Joe Feddersen retrospective in Missoula
The Missoula Art Museum (MAM) presents “Joe Feddersen: Earth, Water, Sky,” a career retrospective of nationally renowned artist Joe Feddersen (b. 1953, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation). Gathering four decades of the prolific artist’s prints, glass, weaving, and ceramics, this is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of Feddersen’s career to date, featuring more than 120 works ranging from miniatures to wall-sized installations. Admission to the museum is free.
Moving fluidly between media, Feddersen cultivates a visual language that draws upon recognizable signs, symbols, and forms. With poignancy and humor, he transforms the familiar into a world of juxtapositions that confront how we see, use, and treat the natural world. In everything he creates, Feddersen promotes his belief in the power of the landscape and our interconnected relationship with it.
This travelling exhibition was organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, WA, and co-curated by Rachel C. Allen (Nimiipuu [Nez Perce]), Curator of Special Projects at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, and heather ahtone (Choctaw/Chickasaw Nation), Director of Curatorial Affairs at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City. Award-winning graphic designer Kevin Coochwytewa (Isleta Pueblo/Hopi) designed the exhibition, which includes videos produced by Spokane-based, Native-owned production company Counting Coup Media.
The exhibition premiered at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in 2024, and traveled to the High Desert Museum in Bend, OR, in 2025, before coming to MAM. MAM will celebrate the exhibition with a reception from 5-7pm on Friday, September 4, and an artist talk by Feddersen at 5:30 PM, followed by a curatorial talk with heather ahtone on Saturday, September 5, at 10:30 AM.
“Joe Feddersen: Earth, Water, Sky” is accompanied by a 200-page, fully illustrated catalogue published by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and distributed by University of Washington Press, with contributions by heather ahtone, Rachel C. Allen, Anya Montiel, and a selection of poetry by past collaborators of the artist.
About the Missoula Art Museum
Founded in 1975 and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1987, MAM is a cultural beacon in Missoula’s historic downtown community and a forerunner of contemporary art in the region today. MAM is committed to representing contemporary Indigenous artistic expression faithfully and collaboratively.
MAM recognizes the ongoing sovereignty of the Séliš and Ql̓ispé Tribal people. Tribal people inspire MAM’s efforts to create and maintain a beloved, inclusive community.
