Jonathan Thunder Encourages Students to Find Their Own Voice Through Art
October 13, 2026
Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Perpich students welcomed Ojibwe artist and filmmaker Jonathan Thunder for a day of exploring how personal experiences, cultural identity, and the world around us can shape creative work. Jonathan Thunder spoke with students during Common Ex on Monday, October 12th. Common Ex is a series of presentations where students hear about the artistic life from practicing artists, including many Perpich graduates.
Jonathan Thunder spoke with students during Common Ex on Monday, October 12th. Common Ex is a series of presentations where students hear about the artistic life from practicing artists, including many Perpich graduates.
Thunder, whose work spans painting, animation, murals, and film, shared how his connection to Ojibwe culture and storytelling influences his art. Growing up in the Twin Cities, he said, he often encountered representations of Native Americans limited to the 1800s. Discovering books by Ojibwe author Basil Johnston helped him connect more deeply with his heritage and inspired him to tell stories in his own way.
Today, Thunder brings together Indigenous history, mythology, animation, hip-hop, and contemporary culture to create work that reflects both where he comes from and the world he sees around him. His paintings often weave together seemingly unexpected elements, inviting viewers to look closer and discover the stories behind them.
“Authenticity, that’s the only advice that I ever give to students,” Thunder told students. “Because if it’s [someone else’s] work, then it’s already been done, right? You already did that.”
Thunder also discussed the collaborative nature of filmmaking, describing it as a “social art” in which people work together to tell a story. While painting and drawing remain his creative safe place, he sees each medium as an opportunity to explore ideas, connect with others, and share perspectives.
In the afternoon, Perpich Media Arts students had the opportunity to dive deeper into Thunder’s filmmaking process, watch his recent live-action film, and ask questions about visual storytelling and creative practice.
The visit offered students a reminder that art can be both deeply personal and widely meaningful. By drawing on their own experiences, influences, and identities, artists can tell stories that might otherwise go unheard.
Jonathan Thunder attended the Institute of American Indian Arts – Studio Arts Program in Santa Fe (1999-2000) and received a B.A. in Visual Effects and Motion Graphics from the Art Institute International in Minneapolis (2005). His epic animated mural “Manifest’o” was installed in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport 2021 – 2023. Thunder has received numerous awards and fellowships, including the Jim Denomie Memorial Scholarship, the McKnight Foundation Fellowship, the Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, and the Tiwahe Foundation Leadership Grant. His work has been included in numerous one-person, two-person, and group exhibitions at All My Relations Gallery, the Duluth Art Institute, the Highpoint Center for Printmaking, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Muskegon Museum of Art, Rochester Art Center, and the Tweed Museum of Art. Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology premiered on PBS “American Masters” in 2023.
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