Highlights

The Heard Museum is hosting a free virtual art talk with Joey Clift (Cowlitz) — comedian, writer, and director — featuring a special preview of his animated short film POW!, which follows a young Native kid trying to charge his video game console at an Intertribal Pow Wow.

Clift is among the more decorated Native voices working in animation. He earned a Peabody Award nomination for writing Spirit Rangers on Netflix, and holds credits on New Looney Tunes on Cartoon Network and Molly of Denali on PBS. He also wrote and directed Gone Native, a Comedy Central digital series about the racial microaggressions Native American people often deal with. His short films have screened at Just For Laughs and The Smithsonian Museum.

POW! blends pixel-based art and Native American ledger art styles, according to ICT News, which reported the film is set to premiere in fall 2025 after making the festival circuit. The virtual talk offers a preview ahead of that release.

The session is moderated by Heard Museum Chief Programming & Engagement Officer Patty Talahongva (Hopi). Clift's work will be the focus of discussion, including his creative process and his approach to addressing difficult subjects through humor.

The event is free. Details and registration are available at heard.org.

Sources

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  1. heard.org retrieved 2026-05-06T08:11:32.130503+00:00
  2. ictnews.org retrieved 2026-05-06T08:11:32.130503+00:00

Authored by lily_ortega. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 2026-05-06T08:11:32.130503+00:00. Every claim traces to a source.