Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Neal Ambrose-Smith is a descendent of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation. A renowned painter, sculptor, Ambrose-Smith formerly served as professor and department chair at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.
Threaded throughout Ambrose-Smith’s technically skilled work is an intensely personal maximalist reflection on contemporary culture, politics, and society. Borrowing from the strategies of postmodern collage, his work juxtaposes Native motifs, passages of gestural abstraction, and mass media imagery lifted from vintage comic books, clip art, and television screens. A rotating cast of characters—from Batman and Darth Vader to the Coyote trickster—act as allegorical ciphers, sardonically evoking themes of racism, environmental destruction, and the legacy of colonialism.
Beginning in the 1990s, Ambrose-Smith collaborated with his mother, the internationally recognized Native artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, on several significant sculptures and exhibitions. He has also developed an app, Artist Ideas, designed to stimulate creative thinking.
Ambrose-Smith’s work is featured in the collections of many major museums, including the Boise Art Museum; Denver Art Museum; Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis; Flint Institute of Arts; Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe; Library of Congress, Washington DC; Minneapolis Institute of Arts; New York Public Library; Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Montana; School of Art Institute, Chicago; University of Colorado, Boulder; University of Nevada, Reno; Whitney Museum of American Art.
Neal Ambrose-Smith
1966
Born in Texas
Flathead Salish, Metis and Cree, Descendent of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation, Montana
Lives and works in Corrales, New Mexico
EDUCATION
2009
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
1989
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
Culture Hack: Neal Ambrose-Smith, Chiaroscuro Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 22–December 31, 2022
2021–2022
č̓ č̓en̓ u kwes xwúyi (Where are you going?): Neal Ambrose-Smith, Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, Montana, August 31, 2021–March 5, 2022; Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Montana, March 11–May 7, 2022; Lewistown Art Center, Lewistown, Montana, 2022; Central Montana Medical Center, Lewistown, Montana, 2022
2021
Just InJust, Space One Eleven, Birmingham, Alabama, April 16–May 28, 2021
Neal Ambrose-Smith: The (Tense) Present, 516 Arts, Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 27–May 22, 2021
2017
Neal Ambrose-Smith: Footprints on the Moon, Northcutt Steele Gallery, Montana State University, Billings, Montana, October 19–November 30, 2017
Neal Ambrose-Smith, Burnell R. Roberts Triangle Gallery, Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio, 2017
2013
Neal Ambrose-Smith, The Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts, Pensacola, Florida, August 19– October 4, 2013
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
Light, Space, and the Shape of Time, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 5–July 20, 2025
Indigenous Identities: Here, Now & Always, Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, February 1–December 21, 2025
2024–2026
Future Imaginaries: Indigenous Art, Fashion, Technology, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles, California, September 7, 2024 –June 21, 2026
2024
Winter Group Show, Chiaroscuro Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico, January 2–February 10, 2024
2023–2024
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith: Memory Map, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, April 19–August 13; Modern Art Mueum of Fort Worth, Texas, October 15, 2023–January 21, 2024; Seattle Art Museum, Washington, Feb 29–May 12 2024
2022
Contemporary Indigenous Printmaking, Overture Center for the Arts, Madison, Wisconsin, February 11–April 2, 2022
2021–2022
All Together, Amongst Many: Reflections on Empathy, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, Nebraska, June 5, 2021–September 19, 2021; Shaw Gallery, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, January 29–April 22, 2022
2021
Native Visions, Chiaroscuro Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, August 6–September 4, 2021
2020–2021
Larger Than Memory: Contemporary Art from Indigenous North America, Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona, September 4, 2020–January 3, 2021
2020
Windows on the Future, 516 Arts at Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 1–August 31, 2020
Reflecting on 2020: International Print Exchange, Boulder, Colorado, 2020
Allegories of Transformation, PACE Center, Parker Arts, Colorado, October–November 18, 2020
2019
Inspired Thinkers Series, Regis University, Denver, Colorado, 2019
2018
Contemporary Native American Group Show, Chiaroscuro Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, August 17–September 8, 2018
In Red Ink, Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, Washington, July 7–September 23, 2018
Etlelooaat (Cree) - He who shouts, McNichols Civic Center Building, Denver, Colorado, April 22–August 26, 2018
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith: Making Medicine, Garth Greenan Gallery, New York, New York, April 12–May 19, 2018
Too Bad The Good Times Don’t Last: Southern Graphics Council International Themed Portfolios Exhibition, Bally’s Hotel Conference Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 4–April 7, 2018
5th Street School, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2018
2017
11th Annual Contemporary Native Exhibition, Chiaroscuro Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, August 11–September 9, 2017
Exploration Beyond Tradition, Durango Arts Center, Durango, Colorado, April 21–June 17, 2017
Neal Ambrose-Smith & Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Works on Paper Gallery, Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio, February 1–February 24, 2017
Train of Ink, Southern Graphics Council International Printmaking Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, March 15–18, 2017
2016–2018
Home: Contemporary Indigenous Artists Responding, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Colorado, November 8–November 20, 2016; Sojourner Truth Library, State University of New York at New Paltz, New York, December 4–22, 2017; Pattee Library, University Park, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, March 1–August 31, 2018
2016
Transferring Thought, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 2016
Imagined Place Map, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 2016
2015–2018
Re-Riding History: From the Southern Plains to the Matanzas Bay, The Crisp-Ellert Art Museum Flagler College, St. Augustine, Florida, January 16–February 28, 2015; Wright Museum of Art Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin, March 13–April 6, 2015; The A.D. Gallery University of North Carolina-Pembroke, Pembroke, North Carolina, April 22–June 10; All My Relations Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 2015–February 2016; University of Buffalo Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, March 31–May 6, 2016; University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin, September 9–September 25, 2016; Museum of the Great Plains, Lawton, Oklahoma, November 7, 2016– January 8, 2017; Edgewood College Gallery, Madison, Wisconsin, January 25–February 26, 2017; Kenosha Public Museum, Kenosha Wisconsin, March–April, 2017; Trout Gallery, Art Museum of Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, June 1–October 27, 2018
2015–2016
Doghead Stew: The Second Course, Focal Point Gallery, Joplin, Missouri, 2015; Gallery 239, Chadron State College, Chadron, Nebraska, 2015; Idaho State University Transition Gallery, Pocatello, Idaho, 2015; Global Matrix: International Print Exhibitions at Purdue Galleries, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 2015; Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts, Pendleton, Oregon, 2016; Visual Arts Center at Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, 2016
2015
Exchange IX, Contemporary Prints from US and Abroad, Rueff Galleries, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, January 12–23, 2015
2014
Pushing The Limits, Central Booking Gallery, New York, New York, May 14–June 8, 2014
Transferring Ink III, The Janice Griffiths Gallery, Fallbrook Art Center, Fallbrook, California, June 28–August 10, 2014
Rocky Mountain Response, Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, 2014
Terrain, The Evergreen Galleries, Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington, 2014
Crossing and Connecting, Visual Arts Center, University of Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, 2014
Face to Face: Wall to Wall, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana, March–August 24, 2014
2013–2016
The Map is Not the Territory, The Jerusalem Fund Gallery, Washington, DC, September 6–October 18 , 2013; Levantine Cultural Center, Los Angels, California, 2014; P21 Gallery, London, England, 2015; Arab American National Museum, Dearborn, Michigan, January 23–May 15, 2016; Santa Fe University of Art and Design, Santa Fe, New Mexico, September 16–October 15, 2016
2013
Flying Buffalo Project, Madison Buffalo Jump, Bozeman, Montana, 2013; Vore, Devils Tower, Wyoming, 2013; First Peoples (Ulm Pushkin), Great Falls, Montana, 2013; Head Smashed In, Lethbridge, Al Canada, 2013
2012–2015
Octopus Dreams, Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts, Ekaterinburg, Russia, 2012; 516 Arts, Albuquerque, New Mexico, June 29–September 21, 2013; Samara Regional Art Museum, Samara, Russia, 2013 Tomsk Art Museum, Tomsk, Russia, 2013; Irkutsk Regional Art Museum, Irkutsk, Russia, 2013; Togliatti Art Museum, Tolyatti, Russia, 2013; Tobinodai Historic Site Park Museum, Funabashi City, Japan, 2015
2012–2013
Tribal Diversity, Crisp Museum, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, November 2012–January 27, 2013
2012
50 Places, The Myers School of Art, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, 2012; Renaissance Gallery, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 2012; College of Arts and Sciences Gallery, Miami, Florida, 2012
Celebrating Diversities in Art, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, Missouri, 2012
Native American Artists, Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts, Russia, 2012
Siberian Print Biennale, The Novosibirsk State Art Museum, Novosibirsk, Siberia, 2012
APU, The cable car gallery, Turku, Finland, 2012
2011
Freak of Nature, Switchback Gallery, Monash University, Gippsland, Australia, September 6–September 30, 2011; King Family Exhibition Space, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 2011
Wind on Earth, Haydon Art Center, Lincoln, Nebraska, March 28–April 1, 2011
FAX, Apex Gallery, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota, Feburary 15– April 3, 2011
Influences, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2011
Super Wonderful Folio, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 2011
Hand, Eye & Bird, University of Nevada at Reno, Reno, Nevada, 2011
2010
Albuquerque Now, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, January 24–April 18, 2010
Zanatta Editions, Sherry Leedy Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri, 2010
Modernist Show, Golden Dawn Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2010
Crossing Over Making Contact, Contemporary Art Museum, Hong-ik University, Seoul, Korea, 2010
2009
Second Site, 516 Arts, Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 1–September 19, 2009
Coyote is Part of Our Flathead Salish Creation Story, Open Space Visitor Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, March–April 28, 2009
2008–2017
Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate, Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana, 2008; Cooper Village Museum & Arts Center, Anaconda, Montana, 2008; The University of Montana Western Gallery/Museum, Dillon, Montana, 2008; Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery, Red Lodge, Montana, 2009; Custer County Art and Heritage Center of Art, Miles City, Montana, 2009; Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, Great Falls, Montana, 2009; MonDak Heritage Center, Sidney, Montana, 2009; Emerson Center for the Arts, Bozeman, Montana, 2009; Montana Museum of Art & Culture, Missoula, Montana, 2010; Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana, 2010; Carr Gallery, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 2011; Gotthelf Gallery, Jewish Community Center, La Jolla, California, 2013; Lewis-Clark State College Center for Arts & History, Lewiston, Idaho, 2013; UC Gallery, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 2014; Living Arts, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 2015; Waterloo Center for the Arts, Waterloo, Iowa, 2015; Fort Collins Museum of Art, Fort Collins, Colorado, January–March, 2017
2008–2009
A Family Affair: Selections from the Zanatta Editions Archives, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, Manhattan, Kansas, September 19, 2008–January 3, 2009
2008
INprint, SCA Contemporary, Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 15–September 14, 2008
Selected Works, Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courthouse, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2008
Who Are We?, University of New Mexico, John Sommers Gallery, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2008 Impacted Nations, The Dahl Art Center, Rapid City, South Dakota, 2008
Rio Grande Nature Center Benefit Show, Double Tree Hilton, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2008
2007
Unlimited Boundaries: Dichotomy of Place in Contemporary Native American Art, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, January 28– April 15, 2007
Pocahontas Meets Hello Kitty: A Select Group of Artists looking at the Past and Present of Native Women’s History, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, 2007; Print Walls Gallery, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 2007; Graphic Communications, National Library, Tallinn, Estonia, 2007
Take a Bite Out of this!: From Corn to Commodity, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2007
2006
INKLANDIA: An International Print Exhibition, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, October 30–November 10, 2006
Earth and Her Beings: Endangered Species, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, 2006
Chamalieres Carrefour Int’l de L’estampe, French Print Triennial, Clichy, France, 2006
Lessedra World Art Print, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2006
Impacted Nations, Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2006; Trickster Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, 2006; Smokebrush Foundation for the Arts, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 2006; Ancient Traders Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2006; Nathan Cummings Foundation, New York, New York, 2006
2005
Louis and Clark Print Portfolio, Louis and Clark College, Portland, Oregon, 2005; Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, Montana; University of Montana Museum of Arts and Culture, Missoula, Montana, 2005; Lake Region Heritage Center, Inc, Devils Lake, North Dakota, 2005; Cando Arts Center, Cando, North Dakota, 2005; Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, Great Falls, Montana, 2005
2004
Encounters: Contemporary Native American Art, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, September 2– October 24, 2004; Santa Fe Cultural Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2004; Reed College, Portland, Oregon, 2004; Schoolhouse History and Art Center, Hardin, Montana, 2004; Beall Park Art Center, Bozeman, Montana, 2004; Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana, 2004
Atravesando Fronteras, El Museo Cultural, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2004
2003
Group show, Gallery of Visual Arts, Art Department, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 2003
2002
Unforgettable, World Trade Center Memorial Group Show, Chelsea Studio Gallery, New York City, New York, 2002
Change/No Change, Palmer Museum, Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania, 2002
2001
911, Anton Gallery, Washington, DC, 2001; Chestnut Hill Academy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2001
Offerings from the Heart, Minot State University, North Dakota, 2001; Dickinson State College, Dickinson, North Dakota, 2001; North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 2001; Two Rivers Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2001; South Dakota School of Mining & Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota, 2001
2000
Millennium Messages, Smithsonian Sites, Washington DC, 2000
1999
Ceremonial, Venice Biennale Scola dei Tiraoro e. Battiro, Venezia, Italy, 1999
1998
Coyote Stories (performance), Steinbaum-Krauss Gallery, New York City, New York, 1998
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Boise Art Museum, Idaho
Contemporary Art Museum, Hong-ik University, Seoul, Korea
Cork Printmakers Special Collection, Cork, Ireland Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis, Indiana
Flint Institute Art Museum, Flint, Michigan
Galerie d’art Contemporain, Chamalières, France
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Limerick School of Art and Design, Limerick, Ireland
Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, Manhattan, Kansas
Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Monash University, Gippsland, Australia
Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, Montana
Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
New York Public Library, New York, New York
NMAI/Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Montana
School of Art Institute, Chicago, Illinois
Sheldon Museum of Art, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska
Spencer Museum, Lawrence, Kansas
Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, Missouri
Tia Collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico
University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York
Zuckerman Museum of Art SGCI Archives Collection, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia
BOOKS AND CATALOGUES
Amerinda. No Reservation: New York Contemporary Native American Art Movement. New York: Amerinda, 2017.
Amerinda. The Old Becomes the New: New York Movement in Contemporary Native Art and the New York School. New York: Amerinda, 2013.
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Native Art Now!: Developments in Contemporary Native American Art since 1992. Indianapolis: Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.
Heard Museum. Larger than Memory: Contemporary Art from Indigenous North America. Phoenix: Heard Museum, 2020.
Schiffer. Singular and Serial: Contemporary Monotype and Monoprint. Atglen: Schiffer Publishing, 2019.
University of Montana Press. Contemporary Native American Art. Missoula: University of Montana Press, 2005.
PERIODICALS
Abatemarco, Michael. “Neal Ambrose-Smith at 516 Arts.” Santa Fe New Mexican, February 26, 2021.
Bauxmont-Flynn, Cray. “The Fusion of Tradition and Modern Expression with Neal Ambrose-Smith.” Beyond the Art, May 30, 2025.
Cory, Walsh. “Neal Ambrose-Smith’s Omnivorous Way of Making Art.” The Missoulian, November 4, 2021.
Farris, Phoebe Mills. “‘Indigenous Identities: Here, Now & Always’: Interview with Neal Ambrose-Smith.”Cultural Survival News, February 25, 2025.
Keyes, Marlisa. “SkyWindWorld: Soaring Spirits & Minds.” Montana Magazines, May 5, 2017.
“Missoula Exhibit Features Contemporary Native American Artist.” KPAX News, October 30, 2021.
New Mexico PBS. “Neal Ambrose Smith –Contemporary Native American Artist” ¡COLORES!, New Mexico PBS, January 16, 2024.
PBS. “Native Art Now!” PBS, December 14, 2017. Roberts, Kathaleen. “A Real Treasure.” Albuquerque Journal, March, 4. 2017.
———. “Studies of Time: 516 Arts Hosts Dual Solo Shows Featuring Works by Neal Ambrose-Smith and Afton Love.” Albuquerque Journal, February 21, 2021.
Scott, Chadd. “Neal Ambrose Smith at Missoula Art Museum.” See Great Art. August 25, 2021.
Silverman, Julia. “The Newfound Fervor for Indigenous Art Masks Thorny Questions.” ARTnews, April 2025.
Templeton, Patty. “Free with the Brush: Neal Ambrose-Smith Talks Contemporary Native American Art.” DGO Magazine. April 18, 2017.
Valente Romeo, Angela. “True to One’s Roots: The Art of Neal Ambrose-Smith.” Episode 56, Colliding Worlds, 2014.
Coyote Explains to Max, 2019
Graphite on paper
33 3/4 x 26 1/8 in
American Gothic, 2024
Ruby red neon, transformers, tipi, wall mount
97 x 71 x 5 in.
That Sinking Feeling, 2019
Oil, acrylic and collage
36 x 36 in.
Coyote says "I want to make it with chu'"
Acrylic, oil and collage on canvas
60 x 48 x 2 in.
Romance is Where You Find it, it's Just a Matter of Wearing it All the Time
Graphite on paper
33 1/8 x 25 1/2 in.
It Gives Me the Cavity Creeps, 2019
Acrylic, oil and collage on canvas
36 x 36 in.
Strange Traits Bred in Darkness
Monotype, drawing and collage on paper
69 1/2 x 44 3/8 in.
č̓ če̓ n ̓ u kwes xwúyi (Where are you going?), 2021
Neon, wood, transformers, timer
120 x 180 x 48 in.
Language of Identity, 2024
Oil, acrylic and collage
48 x 36 in.