Indigenous Plains Ledger Art at the Jackson Hole Museum

by Central Wyoming College   

With support from a Dean F. Failey Grant from the Decorative Arts Trust, the Central Wyoming College Foundation presents the exhibition Behind Linear Narratives: Indigenous Plains Ledger Art at the Jackson Hole Museum. The exhibition reexamines an important Native American art tradition while highlighting the creativity and contribution of contemporary Indigenous artists and runs through November 7, 2026.

Native American ledger art is a storytelling tradition that emerged in the late 19th century, in which Indigenous artists drew or painted scenes of daily life, cultural traditions, and historical events on ledger paper—accounting books introduced through trade and government agencies (figure 1). The aesthetics of 19th-century ledger art represent a sophisticated form of historical survival and memory, vividly depicting the turbulent history of the era. Today, the practice continues as a dynamic blend of traditional imagery and contemporary expression. 

Co-curated by Al Hubbard, Central Wyoming College Tribal Assistant, and Susan Durfee, former CWC-Jackson Director and Native Voices/Teton Powwow consultant for Native Voices, a joint project of Central Wyoming College and Native American Jump Start, the exhibition expands on the ledger art tradition in fresh and compelling ways by honoring the past while engaging with the present. Behind Linear Narratives pairs historic works from the late 1800s with new creations by Native artists working through a variety of media today. Through this dialogue between past and present, visitors encounter ledger art not as an artifact of history, but as a living, adaptive art form that documents resilience, identity, and innovation. The exhibition invites viewers to consider how Indigenous artists, historically and today, have documented their experiences through this evolving visual language. 

Internationally recognized father-and-son artists Terrance Guardipee (Blackfeet Nation) and Terran Last Gun (Piikani/Blackfeet) are featured in the exhibition. Terrance Guardipee is known for his innovative collage paintings incorporating antique documents such as historical maps, war ration cards, and ledgers from the Blackfeet homeland (figure 2). Terran Last Gun, based in Santa Fe, NM, explores color, geometry, land, and cosmos through ledger drawing, painting, printmaking, and photography in his multidisciplinary practice (figure 3). Last Gun was named as one of the Art in America 2026 New Talent 20 Artists to Watch.

The exhibition was timed to open during one of Wyoming’s largest powwow, the Teton Powwow—part of the Native Voices celebration—drawing Indigenous visitors from over 60 tribes across the West as well as hundreds of non-Indigenous visitors. Accompanying programs include lectures and workshops led by Indigenous artists and scholars exploring the art’s history and contemporary relevance, along with pop-up exhibits of Indigenous artists in Jackson Hole galleries.