Illustration by Carl Gawboy.

Two fine-art exhibitions and the music of a Minneapolis recording artist are featured at the Duluth Art Institute in shows running through April 3. A reception for the artists is on March 26 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Ojibwe Adornment

Ribbons. Cloth, beadwork and fur are the media that make up the work of designer and curator Wendy Savage. Her exhibit is entitled Ojibwe Adornment in Ribbons, Cloth, Beads, and Fur.

Art by Wendy Savage.

The exhibit brings in the work of eight Anishinaabe artists, each contributing “their own truths and designs.” This exhibition honors traditional Ojibwe designs and ideology, presented as contemporary art through belongings, images, and narrative. The artists include Chi Ma’iingan/Herb Fineday (Fond du Lac), Rene Ann Goodrich (Bad River), Marcy McIntire (Grand Portage), Warren Miller (Fond du Lac), Joe Savage (Fond du Lac), Dr. Lisa Savage (Fond du Lac), and Christina Woods (Bois Forte).

Fur Trade Nation

Carl Gawboy’s illustrations from his recently published book Fur Trade Nation are also on display. They offer insights into an early global trading system during a historical period that has shaped Minnesota, the nation, and the world.

The Ojibwe people were key players in this historical period that has shaped Minnesota’s and the nation’s geography, social structures, and history. Gawboy’s work in the exhibit is from the book, which features more than 800 pen-and-ink drawings that connect historical records and art with oral traditions.

Savage extends the history-centered dialogue of Fur Trade Nation into the present through her practice in textiles and fashion, which merge Anishinaabe traditional attire, textile styles and production methods with contemporary ideas.

Gradient

Tufawon

Music by the Minneapolis artist Tufawon (2 for 1) from his new EP, Gradient, accompanies the two exhibits at the Duluth Art Institute. Gradient was commissioned by the American Composers Forum. Tufawon is a Dakota/Boricua rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, and teaching artist. He received the 2026 McKnight Composer Fellowships for his Recomposing America project.

Duluth Art Institute
130 W. Superior St., Suite 400, Duluth
Gallery Hours: Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m.