiuq, and Victoria Mamnguqsualuk. She was the Senior Curator for the inaugural 2019 and 2022 editions of the Toronto Biennial of Art and part of the curatorial team for the Canadian Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale, featuring the work of the media collective Isuma; documenta 14, Athens and Kassel; and Sakahàn: International Indigenous Art, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Her notable essays include “The Gilded Gaze: Wealth and Economies on the Colonial Frontier,” in the documenta 14 Reader; “Outlawed Social Life,” in South as a State of Mind; and “The Appropriation Debates (or The Gallows of History),” in Saturation: Race, Art, and the Circulation of Value (New Museum/MIT Press, 2020).

Cara Romero (b. 1977, Inglewood, CA) is a contemporary fine art photographer. An enrolled citizen of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Romero was raised between contrasting settings: the rural Chemehuevi reservation in Mojave Desert, CA and the urban sprawl of Houston, TX. Romero’s identity informs her photography, a blend of fine art and editorial photography, shaped by years of study and a visceral approach to representing Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural memory, collective history, and lived experiences from a Native American female perspective.

Sean T. Buffington is Interim President and Vice President for Programs at the Henry Luce Foundation. He joined the Foundation in 2015 and directs the grantmaking and operations of the $1 billion foundation. Sean created the Luce Indigenous Knowledge Initiative and leads the development of new programs. Prior to joining the Luce Foundation, Sean served as President of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. During his tenure, the University introduced an innovative interdisciplinary curriculum; restructured its visual arts college to encourage collaboration and experimentation; launched a number of new degrees; and established a program for creative entrepreneurs. Before moving to Philadelphia, Sean was a senior administrator at Harvard University for many years, serving as an assistant provost for interfaculty programs, as deputy chief of staff to the President and Provost, and, finally as Associate Provost for Arts and Culture. As Associate Provost, he had responsibility for the Harvard Art Museums, the American Repertory Theater, the Graduate School of Design, and other cultural activities and organizations at the University. Sean received the A.B. summa cum laude from Harvard College, and an M.A. in American Culture from the University of Michigan.

The Henry Luce Foundation, established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, aims to deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world by nurturing knowledge communities, fostering dialogue, enriching public discourse, amplifying diverse voices, and investing in leadership development