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!

The Heard Museum in December, Part 3

Denis and I spent an afternoon at the Heard Museum, soaking in an exhibit, Early Days: Indigenous Art from the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. We barely made it before the exhibit closed, and I would have been so disappointed if we'd missed it. There was so much to see, and I took a couple hundred photographs. (!)

 

This is the third and final post about this wonderful collection of art. Did I show you everything? No, I'm only hitting the highlights, but I do hope that you enjoy my little virtual tour. Let's get started!

 

"Eagle Spirit," 1995. Artist: Simon Dick.

Chief of the Undersea Kingdom Mask, c. 1890-1910. Attributed to Charlie George Sr.

Raven Rattle, c. 1860. Attributed to Albert Edenshaw.

Tsimshian or Nisga'a. Ceremonial Frontlet, before 1850.

Head-on view. I loved how the light caught the abalone shell on frontlet.

"Research Base Camp," 2007. Colored pencil and ink on paper. Artist: Tim Pitslulak.

We're now in another part of the museum housing the regular collections. This is: Painted Gourd, 2004. Artist: Beatrice Maldonado.

Another gallery at the Heard Museum.

Hualapai Cradleboard, c. 1984. Artist: Ramona Mahone. The Hualapai live at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I wish I could've gotten a shot without the glass reflections!

Again, my apologies for the glass reflections. Some fantastic jewelry! The bolo tie in the middle is Zuni, c. 1969. The artist is Edward Beyuka.

My overall favorite piece of art in the Heard is this art fence called "Indigenous Evolution" made in 2004 made by Tony Jojola, and Islete and Rosemary Lonewolf. It always draws a crowd.

Artwork on the wall where we waited for Dial-a-Ride to pick us up. It was a gorgeous day-- perfect for basking in the sun like lizards!

I hope you enjoyed the tour. The Heard Museum is one of the places Denis and I love to take visitors. It's fantastic!

The Heard Museum in December, Part 2

Here's part two of the visit Denis and I made to the Heard Museum to experience their exhibit called "Early Days: Indigenous Art from the McMichael Canadian Art Collection." The exhibit closed on January 2, so Denis and I barely made it. I'm so glad we did!

At times, I was surrounded by a herd of people that wouldn't let me take some of the photos I wanted. I only have so much patience, and it ran out a couple of times. Unfortunately, I did not get the name of this painting or that of the artist's, but I find it so striking! (I couldn't enlarge the photo enough to decipher the text by the art.)

"Misshipeshoo-- Earth Monster," 1969. Tempura on paper. Artist: Norval Morrisseau.

Cree. Canada Goose Decoys. Spruce Wood.

Left: "Self-Portrait," 1975. Acrylic on hardboard. Artist: Norval Morrisseau. Right: "Artist's Wife and Daughter," 1975. Acrylic on hardboard. Artist: Norval Morrisseau. These remind me so much of Mayan art.

Bottom: Hamat'sa Crooked Beak Mask, 2005. Middle: Hamat'sa Raven, 2004. Top: Hamat'sa Raven--Hok-Hok, 2004. Artist: Henry Speck Jr.

Closeup

"Legend of the Golden Spruce Button Blanket," 1997. Wool melton, various buttons (plastic, abalone, mother-of-pearl, copper, shells), various beads (metal, glass, plastic), sinew, threads. Artist: Hazel Wilson.

Button blanket closeup

Button blanket closeup

Transformation Mask, 2002. Red cedar, cedar bark, horsehair, abalone, paint, metal hinges, strings. Artist: Art Thompson.

Didn't get the particulars on this one, either, but that face has quite the personality!

Mask Representing Elderly Woman, c. 1870. Artist: Simeon Stilthda.

This concludes the second part of our virtual tour. I hope you're enjoying it because the third and final part will arrive next Wednesday!

December 2023 at the Heard Museum

Denis and I have been wanting to see this new exhibition at the Heard Museum since it opened in September. Finally, all the stars aligned so we could get there, and it was worth the wait. Join me on a little tour!

 Early Days: Indigenous Art from the McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Ojibwa bandolier bag from Lake of the Woods, c. 1900. Beadwork on fabric.

Denis was enjoying himself, too.

"Wedding at Sodom," 2017. Acrylic on canvas. Artist: Kent Monkman.

"Girl with Dreams," 1983. Oil on canvas. Artist: Arthur Shilling.

"The Bureaucratic Supremist," 1975. Acrylic on canvas. Artist: Alex Janvier.

"Bear Feeding," 1975. Acrylic on canvas. Artist: Blake Debassige.

Gallery view.

"COVID-19 Mask No. 8," 2020. Glass beads, mask, thread, backing. Artist: Ruth Cuthand. When COVID-19 made landfall in Canada, Cuthand reflected on historic epidemics that devastated indigenous communities. This mask is an acknowledgment of those historic losses and of the inequities in health care that persist in Indigenous communities today.

Top: Great Lakes First Nation Wampum belt, c. 1770. Bottom: Sash, c. 1770-80.

Wampum belt closeup. Tubular white whelk-shell beads and purple quahog clamshell beads, woven in seven rows on a warp of red ochre-stained leather thongs.

Fox Tail Moccasins, 2016. Found shoes, Arctic fox tails and fur, capacitors, light-emitting diodes, resistors, glass beads, porcupine quills, rooster feathers, dyed split feathers, tin cones, white heart trade beads, plastic pony beads, satin edge bias, mother-of-pearl buttons, synthetic porcupine hair, cotton thread, rope, metal, wooden shoe lasts. Artist: Barry Ace.

 

The tour must come to an end, but we've barely scratched the surface. Join me next Wednesday when I share more photos of the exhibit!