May 16 | 1p - 2p
Tickets: $10 [MMAM Member + Student Rate: $5]
Join Gordon Coons, a Wisconsin-born artist and enrolled member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe of Wisconsin, for a special walking tour of his exhibition Gordon Coons: Gidibaajimomin / We Tell Stories, on view at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum May 9 through August 30, 2026.
Working across mediums, from linoleum block prints and paintings to sculpture and works created with cedar smoke and gold leaf, Coons brings a vibrant, contemporary perspective to the Woodland Style, drawing inspiration from Ojibwa rock paintings, petroglyphs, birch bark drawings, and oral traditions. His bold colors and interconnecting lines reflect systems of communication, seasonal meaning, and the deep connections between people, place, and story.
During this intimate tour, Coons will share insights into his artistic practice, process, and the cultural knowledge embedded in his work. Rooted in the Ojibwa concept of Gidibaajimomin, meaning “we tell stories,” his work emphasizes the importance of teaching, sharing, and storytelling as a way of life.
Meet the Artist tickets are required and space is limited. This program is part of the May New Look Weekend.
About the artist
Gordon Coons is an enrolled member of Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Band of Lake Superior Indians of Wisconsin and Ottawa/Potawatomi from his mother from Michigan. Gordon is a painter, printmaker, and fumage artist. Largely self-taught, he paints in the Ojibwa Woodland style and creates fumage, smoke art, by burning cedar. He embellishes his fumage pieces with 24-karat gold leaf to represent the grandfather the sun. He also prints with linoleum blocks. Coons draws inspiration from his Anishinaabe heritage, and his bright color palette comes from his natural surrounds in the Great Lakes region. “I also enjoy incorporating playfulness in my images, telling stories of relationships between Western and Native cultures, and the connection we have to our shared historical events,” he says in his artist statement. Gordon Coons exhibits nationally, and his work is in permanent collections across the country. More of his artwork can be seen online at gordoncoons.com.
New Look Weekend
This event is part of the May New Look Weekend, celebrating the opening of two new exhibitions, Gordon Coons: Gidibaajimomin / We Tell Stories and Myths & Legends of Minnesota: An Exhibition of the Minnesota Plein Air Collective. Stop by to see the new exhibitions, or join the programming on Saturday, May 16 with unique opportunities to meet the artists, see demonstrations, and take a deeper dive into the exhibitions.
