Rollins Museum of Art

Beginning in Fall 2025, Wowačhi I Dancing, part of the Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art in Rollins Museum of Art’s permanent collection, will be on loan to the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis as part of Dyani White Hawk: Love Language (Oct 18, 2025–Feb 15, 2026). The exhibition is a “love letter” to White Hawk’s community unfolding across four sections named by the artist to speak to Indigenous value systems: See, Honor, Nurture, and Celebrate. Featuring multimedia paintings, sculpture, video, and more, Love Language gathers 15 years of the artist’s work in this major survey.

Dyani White Hawk fuses modern abstract painting with Lakota art forms. With Sičangu Lakota and European American ancestry, and growing up in both communities, White Hawk’s art reflects on her cross-cultural experiences to better understand “the intricacies of self and culture, correlations between personal and national history, and Indigenous and mainstream art histories.” 

Co-organized by the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and Remai Modern, Saskatoon Dyani White Hawk: Love Language will travel internationally over the next three years, extending Rollins Museum of Art’s reach to new audiences with the inclusion of Wowačhi I Dancing.

Wowačhi I Dancing by Dyani White Hawk from the RMA Collection

This work Wowačhi I Dancing, is part of Dyani White Hawk’s 2023-2024 series Reflection, a grouping of paintings, mixed-media works, and a video installation. This series explores aesthetic abstraction that, while popularized by European and American artists, has deep roots in art practiced by Indigenous American artists.

White Hawk also acknowledges the role of Indigenous women in upholding historic art forms from painting to beadwork. Within the work Wowačhi | Dancing, White Hawk plays with light and dark colors that are caught in a visual dance, interacting with one another in a way that drives the composition toward balance, possibly representing the reconciliation between her two identities.

Dyani White Hawk (Native American, b. 1976) Wowačhi I Dancing, 2023, Acrylic on canvas 84 x 60 x 2 3/8in.
The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Rollins Museum of Art. Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond, 2024.1.2 Courtesy of the artist and Various Small Fires, Los Angeles / Dallas / Seoul. Photo Credit: Rik Sferra

RMA On the Road: Wowačhi I Dancing in Dyani White Hawk: Love Language

With such a unique and varied collection, Rollins Museum of Art often receives requests for artwork to be part of exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the world. By partnering with other institutions, RMA shares its rich collection beyond its physical location.

Installing Wowačhi I Dancing at the Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis. (l-r) Curators Siri Engberg and Tarah Hogue (Métis)( via phone), artist Dyani White Hawk, RMA’s Austin Reeves, and Kayla Nordlund, Associate Registrar.

In October 2025, Rollins Museum of Art Collections and Exhibitions Manager Austin Reeves, joined artist Dyani White Hawk at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis along with curators Siri Engberg, Senior Curator and Director of Visual Arts, Walker Art Center, and (via videochat)Tarah Hogue (Métis), Adjunct Curator of Indigenous Art, Remai Modern. As a Courier Austin helped with the transport and installation of this engaging work of art.

“Observing Dyani White Hawk speak about the sightlines of her exhibition at the Walker Art Center revealed the depth of her vision —how every perspective in the gallery becomes part of the work’s dialogue.” – Austin Reeves, Collections and Exhibitions Manager, Rollins Museum of Art

The Role of A Courier

Because objects are at their most vulnerable when being transported, the primary role of a courier is to ensure that artwork travels safely and securely, in accordance with professional museum practices. The courier sometimes accompanies the work to prevent incorrect handling during transport, but in this case, their most significant function is to confirm that there has been no change to the object’s condition that would necessitate conservation treatment.

Before artwork from the Rollins Museum of Art Collection is crated and shipped, Austin conducts a detailed inspection and creates a condition report. Since mishandling, unnecessary movement, or vibrations during transit could damage the artwork, he inspects the piece again once it reaches its destination, comparing its condition to the original report. If any damage has occurred, Austin’s expertise is crucial in facilitating the conservation of the object, ensuring it is properly preserved and ready for public viewing.

Experience Dyani White Hawk: Love Language at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Oct 18, 2025–Feb 15, 2026.

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