Christopher T. Green

Christopher T. Green serves as Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History and Environmental Studies at Swarthmore College, where he teaches courses examining Indigenous art, land, and environment. His academic work bridges visual culture studies with environmental humanities, focusing on Native North American artistic traditions and contemporary practices.

• M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Art History, The Graduate Center, City University of New York
• A.B. in Art & Archaeology, Princeton University

Green's research centers on modern and contemporary Native North American art, with particular emphasis on Tlingit art and the interrelation between Northwest Coast Native art and Euro-American modernism. His scholarship explores ecocriticism, land and place in art, and the global representation of Indigenous culture, examining how Indigenous artists navigate colonial histories while asserting contemporary cultural sovereignty. His work challenges conventional art historical narratives through decolonial frameworks.

Green's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on contemporary Indigenous artistic practices across North America, with particular attention to Tlingit, Woodland, and Plains artists. His writing appears in leading art publications including Artforum, Art in America, and frieze, addressing themes of cultural representation, land sovereignty, and artistic resistance. His work shows increasing engagement with environmental themes and the intersection of Indigenous knowledge systems with contemporary art practices.

• Dedalus Foundation research support
• Smithsonian American Art Museum fellowship
• National Museum of the American Indian research grant
• International Council for Canadian Studies funding
• Sealaska Heritage Institute support
• Lost & Found: The CUNY Poetics Document Initiative grant
• Robert Rauschenberg Foundation support

Green has curated significant exhibitions including 'Speculations on the Infrared' (2021), 'Space Makers: Indigenous Expression and a New American Art' (2024-2025), and 'The sky loves to hear me sing: Woodland Art in Transmotion' (2024). His teaching portfolio spans introductory to advanced courses on Indigenous arts, modern and contemporary art, and environmental studies, with a focus on Philadelphia's Indigenous history and contemporary Native American artistic practices. His courses integrate theoretical frameworks with material analysis and community engagement.

Green leads curatorial projects that create platforms for Indigenous artists while challenging conventional museum practices. His current exhibition at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art represents a significant institutional collaboration that centers Indigenous voices in major American art institutions.