At the Heard Museum with Karen

Our niece, Karen, came for a long overdue holiday from the UK in March. In between visits to the hospital to see Denis while he was recuperating from major back surgery, we did manage outings to a few favorite places. Karen had never been to the Heard Museum, so I made sure that was one of the places on our limited itinerary.

Come along with us!

There are so many eye-catching exhibits in the museum, and photography can be tricky because of all the glass.

Of course, there are many wonderful examples of pottery. The artist who made this is Lucy Lewis of the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico.

If jewelry making and silversmithing is more your thing, this is a Zuni bow guard, 1900-1930.

Sample turkey feather blanket, 1981. Artist: Ramona Sakiestewa, Hopi. Ramona rediscovered the process ancestral weavers used to create a feather blanket. She learned that a 2.5-foot by 3-foot feather blanket required 180 yards of yucca cord and 3,000 feathers. It may not be pretty, but it does look warm!

The Heard had several cradleboards on display. Paiute cradleboard, c. 1920. Diamond-shaped designs are placed on Paiute cradleboards for newborn girls. A boy's cradleboard would have crosses on it, according to Brenda Drye, Kaibab Paiute.

Yuraryaraq hood, 1980s. Muskrat fur, calf skin, furs of Kuskokwim mink, seal, wolf, wolverine, Arctic hare, and beaver. Made by Augilnguq (Minnie Parker), Yupik, Alaska. It's a warm day here in Phoenix, and I can break out in a sweat just looking at this!

There is plenty of art outside in the courtyards. Left: Crane Woman, c. 2005. Artist: John Hoover, Unangan. Right: Heron and Turtle, 1990. Artist: John Hoover, Unangan.

Heading Home, 1979. Artist: Allan Houser, Chiricahua Apache.

You can almost forget that you're in the middle of one of the largest cities in the United States-- until you look up.

Basket weaving has always fascinated me. I can't imagine any place having a better collection of the basket weaving art than the Heard Museum. This is just one of many exhibits.

There are also many paintings to be seen. This is Rose and Coyote Dressed Up for the Heard Show, 1981. Artist: Harry Fonseca, Nisenan Maidu/Native Hawaiian/Portuguese.

Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories. This is a sobering section of the museum that tells a very important part of Native American history. That barber chair with the shorn hair on the floor always brings tears to my eyes. The second the children arrived at the schools, their identities were stripped from them.

See the next photo for the description. These handcuffs are tiny.

You can always click on any photo to magnify it.

The Beginning of the End, 2019. Artist: Susan Hudson (Traditional Woman), Navajo. This quilt honors family and close friends who attended Toadlena Boarding School in Newcomb, New Mexico.

"My people are a race of designers. I look for the day when the Indian shall make beautiful things for all the world." --Angel DeCora (Winnebago), 1909.

This photo comes nowhere close to doing these art pieces justice. "Moondance" jar. Artist: Russell Sanchez, San Ildefonso. This was the one Karen and I chose as our favorite in the Museum Shop. Unfortunately, we didn't have a spare $55,000 to buy it. I believe the day Angel DeCora spoke of is here.

Afterwards, a snack out in the courtyard. My prickly pear lemonade was very tasty, and the sparrows managed to con bits of crackers from Karen.

I hope you enjoyed your virtual visit. If you ever come to Phoenix, I'd be more than happy to take you to the Heard Museum. It's a Must-See!