Pollyanna Nordstrand is the new curator at the on-campus Gorman Museum of Native American Art.
Nordstrand’s interest in Native American art stems from early childhood. Descending from the Hopi tribe, Nordstrand was introduced to art through her Hopi mother and artist father, who took her to galleries and museums. She studied design at Stanford University and attended a museum studies program at California State University Fullerton. Nordstrand now has curated at museums all over the nation.
“I think that a museum, like a library, can be a place where people come together and see different ideas and backgrounds and start creating understanding for each other,” Nordstrand said.
Museum curation is an interdisciplinary field, integrating law, topical socioeconomic and political issues, and interpersonal interactions between the artist and the viewing audience. Curators work with artists to bring their art and ideas to the public, handling the logistics of sourcing and placing art and organizing collections, events and shows for the museum.
Nordstrand said she got interested in curating in her senior year of college when she contributed to organizing a Native photography exhibition. “I found it really exciting because I had the opportunity to look at objects, make connections for people, and then put together a show,” Nordstrand said.
After graduating in 1991, she enrolled in the museum studies program at California State University Fullerton, which was one of the two programs offering hands-on experience at the time. Nordstrand went on to work at museums including one for the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the National Park Service. She arrived at UC Davis in 2023.
Nordstrand said she has noticed a shift in the representation of Native art in museums throughout the duration of her 30-year career. “There are much greater opportunities for artists and curators from all different kinds of backgrounds, and with more museums elevating the priority to collect Native art as a focus has increased the opportunities more than ever,” she said. Nordstrand added that she hopes to see more Native American curators for collections outside of Native art and more opportunities for “Native curators to share ideas and be a part of the bigger institution.”