Dubuque Museum Displays Sac and Fox Art

The Echoes of Time and Place exhibition brings work by Sauk artists to their ancestral Iowa homeland.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Native American

Screen-print poster illustration of a geometric beadwork pattern in mustard and teal, evoking traditional Sauk artistic heritage. — The Dubuque Museum of Art opened 'Echoes of Time and Place' on October 3, featuring works exclusively by Sac and Fox artists. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Dubuque Museum of Art launched the Echoes of Time and Place exhibition on October 3, 2026. The display showcases work created exclusively by Sac and Fox artists.

Why it matters

Curators Janae Grass and Tony Tiger organized the exhibition to provide a dedicated space for Sauk artists and culture within their ancestral homeland. The collection reunites Oklahoma-based artists with their roots in Iowa.

Janae Grass began her beading practice at age 15 and received a LIFT Award from the Native Arts + Culture Foundation in August 2026. The exhibition features a site-specific bead installation as a primary component.

The players

Janae Grass

She is a Sac and Fox artist and curator who earned a LIFT Award from the Native Arts + Culture Foundation in 2026.

Tony Tiger

He is a co-curator of the current exhibition and a contributor to the preservation of Sauk artistic traditions.

Dubuque Museum of Art

Located in Iowa, the museum serves as the primary host for exhibitions exploring regional cultural heritage.

Native Arts + Culture Foundation

This organization supports Indigenous artists through programs like the LIFT Award.

The details

The exhibition highlights the connection between contemporary Sac and Fox creators and their historical territories in Iowa. Featured works include a site-specific bead installation created by Janae Grass as part of her recent award project.

August 2026: Janae Grass received the LIFT Award.
October 3, 2026: The exhibition opened to the public.
February 27, 2027: The exhibition closes at the Dubuque Museum of Art.

Culture Shift

The exhibition mirrors a broader movement of Indigenous artists reclaiming and reconnecting with ancestral lands through contemporary creative expressions. By centering Sac and Fox voices in Iowa, the project departs from traditional museum models that often omit tribal perspectives from their own histories.

Residents and visitors can engage with this exhibition to learn about the artistic heritage of the Sac and Fox people. The installation will remain available for viewing in the city until late February 2027.

The takeaway

Visitors to the museum have the opportunity to support Indigenous artists by attending this limited-time showcase. Engaging with the display offers a unique look at how traditional crafts like beading are evolving through contemporary installations.