Alum spotlights Indigenous pieces through curator role at Plains Art Museum

Growing up just down the road in Glyndon, Minnesota, and having a father who taught at Minnesota State Moorhead sold Bret Salter on pursuing his studies at Moorhead. Once on campus, Salter ’17 didn’t start out with the anthropology degree that he eventually walked across stage to receive. Initially majoring in psychology, Bret realized that he sought different types of answers.

“I like that anthropology answers questions I have about culture, people, and ways of being and understanding.”  

Born into an Akwesasne Mohawk family with Indigenous art brightening his home, he realized as he got older, that it actually wasn’t in other places as he had thought. Just as his professors pushed him throughout his undergrad and graduate years, Salter began to push for more Indigenous art representation.  

Salter spent most of his undergrad researching Algonquian Linguistic Anthropology, one of the largest Indigenous language families. From hobbyist powwows to cultural misrepresentation, these research topics were just a step into the door of his future. 

Salter always wanted to learn more and share his knowledge beyond the gates of campus:. “I remember going to the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee and acquiring funding to attend conferences all over.” From Iowa to Connecticut to Winnipeg to field schools in the middle of nowhere, his travels are a testament to how Moorhead students' learning experiences go outside the classroom. 

  Leaving the tundra to pursue a post grad degree at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, he didn’t stay there for long before coming back to follow in his father’s footsteps as an adjunct professor – first a fill-in for Bruce Roberts during his sabbatical at MSUM, than at M State. 

During COVID, he took an unexpected job in the art industry. 

Salter’s great grandfather was one of the first American Indians to receive his MFA. This inspired him to pursue a role in art. “It’s really special for me to look back where he started and see where I’m starting now.” After presenting at the Student Academic conference as a student, Salter now presents work of his own as a curator at the Plains Art Museum, finding answers he once longed for. 

His day-to-day tasks vary, which makes the job fun. Salter opens exhibits, installs new art, or curates pieces. “I also spend a lot of time on exhibition planning, researching grants, and sending countless emails reaching out for pieces,” he says. 

Despite much joy for this newfound role, there have been learning obstacles. “The art world has a different writing style, and I’ve never taken an art class,” Salter says. 

But his coworkers are patient and kind, serving as an anchor as Salter adjusts. He also loves watching people react to the exhibits he’s helped put up and answering their questions. 

Although he may no longer be a student, or teaching in the classroom, Salter curates conversations and learning opportunities for every person who walks through the Plains Art Museum, calling attention to Indigenous creativity.