The Collection of Delores Browne Abelson

The Collection of Delores Browne Abelson opens at the Heard Museum on Thursday, October 22, and it's a look at a lifelong passion for Native American art. The exhibition honors Delores Browne Abelson (1935–2023), a ballerina, educator, and arts advocate whose collection grew out of a deep, personal interest in the work of Native artists.

On the walls, you'll find work by Harry Fonseca (Nisenan Maidu/Portuguese/Native Hawaiian), Gwen Tafoya (Santa Clara Pueblo), Hazel Koyiyumptewa (Hopi), Stella Charvarria (Santa Clara Pueblo), and Dan Namingha (Hopi). Alongside the art is a modest selection of ephemera from Browne's own archive—letters, photographs, and pamphlets that give a glimpse into the life behind the collection.

Browne's connection to these artists went beyond collecting. In 1984, she founded October Art Ltd, a New York gallery that opened right next to the Whitney Museum of American Art. For ten years, the gallery focused on championing Native artists from the Southwest, including Dan Namingha, Orville Tsinnie, Harry Fonseca, and Verma Nequatewa. Many of the artists represented in this exhibition were among those she supported through the gallery.

Before she turned to art advocacy, Browne's life was centered on dance. She started ballet as a child, trained at the Judimar School of Dance in Philadelphia, and joined the New York Negro Ballet in the late 1950s, where she danced principal roles and toured internationally. In the late 1960s, she shifted her focus to teaching and advocating for Black dancers. Her friend and former manager, Alaiyo Bradshaw, described her simply as "generous."

The exhibition runs on Thursday, October 22, from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Heard Museum, 2301 N Central Ave in Phoenix. Admission is $26.