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January 1, 2026 December 31, 2026 America/Chicago 2026 Exhibitions : We Hold These Truths Introducing the 2026 Exhibition Theme As we planned our exhibitions for 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the DAI team and a panel of regional arts professionals asked one powerful question: What is American art? We reached a clear conclusion: American identity holds many truths—complex, diverse, and sometimes contradictory—and art uniquely expresses every story, perspective, challenge, and hope that shapes our nation’s past and present. In 2026, we invite you to explore these truths with us. Throughout the year, we’ll host exhibitions, classes, and programs that celebrate the many facets of American art and identity. Reflect, create, and share with us: What does your truth look like? Read more about the theme Exhibition Schedule Q1: Truths of Culture and HistoryOn view January 12–April 3, 2026 Fur Trade Nation: An Ojibwe’s Graphic HistoryCarl Gawboy Ojibwe Adornment In Ribbons, Cloth, Beads, and FurWendy Savage Part of our 2026 "We Hold These Truths" programming.Funding provided by the Minnesota Humanities Center and the National Endowment for the Arts Q2: Truths of Community 2026 Annual Member ShowTheme: We Hold These Truths Part of our 2026 "We Hold These Truths" programming.Funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts Q3: Truths of Visual Language Ish Meets a MermaidJonathan Thunder, Vera Bianchini, Camila Guillen Send FlowersCody Paulson and Stephen Pestalozzi Part of our 2026 "We Hold These Truths" programming.Funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts Q4: Truths of Self and Materials Lauren Faherty, Robb Quisling, and Andrew Webster Part of our 2026 "We Hold These Truths" programming.Funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts We Hold These Truths Events and Classes [tribe_events tag="We Hold These Truths" view="list"] Thank You to Our 2026 Exhibition Advisory Panel Christina Woods, Deb Eagle, Tia Keobounpheng, Paul LaJeunesse, Wendy Savage, Jesse Switters, Madeline Kayser, Aurora Webster, Meg Litts, Robb Quisling, Jonathan Thunder, Sam Zimmerman Duluth Art Institute
August 3, 2026 October 2, 2026 America/Chicago Ish Meets a Mermaid Register for the reception & artist talk, August 27 Ish Meets a Mermaid is a short film based on a reimagined Ojibwe story, directed by Jonathan Thunder, produced by Vera Bianchini, co-written by Tashia Hart, with cinematography by Jeff Saunders. This exhibition reveals the artistry of the cast and crew who brought Ish Meets a Mermaid to life. As viewers enter the exhibition, they are guided through the journey of the film’s creation with behind-the-scenes moments from production, original props, storyboards, costumes, and stories shared by the cast and crew, finishing with an in-gallery viewing of the film itself. By expanding our view outward from the finished product, the exhibition reveals the many layers of artistry, collaboration, vision, and labor required to produce a project like Ish Meets a Mermaid. This exhibition encourages the viewer to follow their curiosity about the process of filmmaking, and recognize the invisible creative work that goes into an art form as accessible as film. About the Artists Jonathan Thunder director, co-writer, and co-star Jonathan Thunder (b. 1977) attended the Institute of American Indian Arts - Studio Arts Program in Santa Fe (1999-2000) and received a B.A. in Visual Effects and Motion Graphics from the Art Institute International in Minneapolis (2005). His epic animated mural Manifest’o was installed in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport 2021 - 2023. Thunder has received numerous awards and fellowships, including the Jim Denomie Memorial Scholarship, the McKnight Foundation Fellowship, the Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, and the Tiwahe Foundation Leadership Grant. His work has been included in numerous one-person, two-person, and group exhibitions at All My Relations Gallery, the Duluth Art Institute, the Highpoint Center for Printmaking, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Muskegon Museum of Art, Rochester Art Center, and the Tweed Museum of Art. Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology premiered on PBS American Masters in 2023. Vera Bianchini producer Vera Bianchini (she/her), a queer, first generation immigrant from Brazil, is the Film Program Director at Zeitgeist, where she leads initiatives that build a thriving film ecosystem in the region, connects audiences with bold storytelling, and fosters arts-based community building. With over a decade of experience in the film industry, she has worked with regional organizations such as MSP Film as the Development and Membership Manager, Flip The Script Queer Film Festival, and the Upper Midwest Film Office, as well as internationally-recognized, Oscar-qualifying festivals including Sundance, Chicago International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, and Palm Springs International Film Festival. Her expertise in programming and education in both the nonprofit sector and film production has led to invitations to serve on festival juries and panels nationwide. A graduate of Full Sail University Film School, Vera began her career at an animation studio in Miami before working in post-production in Minneapolis and later producing a wide range of independent projects. Recent producing credits include A Kidnapping (2024, dir. Karl Gadjusek), I & Me (2024, dir. Elizabeth Chatelain), and Ish Meets a Mermaid (2025, dir. Jonathan Thunder). Currently Vera serves on the board for Flip the Script Queer Film Festival and Future Film & Sound: EDU Film Fest. Tashia Hart co-writer Tashia Hart is a writer and artist from the Red Lake Nation of Anishinaabe in northern Minnesota. Screenplays include The Gichigami Gazette (2025), Ish Meets a Mermaid (Co-writer, 2025), and Native Love Jams (2024). Video tales include Clay Woman Falls in Love with the Lake (2024) and Plants and Healing (2021). Her literary works include the contemporary romance Native Love Jams; The Good Berry Cookbook: Harvesting and Cooking Wild Rice and Other Wild Foods; the middle-grade illustrated book Gidjie and the Wolves; Girl Unreserved, a fictionalized retelling of my own coming of age tale; and Patrick DesJarlait: Fine Artist (August 2026). Her illustration work includes 5 books in the Minnesota Native American Lives series; as an assistant illustrator of Gaa-pi-izhiwebak; and illustrator/penciller for Gidjie and the Wolves. Her short works include recipes, essays, poetry, and short stories. She lives in Duluth, MN with her husband, son, and a box turtle named Humpy. Duluth Art Institute
August 3, 2026 October 2, 2026 America/Chicago Send Flowers Register for the reception and artist talk, August 13 Send Flowers takes the postcard as its medium. A postcard, often overlooked as ephemera, becomes a centerpiece in the language of care and human relationship. This exhibition asks the viewers to notice visual language in their day to day—the billboard we pass by, or the digital consumption of art on our personal devices. Art surrounds us—let’s slow down and smell the flowers. Mailable postcards fill the gallery walls with an illustrated garden, each adorned with unique, hand-designed flowers, inviting viewers to pause, pluck their floral of choice, write a note on the back, and mail it off, sending a little piece of the exhibition to someone they love—all from within the gallery. The gesture recalls the universal symbolism of flowers and the lost art of hand-written mail. Transforming a small act of connection into a lasting, collaborative art experience. About the Artists Cody Paulson From Minnesota’s Iron Range, Cody Paulson is a local artist, designer, and Co-Director of Graphic Science. His professional background includes work as a printing press operator, community newspaper designer, and design director at Swim Creative. He later served as Senior Designer at Malley Design in Minneapolis before returning to Duluth to co-found Graphic Science in spring 2020. Paulson also started Port City Supply, a project focused on documenting Duluth’s architectural and industrial heritage. This work renewed his interest in fine art and deepened his focus on formal visual qualities. He went on to create large-scale acrylic paintings, working outside the constraints of commercial design. These works have been exhibited in galleries and shops throughout the Duluth area. Stephen Pestalozzi Stephen Pestalozzi is an artist, designer, and Co-Director of Graphic Science. Pestalozzi describes himself as a “townie at heart,” growing up in Duluth, MN. His earliest expressions emerged through the Minnesota skateboard community, where he contributed to short films, graphics, zines, and experimental art projects. Street photography became a way to document and celebrate mundane details and across daily life. He studied graphic design at the University of Minnesota Duluth and went on to work as a designer for Northern Waters Smokehaus, Creative Arcade, and later co-founded Graphic Science to explore how experimental art, brand strategy, and identity systems can intersect—each informing the other to create culturally resonant work for local businesses and organizations. Duluth Art Institute
