HANKS GALLERY

THE GOAL OF THE MUSEUM IS TO HAVE THE BEST COLLECTION IN THE WORLD OF MODERN IROQUOIS CREATIVITY: FINE ARTS, TRADITIONAL AND MODERN CRAFTS, PHOTOGRAPHY AND MULTI-MEDIA. IT GROWS THROUGH ACQUISITIONS AND GIFTS FROM THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING IROQUOIS ARTISTS AND COLLECTORS. THE MUSEUM'S CONTEMPORARY COLLECTION BEGINS IN THE 1960s AND EXTENDS TO THE PRESENT.
 

Mission Statement: The Iroquois Indian Museum is an educational institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Iroquois culture using Iroquois art as a window to that culture.  The museum is a venue for promoting Iroquois art and artists, and a meeting place for all peoples to celebrate Iroquois culture and diversity.  As an anthropological institution, it is informed by research on archaeology, history, and the common creative spirit of modern artists and craftspeople. 

Vision Statement: Inspired by the image of an Iroquois longhouse in the clearing, the Iroquois Indian Museum is actively connected with all Iroquois communities and celebrates the cultural diversity, rich history, archaeology, and artistic expression of the Iroquois—Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora.

Black ash splint basket by Christie Arquette, Mohawk from Akwesasne	The Iroquois continue to live in the Northeast, and their artists' creations introduce the public to what they value most today. The close relationship the Iroquois have to the natural world can be seen in the work of a black ash splint basket or an antler carving.
A stone carving or clay sculpture communicates Iroquois values, humor, concerns, or thoughts about their future. Their art is further influenced by a rich oral tradition and strong cultural continuity.	Hospitality by Tom Huff, Seneca/Cayuga from Onondaga

   
The Museum represents the world's most comprehensive exhibition of Modern Iroquois arts. This collection celebrates the ancient unity of the Iroquois still expressed in the common creative spirit of today's artists and craftspeople.