Mission
The Gochman Family Collection (GFC) mission is to expand and deepen the global understanding of contemporary Native art. The Collection supports and promotes artists whose practices critically engage with colonial worldviews and challenge dominant historical narratives. Through this work, GFC aims to foster dialogue, encourage exchange, and contribute to a broader, more nuanced worldview of contemporary Indigenous creative expression.
GFC holds one of the world’s most influential and largest collections of contemporary Native art, comprising over 750 works. As a lending collection, GFC prioritizes visibility through a fee-free lending program that has placed more than 260 works in over 100 exhibitions worldwide. Beyond its collection, the organization provides direct artist support, hosts public programming at its New York City headquarters and global outposts, and conducts ongoing research to provide updated scholarship. Operating with a collaborative structure, GFC aims to create environments where ideas are exchanged, and art collecting serves as a mutually beneficial bridge between artists and the public.
In Fall 2026, GFC plans to open a 10,000 sq ft. exhibition space in Katonah, in New York’s Lower Hudson Valley, opening in Fall 2026. Easily accessible by train from New York City, the new space will present rotating exhibitions drawn from the Collection’s holdings and serve as a gathering place for artists, scholars, and the public—further advancing GFC’s mission to expand and deepen global understanding of contemporary Native art, while ensuring these works remain visible, actively engaged, and in ongoing dialogue with institutions and communities.
Team:
Moonoka Begay (Ndee + Diné), Assistant Curator
Nicole van Brugge, Collection Associate
Audrey Lea Collins, Head of Art Collection & Registrar
Becky Gochman, Custodian
Rachel Martin (Tlingít), Creative Director and Curator
Laura Phipps, Director
Additional support for GFC provided by:
Rachel Cohen, Noemi Fernandez, Tess Lasure, Brendan McKenney, Marta Meza, Norma Racho, Elizabeth Ramirez, Allison Rosiecki, Mari Smith
Curatorial consultants:
Shándíín Brown (Diné)
Ginger Dunnill
Zach Feuer
Candice Hopkins (Carcross/Tagish First Nation)
Larissa Nez (Diné)
FAQ:
How was GFC founded?
- Becky Gochman and Zach Feuer co-founded the Gochman Family Collection in 2021. Prior to the start of the collection, they co-founded Forge Project —an independent Native-led nonprofit organization based in New York headed by Executive Director & Chief Curator, Candice Hopkins (Carcross/Tagish First Nation), and Director of Indigenous Programs & Relationality, Sarah Biscarra Dilley (yaktitʸutitʸuyaktiłhini [Northern Chumash]), whose mandate is to cultivate and advance Indigenous leadership in arts and culture. The activities of Forge Project inspired the formation and direction of GFC.
Does GFC exclusively collect work from Indigenous artists?
- While the core of the Collection remains devoted to contemporary Indigenous artists, GFC also holds the work of non-Native artists whose practices broadens and deepens global conversations around identity, history, and cultural perspective.
Is GFC related to the Forge Project?
- Becky Gochman, Custodian of GFC, co-founded Forge Project with Zach Feuer in 2021. Forge was initially established as a private organization to facilitate an immediate, direct impact within the arts and cultural landscape. Forge transitioned to an independent nonprofit organization in 2024, and Gochman provided seed funding to aid in the development and implementation of Forge’s Native-led organizational models. Executive Director & Chief Curator, Candice Hopkins, and Director of Indigenous Programs & Relationality, Sarah Biscarra Dilley lead the organization which cultivates and advances Indigenous leadership in arts and culture across its many programs and activities.
How can I view the collection?
- Online: Full access to collection images and information is available on the Artwork section of the website.
- In person: GFC hosts public tours of the collection in NY monthly and, on occasion in West Palm Beach. Please subscribe to the monthly GFC newsletter and follow @gochmancollection on Instagram for information about upcoming public tours. Tours for groups can be requested by reaching out to [email protected]
Is there ever a charge for tours?
- All tours of GFC are free and do not require a ticket, though you may be asked to RSVP.
How can I request a loan?
- Facilitating a fee-free lending program is core to GFC's guiding principles. For questions about the borrowing process or loan inquiries, please reach out to the Head of Art Collection & Registrar: [email protected]