Plains Art Museum Premieres New Exhibition, Ghost Writing
Press Release
For Immediate Release (March 2025)
Fargo, North Dakota – Plains Art Museum is pleased to present Jaque Fragua’s mid-career retrospective, Ghost Writing. This exhibition will be on view in the Fred Donath Jr. Memorial Gallery. Fragua is a contemporary Indigenous artist from the Pueblo of Jemez in New Mexico. Ghost Writing features over fifteen years of work, including painting, installation, neon signage, and a large-scale mural, as well as ten new pieces created specifically for this exhibition. The exhibition’s title is inspired by the Ghost Dance – a Native American social and spiritual movement that promised to restore land and traditional ways of life.
Ghost Writing runs April 5, 2025 through March 15, 2026. An opening reception will be held Saturday, April 5, from 6 to 9 pm with remarks by the artist at 7 pm. This event is free and open to the public.
Fragua’s work, inspired by street art, Pop Art, and activism, delves into themes of reappropriation and reclamation. Ghost Writing offers a profound and timely reflection on the complex realities of Indigenous sovereignty, identity, and resilience. Connecting deeply to his ancestral knowledge, this body of work incorporates patterns, symbols, prayers, and motifs that convey Indigenous stories in present-day contexts. Through humor, irony, and poignant symbolism, Fragua challenges colonial legacies and disrupts harmful narratives while addressing pressing issues within Native communities today.
“This exhibition is a powerful convergence of storytelling and resistance. I am incredibly grateful to work with Jaque Fragua and bring Ghost Writing to fruition at the Plains Art Museum. His ability to capture a visual narrative that resonates deeply with Indigenous people and experiences is truly inspiring”.
— Delia Touché, Curator of Indigenous Programming
This exhibition is accompanied by a catalog that features an interview with the artist and essays by Erin Shapiro (Director & CEO), Dr. Danielle Gravon (Chief Curator), Delia Touché (Curator of Indigenous Programming), Dr. Gavin Healy, Ernest Hill, and Tony Abeyta. Ghost Writing is generously supported by the Windrose Fund of Common Counsel Foundation.
Plains Art Museum is the largest and only accredited art museum in North Dakota and Western Minnesota. General admission is free thanks to strong and growing support from over 800 households and businesses. The Museum manages a permanent collection of over 4,000 objects, organizes and presents dozens of exhibitions annually, facilitates public art projects, and leads over 200 educational programs and experiences for all ages every year. The Museum, and its Katherine Kilbourne Burgum Center for Creativity, are located at 704 First Avenue North in downtown Fargo. For more information about visiting or supporting your art museum, visit plainsart.org.