Diosa Summers: A Retrospective at TIMM

Diosa Summers (Mississippi-band Choctaw, December 23, 1945 - March 20, 1992) was a very creative and talented Native artist who worked in many media, including painting, sculpture, and pottery.  In her work, what seems at first glance to be new and "modern" is, in fact, a continuation of the Native American's traditional abstract perception of the world. 

"In my language, I call myself ANISHNABEYKWA," said Ms. Summers.  "This tells me who I am and what my responsibilities are in this world where Indian woman have become warriors."

Native American artists have traditionally incorporated more than one art form in a given object.  They have also had the ability to translate all that is part of their lives into their art through abstract expression.  And they learned long ago that surrounding oneself with beauty made life much more pleasing, and therefore, they made all things, utilitarian or not, as beautiful and self-expressive as possible.  Sharing and learning from experience have also been enduring Native traditions.

This Gallery is funded by Native Arts @ NEFA, a program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the Ford Foundation and Anonymous with support from the six state arts agencies of New England.