Artist Jordan Ann Craig’s (Northern Cheyenne) solo exhibition at The Block Museum is her largest institutional exhibition to date and her first in the Chicago area. Her large-scale abstract paintings reflect her engagement with Indigenous, especially Northern Cheyenne, aesthetic traditions and her dynamic and innovative exploration of color, line, and geometric form. Craig’s practice often begins with research in museum collections and archives—studying, learning from, and engaging in a dialogue with traditional Indigenous artistic forms, such as beadwork, pottery, and textiles. She also draws inspiration from the landscape of what is now the Southwestern United States, where she lives and works.
The exhibition’s title, it takes a long time to stay here, comes from the poem "spinning air" by m.s. RedCherries (Northern Cheyenne), and evokes ideas of grounding and reflection. The exhibition invites a deep exploration of the seven paintings, shown together for the first time, highlighting the introspective quality of Craig’s work. As one spends extended time with each painting, its meaning is shaped by the interplay of Craig’s enigmatic and playful titles, her intricate compositions, and the perspectives of each viewer.
Exhibition Keynote:
Jordan Ann Craig in conversation with m.s. RedCherries
Wednesday, February 26, 6PM
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it takes a long time to stay here: Paintings by Jordan Ann Craig is curated by Kathleen Bickford Berzock, Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs, Janet Dees, former Steven and Lisa Munster Tananbaum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art and Jacqueline Lopez, 2024–25 Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellow, at The Block Museum of Art.
This exhibition is partially supported by the Alsdorf Gallery Endowment and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Additional generous support is provided by the Alumnae of Northwestern University. Support for this publication has been provided by Hales Gallery, New York.
Images (left to right):
Jordan Ann Craig (Northern Cheyenne, born 1992), The Space Between The Clouds and the Horizon, 2024. Acrylic. Image courtesy of the artist and Nicholas Valdes.
Jordan Ann Craig (Northern Cheyenne, born 1992), Sharp Tongue; Used to Cut Deep, 2024. Acrylic. Image courtesy of the artist and Nicholas Valdes.
Jordan Ann Craig (Northern Cheyenne, born 1992), Worries About the Moon, 2024. Acrylic. Image courtesy of the artist and Nicholas Valdes.
About the Artist
Jordan Ann Craig (b. 1992 San Jose, CA) is a Northern Cheyenne artist living and working in Pojoaque Valley, New Mexico. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and received her B.A. in Studio Art and Psychology from Dartmouth College. She is the recipient of several fellowships and residencies including from the Golden Foundation for the Arts; the School for Advanced Research; the Institute for American Indian Arts; the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program; the Ucross Foundation; East London Printmakers Project; Cork Printmakers International; and the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica. Her works are in the collection of the Guggenheim Museum, New York; Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH; Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art, Roswell, NM; IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, NM; Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS; and Forge Collection, Taghkanic, NY, among others.
https://www.jordananncraig.com/
Image: Installation view with Artist, Jordan Ann Craig, The Armory Show, 5 September - 8 September, 2024, Javits Center, New York, USA