DAVENPORT, IOWA.- The Figge Art Museum is presenting Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past exhibition. The exhibition will travel to the Crocker Art Museum (Sacramento, CA), the Albuquerque Museum (Albuquerque, NM), and an additional venue, with its tour continuing through summer 2026 following its run at the Figge.

Tales of Futures Past brings together 39 artworks by acclaimed contemporary Indigenous artists Cara Romero (Chemehuevi) and Diego Romero (Cochiti Pueblo). This is the first nationally traveling exhibition to showcase their works in dialogue, presenting 18 of Diego Romero’s thought-provoking pottery pieces and lithographs and 20 of Cara Romero’s evocative photographs, including selections from her Indigenous Futurism series.

Reflecting on the significance of this collaboration, Cara and Diego Romero shared, “We are very excited (and moved) to have our first two person show together that illuminates ways in which our works are in conversation with each other and how our artists' lives intertwine. We deeply enjoy creating in this life together and center our existence in art and work to support each other's endeavors. It will be so touching to see the works travel together.”

This powerful new exhibition explores the diversity of Indigenous identity and experience through the distinct but interconnected practices of Cara and Diego Romero. While the husband and wife maintain individual studios, they engage with shared themes that interrogate the complexities and evolving nature of Indigenous identity. Drawing from personal perspectives and popular culture, they create artworks that confront the impacts of colonialization, celebrate resilience, and address issues of social and environmental justice through imagery deeply rooted in cultural heritage.

“This exhibition is a reminder of the power of art to reshape perceptions and worldviews,” said Vanessa Sage, Co-Senior Curator at the Figge Art Museum. “As artists and storytellers, Cara and Diego Romero encourage us to move past surface stereotypes and engage with the complexity of Indigenous identity while embracing our shared humanity and envisioning collective futures.”

Organized thematically, Tales of Futures Past features sections dedicated to rewriting historical narratives, celebrating the power of Indigeneity, advocating environmental consciousness, exploring shared mythologies, and tracing ancestral evolution.

“We are profoundly grateful to bring Tales of Futures Past to life, an exhibition that reveals both the artistry and the shared values that Cara and Diego Romero have for Indigenous representation,” said Melissa Mohr, Executive Director and CEO of the Figge Art Museum. “This exhibition invites audiences nationwide to engage with a reimagining of Indigenous identity and to join a broader conversation on American art’s evolving landscape.”

Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past is organized by the Figge Art Museum and made possible in part through the generous support of the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation. Local supporting sponsor is Modern Woodmen of America, contributing sponsor is Carolyn Levine & Leonard Kallio Trust and media sponsor is Quad Cities Business Journal.

Cara Romero (Chemehuevi/American, born 1977) is a photographer who collaborates with individuals from various tribal backgrounds to create powerful imagery drawing on Indigenous and non-Indigenous culture, heritage, and identity. An enrolled citizen of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Romero was raised between the rural Chemehuevi reservation in the Mojave Desert, CA, and Houston, TX. A skilled photographer and visual storyteller, Romero’s expansive body of work is informed by a background in cultural anthropology, photojournalism, and commercial photography.

Diego Romero (Cochiti/American, born 1964) is a potter and printmaker who draws on various sources of inspiration for his sharp-witted narrative imagery and design aesthetics. Born and raised in Berkeley, California to a Cochiti father and a non-Native mother, he often visited New Mexico as a child. Trained in traditional pottery techniques at the IAIA (Institute of American Indian Arts), Romero combines his love of comic-style illustrations, Mimbres-style figures, Greek amphora, and pop culture to create his distinctive artwork.