Balancing Traditions with the Contemporary

During its first 20 years of community service, the May Collection and its associated gallery promoted a scholarly understanding of the past and present material culture of American Indians. More than 2,000 works housed on USD’s campus serve as a testament to the rich and diverse artistic practices found throughout the United States and Canada. One goal for the next 25 years of collecting in this area will be the support of living artists in our region, and beyond. We have taken the step of commissioning artists to create works especially for USD—Johnny Bear Contreras and Eva Salazar are both examples of this. Other signs of this commitment can be seen in the recent acquisition of works by Wendy Red Star (Crow) and Kent Monkman (Cree)—artists with significant reputations in the contemporary art world whose work promises to engage students for years to come.