Mary Young Bear, an enrolled member of the Meskwaki Nation, is an artist, curator, cultural historian, educator, and civic leader based in Tama, Iowa, with influence extending beyond the local sphere. Her creativity and leadership led her to be inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 2021, while her children, Sarah Young Bear-Brown and Daniel Young Bear-Brown carry on the family's traditions of exquisite beadwork and civic activism. Meskwaki art making practices are the oldest, original form of artwork in Iowa, tracing back centuries while remaining vital today. These items, many of which have been worn or used, show how three individuals express their own unique style and interests as well as carry on the heritage of their community.

Mary Young Bear is the conservator and cultural director at the Meskwaki Cultural Center Museum in Tama. Her work is in the collection of the Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe and she has served as an artist-in-residence at the Denver Art Museum. Meskwaki Doll,  created by Mary Young Bear and her son Daniel Young Bear-Brown, is intended to depict a Meskwaki man in traditionl ceremonial regalia, with each detail a miniaturized version of adornments and clothing made from the same materials and in the same patterns as their full-size counterparts.

Daniel Young Bear-Brown lives and works in Tama. Beyond creating beadwork, he performs with the Brown Otter dance troupe. Additionally, Sarah and Daniel have participated in the Arctic and Indigenous Virtual Artist Network hosted at the University of Northern Iowa. 

Source: DMAC NEWS, Sep Oct Nov Dec 2023