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| Main page for the virtual tour - American Indian Pottery - American Indian objects, textiles and paintings - Australian Aboriginal paintings - Nigerian paintings - Inuit objects and Oceanic objects - African objects page 1 - African objects page 2 - Opening reception photos - Exhibition Main Page |
Lakota Boys beaded vest (LEFT), quilled vest (RIGHT)
Beaded and Quilled Boy’s Vests:
These beautifully decorated objects of clothing were influenced by vests worn by Anglo settlers and were very popular from the 1890’s through
the 1920’s among the Plains Tribes. They were worn primarily on special occasions and were an indication of the prowess of the women who
did the bead and quill work. (West side of upper lobby)
Beaded and Quilled Boy’s Vests:
These beautifully decorated objects of clothing were influenced by vests worn by Anglo settlers and were very popular from the 1890’s through
the 1920’s among the Plains Tribes. They were worn primarily on special occasions and were an indication of the prowess of the women who
did the bead and quill work. (West side of upper lobby)
| An old photograph showing a young boy wearing a similar beaded vest. |
| (LEFT) Inland Tlingit moccasins (RIGHT) Lakota (Sioux) moccasins |
| (FAR RIGHT) Southern Arapahoe moccasins |
Native American jewelry
Jewelry styles were different in every American Indian tribe, but the differences were less marked than with other arts and crafts, because jewelry and the
materials used for making it (beads, shells, copper and silver, ivory, amber, turquoise and other stones) were major trade items long before European
arrival in America. After colonization, Native American jewelry-making traditions remained strong, incorporating, rather than being replaced by, new
materials and techniques such as glass beads and more advanced metalworking techniques. There are two very general categories of Native American
jewelry: metalwork, and beadwork. Before Europeans came native metalwork was fairly simple, consisting primarily of hammering and etching copper into
pendants or earrings and fashioning copper and silver into beads. After Navajo, Hopi and Pueblo artists learned silversmithing from the Spanish in the
1800's, metal jewelry arts blossomed in the Southwest, and distinctive native jewelry like the squash blossom necklace, Hopi silver overlay bracelets, and
Navajo turquoise inlay rings developed from the fusion of the new techniques with traditional designs. Native beadwork, on the other hand, was already
extremely advanced in pre-Columbian times, including the fine grinding of turquoise, coral, and shell beads into smooth heishi necklaces, the delicate
carving of individual wood and bone beads, the soaking and piecing of porcupine quills, and the intricate stitching of thousands of beads together.
Porcupine quillwork has nearly died out (though some young artists are taking a renewed interest in it) but all of these other forms of beadwork are still
going strong, though imported Czech seed beads have been the favored medium among many Indian artists for centuries now.
(http://www.native-languages.org/jewelry.htm) (West side of upper lobby)
Jewelry styles were different in every American Indian tribe, but the differences were less marked than with other arts and crafts, because jewelry and the
materials used for making it (beads, shells, copper and silver, ivory, amber, turquoise and other stones) were major trade items long before European
arrival in America. After colonization, Native American jewelry-making traditions remained strong, incorporating, rather than being replaced by, new
materials and techniques such as glass beads and more advanced metalworking techniques. There are two very general categories of Native American
jewelry: metalwork, and beadwork. Before Europeans came native metalwork was fairly simple, consisting primarily of hammering and etching copper into
pendants or earrings and fashioning copper and silver into beads. After Navajo, Hopi and Pueblo artists learned silversmithing from the Spanish in the
1800's, metal jewelry arts blossomed in the Southwest, and distinctive native jewelry like the squash blossom necklace, Hopi silver overlay bracelets, and
Navajo turquoise inlay rings developed from the fusion of the new techniques with traditional designs. Native beadwork, on the other hand, was already
extremely advanced in pre-Columbian times, including the fine grinding of turquoise, coral, and shell beads into smooth heishi necklaces, the delicate
carving of individual wood and bone beads, the soaking and piecing of porcupine quills, and the intricate stitching of thousands of beads together.
Porcupine quillwork has nearly died out (though some young artists are taking a renewed interest in it) but all of these other forms of beadwork are still
going strong, though imported Czech seed beads have been the favored medium among many Indian artists for centuries now.
(http://www.native-languages.org/jewelry.htm) (West side of upper lobby)
Dan Namingha painting, Hopi-Tewa
Dan is from the Tewa-Hopi tribe. He has been showing professionally as an artist for thirty years. His works command unwavering respect for the earth
and spirit of his ancestry, the beautiful heritage that is the heart of his creativity. He is constantly drawn to his roots so deeply embedded in ceremony yet
allows us only a guarded glimpse of his sacred traditions; the spirit messengers, the kachinas representing blessings, ancestors and cloud people ... all of
these forming the interim of visage between the physical and the spirit world. Dan paints and sculpts the imagery of his homeland and his peoples, always
with the integrity instilled in him by that depth of belief and love of spirit. Drawing and paintings was a natural part of Hopi childhood. It gave him a way to
express his strong feelings about the culture and environment leading to a path of creative freedom. Dan feels that change and evolution are a
continuum; socially, politically, and spiritually and that the future of our planet and membership of the human race must be monitored to insure survival in
the spirit of cultural and technology diversity. He says that only then can we merge the positive and negative polarization and balance so necessary to the
communal spirit of the universe. (West side of upper lobby)
Dan is from the Tewa-Hopi tribe. He has been showing professionally as an artist for thirty years. His works command unwavering respect for the earth
and spirit of his ancestry, the beautiful heritage that is the heart of his creativity. He is constantly drawn to his roots so deeply embedded in ceremony yet
allows us only a guarded glimpse of his sacred traditions; the spirit messengers, the kachinas representing blessings, ancestors and cloud people ... all of
these forming the interim of visage between the physical and the spirit world. Dan paints and sculpts the imagery of his homeland and his peoples, always
with the integrity instilled in him by that depth of belief and love of spirit. Drawing and paintings was a natural part of Hopi childhood. It gave him a way to
express his strong feelings about the culture and environment leading to a path of creative freedom. Dan feels that change and evolution are a
continuum; socially, politically, and spiritually and that the future of our planet and membership of the human race must be monitored to insure survival in
the spirit of cultural and technology diversity. He says that only then can we merge the positive and negative polarization and balance so necessary to the
communal spirit of the universe. (West side of upper lobby)
Mateo Romero painting, Cochiti Pueblo
Mateo graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in painting and art history. He has an MFA from the University of New Mexico in printmaking. Mateo
was also granted an honorary AFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts where he was a painting instructor. His listing of shows and awards are
numerous and impressive. He won first place ribbons in lithography at the 1994 Santa Fe Indian Market, Best of Class 3 (painting), Best of Division
(drawing), and First Place (printmaking), at the 1991 Indian Market. Museums that have collected his work include the Museum of Civilization, Denver Art
Museum in Denver, Colorado; Poeh Cultural Center in Pojoaque Pueblo, New Mexico; Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Museum
of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Spencer Art Museum in Lawrence, Kansas; Missouri Historical Society in Forest Park, Missouri; and
the Peabody Essex Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (West side of upper lobby)
Mateo graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in painting and art history. He has an MFA from the University of New Mexico in printmaking. Mateo
was also granted an honorary AFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts where he was a painting instructor. His listing of shows and awards are
numerous and impressive. He won first place ribbons in lithography at the 1994 Santa Fe Indian Market, Best of Class 3 (painting), Best of Division
(drawing), and First Place (printmaking), at the 1991 Indian Market. Museums that have collected his work include the Museum of Civilization, Denver Art
Museum in Denver, Colorado; Poeh Cultural Center in Pojoaque Pueblo, New Mexico; Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Museum
of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Spencer Art Museum in Lawrence, Kansas; Missouri Historical Society in Forest Park, Missouri; and
the Peabody Essex Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (West side of upper lobby)
Frank Howell painting
Frank Howell's work is described as a fusion of the physical and spiritual worlds, the continuum of life. Whether he is painting an Indian face or a
landscape, there is a sense of evolving; an evolution of past, present, and the dawning of the future. "My work is very representational in some respects,
and it's kind of explosive and expansive in other respects. I combine these directions, and, really, that's what has been accepted as the uniqueness in my
work-it's at the same time contemporary and traditional." A well-known Southwest painter, print-maker and gallery owner, he did finely rendered, etching
like portraits of time-worn Native Americans. His goal was to depict the dignity of his subjects. He was born in Sioux City Iowa and raised in a small home
overlooking the Missouri River. He studied art and writing at the Unviersity of Northern Iowa and taught high school in Iowa. In the late 1960s, he moved
to Colorado and opened Breckenridge Galleries. After living briefly in Taos and Colorado, he opened the Howell Gallery in Santa Fe. He was an
accomplished photographer, and writer of an art computer program. Frank Howell was described as "having the remarkable ability to make a person feel
that, for a moment in time, they were the most important person in his life. Understand that painting is a wonderful kind of mirror that reflects the inner
you, not your external appearance. You will have a sense of a kind of timelessness, humanness the poetics in all things."
Frank Howell's work is described as a fusion of the physical and spiritual worlds, the continuum of life. Whether he is painting an Indian face or a
landscape, there is a sense of evolving; an evolution of past, present, and the dawning of the future. "My work is very representational in some respects,
and it's kind of explosive and expansive in other respects. I combine these directions, and, really, that's what has been accepted as the uniqueness in my
work-it's at the same time contemporary and traditional." A well-known Southwest painter, print-maker and gallery owner, he did finely rendered, etching
like portraits of time-worn Native Americans. His goal was to depict the dignity of his subjects. He was born in Sioux City Iowa and raised in a small home
overlooking the Missouri River. He studied art and writing at the Unviersity of Northern Iowa and taught high school in Iowa. In the late 1960s, he moved
to Colorado and opened Breckenridge Galleries. After living briefly in Taos and Colorado, he opened the Howell Gallery in Santa Fe. He was an
accomplished photographer, and writer of an art computer program. Frank Howell was described as "having the remarkable ability to make a person feel
that, for a moment in time, they were the most important person in his life. Understand that painting is a wonderful kind of mirror that reflects the inner
you, not your external appearance. You will have a sense of a kind of timelessness, humanness the poetics in all things."
| R.C. Gorman July 26, 1931 - November 3, 2005 Concho |
"R.C. Gorman, Navajo artist, rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the emergence of the so-called "New Indian Art Movement." His simple, yet often
elegant, oil pastel drawings of women, not to mention his flamboyant personality and flair for self-promotion, soon gained him national attention and a
popular following. Gorman is primarily known for his original lithographs, the backbone of his market, the majority of which have been published by
Western Graphics Workshop. Other media in which he has worked include oil and acrylic painting, intaglio, serigraphy, ceramics, bronze sculpture and
paper casting. Numerous posters and books have been published on the artist." - Source
elegant, oil pastel drawings of women, not to mention his flamboyant personality and flair for self-promotion, soon gained him national attention and a
popular following. Gorman is primarily known for his original lithographs, the backbone of his market, the majority of which have been published by
Western Graphics Workshop. Other media in which he has worked include oil and acrylic painting, intaglio, serigraphy, ceramics, bronze sculpture and
paper casting. Numerous posters and books have been published on the artist." - Source
| JD Challenger "Unique" |
JD Challenger "was born in Oklahoma with a creative fire that first began to smolder when he was a very young child. After moving to Taos, New
Mexico, Challenger enjoyed success as an artist painting landscapes. Privately, he continued to draw and paint as he was learning about Native
Americans. He was reluctant to show his paintings in public for fear of offending a people he greatly admired. Working in oils and acrylics on canvas, as
well as watercolor, his style continued to emerge and his passion grew.
Upon witnessing a Ghost Dance ceremony being filmed for a movie, Challenger came face to face with his mission in life. "As I stood there watching the
chanting and the dancing, I knew what I wanted to paint... nothing had ever been clearer." His wife, Denise, encouraged him to show his work to his
Native American friends, one of whom was a holy man. When he did so, he received their blessing and was told, "There has to be a messenger and he
doesn't have to be one of our People. The Creator chooses His own messengers. Your path is to tell our story and educate people about the past and
about what is still happening today." Challenger takes his role seriously, but modestly declines credit for his remarkable gifts. "The thing I do best is paint.
I prefer to look at it as 'not me' doing it, I'm just the instrument... The Creator, the brush, the paint, and then me.
JD Challenger paints the story of a people rich in heritage and traditions; stories sometimes poignant, often angry... but always powerful and demanding
to be told. Each portrait speaks its own truth. Challenger is the vessel that paints that truth." - Source
Mexico, Challenger enjoyed success as an artist painting landscapes. Privately, he continued to draw and paint as he was learning about Native
Americans. He was reluctant to show his paintings in public for fear of offending a people he greatly admired. Working in oils and acrylics on canvas, as
well as watercolor, his style continued to emerge and his passion grew.
Upon witnessing a Ghost Dance ceremony being filmed for a movie, Challenger came face to face with his mission in life. "As I stood there watching the
chanting and the dancing, I knew what I wanted to paint... nothing had ever been clearer." His wife, Denise, encouraged him to show his work to his
Native American friends, one of whom was a holy man. When he did so, he received their blessing and was told, "There has to be a messenger and he
doesn't have to be one of our People. The Creator chooses His own messengers. Your path is to tell our story and educate people about the past and
about what is still happening today." Challenger takes his role seriously, but modestly declines credit for his remarkable gifts. "The thing I do best is paint.
I prefer to look at it as 'not me' doing it, I'm just the instrument... The Creator, the brush, the paint, and then me.
JD Challenger paints the story of a people rich in heritage and traditions; stories sometimes poignant, often angry... but always powerful and demanding
to be told. Each portrait speaks its own truth. Challenger is the vessel that paints that truth." - Source
Fritz Scholder - Hopi Dancers - 1974 - Created for the Denver Art Museum Native Arts Department
"We need art more than ever as we stagger toward the Millennium."
Art was always of central importance in Fritz Scholder's life. As a boy in the northern Midwest, he passed the long winter evenings by drawing and,
although he was well into his teens before he ever met a professional artist, his family supported his artistic ambitions.
Although Scholder was of one-quarter Native American descent, he grew up far from any contact with Native American culture or artifacts. He was in
graduate school when he had his first direct contact with the native peoples of the American Southwest. The Southwestern landscape, its people and their
art had a profound influence on the artist, whose combination of native themes with the techniques of modern art made him a leader of what has
sometimes been called the New American Indian Art movement. Scholder traveled widely, and although the arts and folklore of Europe and the Near East
also informed his work, he remains best known for his painting of American Indians.
Today, Fritz Scholder's painting and sculpture are exhibited all over the world, and many of his works are in the permanent collections of major American
museums.
"We need art more than ever as we stagger toward the Millennium."
Art was always of central importance in Fritz Scholder's life. As a boy in the northern Midwest, he passed the long winter evenings by drawing and,
although he was well into his teens before he ever met a professional artist, his family supported his artistic ambitions.
Although Scholder was of one-quarter Native American descent, he grew up far from any contact with Native American culture or artifacts. He was in
graduate school when he had his first direct contact with the native peoples of the American Southwest. The Southwestern landscape, its people and their
art had a profound influence on the artist, whose combination of native themes with the techniques of modern art made him a leader of what has
sometimes been called the New American Indian Art movement. Scholder traveled widely, and although the arts and folklore of Europe and the Near East
also informed his work, he remains best known for his painting of American Indians.
Today, Fritz Scholder's painting and sculpture are exhibited all over the world, and many of his works are in the permanent collections of major American
museums.
Parfleche Envelopes (1 Crow, 1 Sioux):
Parfleche – a French term meaning to parry or turn an arrow has become the word used to describe Native American rawhide containers. These
elaborately decorated pieces were generally made in pairs and used to transport dried foods. They were also used as a general all-purpose packing
case for clothing and ceremonial items. (West side of lower lobby)
Parfleche – a French term meaning to parry or turn an arrow has become the word used to describe Native American rawhide containers. These
elaborately decorated pieces were generally made in pairs and used to transport dried foods. They were also used as a general all-purpose packing
case for clothing and ceremonial items. (West side of lower lobby)
Hunchback Yei rug and Navajo rugs
Shiprock-Red Rock Rugs are also called Yei rugs because they have figures of Yeis, taken from traditional sand paintings. Yeis are part of Navajo
religion, but the rugs themselves have no religious significance. Sandpainting as an art was first seen in tapestries and later in paintings and drawings.
These forms still exist. As weavings, very few Navajos will attempt a sandpainting; they are extremely difficult to do well and require a long time to finish the
final tapestry. Those who undertake this task can — and do — command a high premium. The Navajo Yei rug, first woven with great controversy near the
turn of the century, quickly became popular because of its resale success. (Legends in Sand: The Evolution of the Modern Navajo Sandpainting) (South
side of upper lobby) CLICK HERE for more information on Navajo rugs in general (link will open in a new window)
Shiprock-Red Rock Rugs are also called Yei rugs because they have figures of Yeis, taken from traditional sand paintings. Yeis are part of Navajo
religion, but the rugs themselves have no religious significance. Sandpainting as an art was first seen in tapestries and later in paintings and drawings.
These forms still exist. As weavings, very few Navajos will attempt a sandpainting; they are extremely difficult to do well and require a long time to finish the
final tapestry. Those who undertake this task can — and do — command a high premium. The Navajo Yei rug, first woven with great controversy near the
turn of the century, quickly became popular because of its resale success. (Legends in Sand: The Evolution of the Modern Navajo Sandpainting) (South
side of upper lobby) CLICK HERE for more information on Navajo rugs in general (link will open in a new window)
| Hopi Katsinas (Kachinas) 1 contemporary (left) and 2 traditional style older Katsinas on the right. |
Kachina (Katsina) dolls
In Pueblo religious practices, Kachina (also spelled Katsina) refers to three related things:
* Supernatural entities or spirits capable of influencing the natural world.
* The men of the tribe dressed and masked to represent the Kachinas in traditional dances/ceremonies. Their belief is that such dancers actually
become the spirits they represent for the duration of the ceremony. Even though there are male and female Kachinas, only men can represent them.
* In Hopi and Zuni tribes, masked dolls which represent Kachina spirits, made (by the Hopi) of cottonwood root or (by the Zuni) of pine. They are
presented to the women and children of the tribe and are kept in the home as fetish objects.
The Kachina are ancestral spirits which act as intermediaries between humans and the gods. The identity of each Kachina is depicted by the specific
shape of the mask, intricate use of color, and elaborate ornamentation with feathers, leather, and fabric. Each Kachina is also portrayed using distinct
behavior, dance steps, gestures, and vocalizations. Each kiva is home to a secret society which (generally) reveres a single Kachina. Members of the
kiva take on the identity of the Kachina spirit they revere. Upon reaching puberty, young men in the Pueblo are inducted into a kiva, where they learn the
secrets associated with that Kachina. Women are not members of kivas, although they are taught the mythology and religious practices in a more
general way. Different Pueblo cultures adhere to their secrecy pledges to different degrees. The Hopi, for example, have allowed their religious dances
to become tourist attractions and freely sell Kachina dolls and masks to non-Hopis. The Zunis, on the other hand, have traditionally been much more
secretive about their religious practices. Over 300 different Kachinas have been identified across Pueblo cultures. (East side of upper lobby)
Kachina can also be seen in the painting by Kathleen Sanchez of New Mexico entitled “Crow Mother Kachina and Zia Pot” (West side of lower lobby)
In Pueblo religious practices, Kachina (also spelled Katsina) refers to three related things:
* Supernatural entities or spirits capable of influencing the natural world.
* The men of the tribe dressed and masked to represent the Kachinas in traditional dances/ceremonies. Their belief is that such dancers actually
become the spirits they represent for the duration of the ceremony. Even though there are male and female Kachinas, only men can represent them.
* In Hopi and Zuni tribes, masked dolls which represent Kachina spirits, made (by the Hopi) of cottonwood root or (by the Zuni) of pine. They are
presented to the women and children of the tribe and are kept in the home as fetish objects.
The Kachina are ancestral spirits which act as intermediaries between humans and the gods. The identity of each Kachina is depicted by the specific
shape of the mask, intricate use of color, and elaborate ornamentation with feathers, leather, and fabric. Each Kachina is also portrayed using distinct
behavior, dance steps, gestures, and vocalizations. Each kiva is home to a secret society which (generally) reveres a single Kachina. Members of the
kiva take on the identity of the Kachina spirit they revere. Upon reaching puberty, young men in the Pueblo are inducted into a kiva, where they learn the
secrets associated with that Kachina. Women are not members of kivas, although they are taught the mythology and religious practices in a more
general way. Different Pueblo cultures adhere to their secrecy pledges to different degrees. The Hopi, for example, have allowed their religious dances
to become tourist attractions and freely sell Kachina dolls and masks to non-Hopis. The Zunis, on the other hand, have traditionally been much more
secretive about their religious practices. Over 300 different Kachinas have been identified across Pueblo cultures. (East side of upper lobby)
Kachina can also be seen in the painting by Kathleen Sanchez of New Mexico entitled “Crow Mother Kachina and Zia Pot” (West side of lower lobby)
| Seferina Ortiz, Cochiti "Storyteller" |
Storyteller dolls
The time honored Indian pueblo pottery tradition of working with clay and telling stories has merged into a modern art form of 'storyteller' pottery dolls.
The art of making clay effigies is as ancient as the Anasazi peoples who inhabited the deserts of New Mexico many centuries ago. In recent history, it is
the Cochiti pueblo potters who are known for clay effigies depicting many different aspects of their everyday life. Yet, it was not until 1964, that Helen
Cordero of the Cochiti pueblo created her first 'storyteller' figure. Cordero's storyteller model was her grandfather, who gathered his grandchildren
around him to play the drum, sing them songs, and tell stories of their Indian heritage and traditions.
It is estimated that there are well over 200 Pueblo potters now creating storytellers. Every potter has their own special clay, technique, tools, and colors
that are used to create their art. Most artists collect their own clay from the earth, and still use the traditional firing techniques that take place in the
ground. No molds are used, they are entirely hand made, making each piece a special one of a kind work of art.
(http://www.taostrading.com/eshox_pages/storyteller.html)
The time honored Indian pueblo pottery tradition of working with clay and telling stories has merged into a modern art form of 'storyteller' pottery dolls.
The art of making clay effigies is as ancient as the Anasazi peoples who inhabited the deserts of New Mexico many centuries ago. In recent history, it is
the Cochiti pueblo potters who are known for clay effigies depicting many different aspects of their everyday life. Yet, it was not until 1964, that Helen
Cordero of the Cochiti pueblo created her first 'storyteller' figure. Cordero's storyteller model was her grandfather, who gathered his grandchildren
around him to play the drum, sing them songs, and tell stories of their Indian heritage and traditions.
It is estimated that there are well over 200 Pueblo potters now creating storytellers. Every potter has their own special clay, technique, tools, and colors
that are used to create their art. Most artists collect their own clay from the earth, and still use the traditional firing techniques that take place in the
ground. No molds are used, they are entirely hand made, making each piece a special one of a kind work of art.
(http://www.taostrading.com/eshox_pages/storyteller.html)
Apsaroke-Crow mirror bag:
"When a Crow Indian man dressed to visit a trading post, to visit another tribe, or to take part in a parade or other festivity at home, he commonly carried
over one arm a skin pouch containing his toilet articles-primarily a trade mirror, face paints and comb. Documentation of mirror bags is considerably more
elusive. Like most Crow-style pieces, mirror bags are known to have been used by the Crow but are also in evidence among Plateau people who may or
may not have made them. All mirror bags include four separate color schemes on a single side, each scheme using a few colors from the adjoining
schemes, rearranging their importance, and often adding a few colors.''; Wright, ed., 1991, p. 64, no. 19. (West side of upper lobby)
"When a Crow Indian man dressed to visit a trading post, to visit another tribe, or to take part in a parade or other festivity at home, he commonly carried
over one arm a skin pouch containing his toilet articles-primarily a trade mirror, face paints and comb. Documentation of mirror bags is considerably more
elusive. Like most Crow-style pieces, mirror bags are known to have been used by the Crow but are also in evidence among Plateau people who may or
may not have made them. All mirror bags include four separate color schemes on a single side, each scheme using a few colors from the adjoining
schemes, rearranging their importance, and often adding a few colors.''; Wright, ed., 1991, p. 64, no. 19. (West side of upper lobby)
Alan Houser bronze, Chiricahua Apache tribe
Born on June 30, 1914, Allan C. Haozous was to become known as Allan Houser, one of the 20th Century's most important artists. At an early age he
became interested in the images he saw in magazines and books. He soon began making his own drawings and carvings. In 1934 a notice for an art
school in Santa Fe attracted his attention, and he enrolled in the Painting School at the Santa Fe Indian School. Commonly known as the Dorothy Dunn
School after its prominent teacher, Allan became its most famous student and by 1939 his work was exhibited in San Francisco, Washington D. C., and
Chicago. In the same year he received a commission to paint a mural in the Department of Interior building in Washington, and its success led to a second
mural commission there in 1940. In 1962 Allan was asked to join the faculty of the newly created Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. There he
created the sculpture department and began focusing his own artistic output on three-dimensional work. As he taught and created sculpture he began
integrating the aesthetics of the modernists with his narrative ideas. By the late 1960's he began exhibiting this sculpture and recognition of his unique
style grew. Museums and private collectors sought out examples, and his influence became apparent on hundreds of students and other artists. In 1975
Allan retired from teaching to devote himself full-time to his own work. In the two following decades he would produce close to 1,000 sculptures in stone,
wood, and bronze, and emerged as a major figure on an international scale. He had nearly 50 solo exhibitions in museums and galleries in the United
States, Europe, and Asia, and he continued working tirelessly until his death on August 22, 1994. (North side of upper lobby) - Source
Born on June 30, 1914, Allan C. Haozous was to become known as Allan Houser, one of the 20th Century's most important artists. At an early age he
became interested in the images he saw in magazines and books. He soon began making his own drawings and carvings. In 1934 a notice for an art
school in Santa Fe attracted his attention, and he enrolled in the Painting School at the Santa Fe Indian School. Commonly known as the Dorothy Dunn
School after its prominent teacher, Allan became its most famous student and by 1939 his work was exhibited in San Francisco, Washington D. C., and
Chicago. In the same year he received a commission to paint a mural in the Department of Interior building in Washington, and its success led to a second
mural commission there in 1940. In 1962 Allan was asked to join the faculty of the newly created Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. There he
created the sculpture department and began focusing his own artistic output on three-dimensional work. As he taught and created sculpture he began
integrating the aesthetics of the modernists with his narrative ideas. By the late 1960's he began exhibiting this sculpture and recognition of his unique
style grew. Museums and private collectors sought out examples, and his influence became apparent on hundreds of students and other artists. In 1975
Allan retired from teaching to devote himself full-time to his own work. In the two following decades he would produce close to 1,000 sculptures in stone,
wood, and bronze, and emerged as a major figure on an international scale. He had nearly 50 solo exhibitions in museums and galleries in the United
States, Europe, and Asia, and he continued working tirelessly until his death on August 22, 1994. (North side of upper lobby) - Source
"Woven Memories" - David Draper, Navajo
A hand carved column depicting the history of Navajo weaving from its origin with Spider Woman through all of the construction processes – sheep
shearing, carding, combing, spinning, dyeing and weaving. The artist goes into intricate detail to portray Navajo women at all phases of the process
culminating in a finished Navajo weaving of a red, black and white Classic style blanket. There are a total of seven women with each wearing a different
patterned biil dress, three sheep and a black rabbit. Spider Woman presides over the column wearing a red, black, white and blue Classic period shawl
and is adorned in turquoise jewelry and holds a bag of knowledge.
A hand carved column depicting the history of Navajo weaving from its origin with Spider Woman through all of the construction processes – sheep
shearing, carding, combing, spinning, dyeing and weaving. The artist goes into intricate detail to portray Navajo women at all phases of the process
culminating in a finished Navajo weaving of a red, black and white Classic style blanket. There are a total of seven women with each wearing a different
patterned biil dress, three sheep and a black rabbit. Spider Woman presides over the column wearing a red, black, white and blue Classic period shawl
and is adorned in turquoise jewelry and holds a bag of knowledge.
Edward S. Curtis photography
Although unknown for many years, Edward S. Curtis is today one of the most well-recognized and celebrated photographers of Native people. Born near
White Water, Wisconsin, on February 16, 1868, he became interested in the emerging art of photography when he was quite young, building his first
camera when he was still an adolescent. In Seattle, where his family moved in 1887, he acquired part interest in a portrait photography studio and soon
became sole owner of the successful business, renaming it Edward S. Curtis Photographer and Photoengraver.
In the mid 1890s, Curtis began photographing local Puget Sound Native Americans digging for clams and mussels on the tide flats. One of his earliest
models was Princess Angeline, the aged daughter of Sealth, the Suquamish chief after whom Seattle was named. Later, as an official photographer of the
1899 Harriman Expedition, Curtis documented the geological features of the Alaskan wilderness as well as its indigenous population. This was a pivotal
experience for Curtis and greatly increased his interest in Native cultures. He visited tribal communities in Montana and Arizona and began in earnest to
photograph many other Native Americans in the West, spending more time in the field and less time in his studio. More...
Although unknown for many years, Edward S. Curtis is today one of the most well-recognized and celebrated photographers of Native people. Born near
White Water, Wisconsin, on February 16, 1868, he became interested in the emerging art of photography when he was quite young, building his first
camera when he was still an adolescent. In Seattle, where his family moved in 1887, he acquired part interest in a portrait photography studio and soon
became sole owner of the successful business, renaming it Edward S. Curtis Photographer and Photoengraver.
In the mid 1890s, Curtis began photographing local Puget Sound Native Americans digging for clams and mussels on the tide flats. One of his earliest
models was Princess Angeline, the aged daughter of Sealth, the Suquamish chief after whom Seattle was named. Later, as an official photographer of the
1899 Harriman Expedition, Curtis documented the geological features of the Alaskan wilderness as well as its indigenous population. This was a pivotal
experience for Curtis and greatly increased his interest in Native cultures. He visited tribal communities in Montana and Arizona and began in earnest to
photograph many other Native Americans in the West, spending more time in the field and less time in his studio. More...
| Native American nativity set |
