First nationally travelling tour for Cara and Diego Romero opens in Davenport, IA
The Figge Art Museum presents the national tour of “Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past,” opening in Davenport, IA on March 8, 2025, and traveling to the Crocker Art Museum (Sacramento, CA) and the Albuquerque Museum, (Albuquerque, NM) and one additional venue through summer 2026.
“Tales of Futures Past” brings together 39 artworks by acclaimed contemporary Indigenous artists Cara Romero (Chemehuevi) and Diego Romero (Cochiti Pueblo). This is the first nationally traveling exhibition to showcase their works in dialogue, presenting 18 of Diego Romero’s thought-provoking pottery pieces and lithographs and 20 of Cara Romero’s evocative photographs, including selections from her Indigenous Futurism series.
Reflecting on the significance of this collaboration, Cara and Diego Romero shared, “We are very excited (and moved) to have our first two person show together that illuminates ways in which our works are in conversation with each other and how our artists’ lives intertwine. We deeply enjoy creating in this life together and center our existence in art and work to support each other’s endeavors. It will be so touching to see the works travel together.”
This powerful new exhibition explores the diversity of Indigenous identity and experience through the distinct, but interconnected practices of Cara and Diego Romero. While the husband and wife maintain individual studios, they engage with shared themes that interrogate the complexities and evolving nature of Indigenous identity. Drawing from personal perspectives and popular culture, they create artworks that confront the impacts of colonization, celebrate resilience, and address issues of social and environmental justice through imagery deeply rooted in cultural heritage.
“This exhibition is a reminder of the power of art to reshape perceptions and worldviews,” Vanessa Sage, Co-Senior Curator at the Figge Art Museum, said. “As artists and storytellers, Cara and Diego Romero encourage us to move past surface stereotypes and engage with the complexity of Indigenous identity while embracing our shared humanity and envisioning collective futures.”
Organized thematically, “Tales of Futures Past” will feature sections dedicated to rewriting historical narratives, celebrating the power of Indigeneity, advocating environmental consciousness, exploring shared mythologies, and tracing ancestral evolution. The exhibition will also feature a distinctive collaborative work created by Cara and Diego Romero exclusively for this exhibition—a piece that honors the artistic and cultural intersections within their practices.
“We are profoundly grateful to bring ‘Tales of Futures Past; to life, an exhibition that reveals both the artistry and the shared values that Cara and Diego Romero have for Indigenous representation,” Melissa Mohr, Executive Director and CEO of the Figge Art Museum, said. “This exhibition invites audiences nationwide to engage with a reimagining of Indigenous identity and to join a broader conversation on American art’s evolving landscape.”
About the Artists
Cara Romero (Chemehuevi/American, born 1977) is a photographer who collaborates with individuals from various tribal backgrounds to create powerful imagery drawing on Indigenous and non-Indigenous culture, heritage, and identity. An enrolled citizen of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Romero was raised between the rural Chemehuevi reservation in the Mojave Desert, CA, and Houston, TX. A skilled photographer and visual storyteller, Romero’s expansive body of work is informed by a background in cultural anthropology, photojournalism, and commercial photography.
Diego Romero (Cochiti/American, born 1964) is a potter and printmaker who draws on various sources of inspiration for his sharp-witted narrative imagery and design aesthetics. Born and raised in Berkeley, California to a Cochiti father and a non-Native mother, he often visited New Mexico as a child. Trained in traditional pottery techniques at the IAIA (Institute of American Indian Arts), Romero combines his love of comic-style illustrations, Mimbres-style figures, Greek amphora, and pop culture to create his distinctive artwork.
Exhibition Tour Schedule
Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA: March 8 – June 8, 2025
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA: June 29 – October 12, 2025
Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM: November 1, 2025 – February 8, 2026
About the Figge Art Museum
The Figge Art Museum is dedicated to bringing art and people together. Located on the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street, its landmark glass building, designed by British architect David Chipperfield, is home to one of the Midwest’s finest art collections and presents world-class exhibitions, art classes, lectures, and special events that attract visitors of all ages.
Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Thursdays; and 12-5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission to the museum is $14 for adults, $10 for seniors and students with ID and $8 children ages 4-12.
Admission is free to all on Thursday evenings.
