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Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest
Bracelet, Philip Janze (Gitxan), Courtesy of the Museum of Anthropology,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Photograph by K. Togashi.
Throughout time, art and ceremony have connected us to the forces of nature and the animal powers that sustain us. No mere ornament, the jewelry arts of Native America are conduits of beauty beyond ourselves and within ourselves. With more than 500 objects, including dazzling contemporary and historic Native American jewelry and artifacts, Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest celebrates thousands of years of culture and experience through this ancient and ever-changing mode of creative expression.
Member Events
This stunning exhibition is open to the public from March 31, 2006, through August 20, 2006, but first opens to Autry members through these exciting events:
Butterfly pins, Unknown Artist (Zuni), Eleanor Tulman Hancock collection, Photo by K.Togashi.
March 29, 2006
Benefactor's Opening Reception
Open to Turquoise, Copper, Shell, Silver, and Gold Members - Free
Benefactor members are invited to an exclusive reception and viewing of Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest. A landmark exhibition of more than 500 objects, including dazzling contemporary and historic Native American jewelry and artifacts, Totems to Turquoise celebrates the beauty, power, and symbolism of modern Native jewelry arts. This event features Native American dance and musical performances, a curator presentation, a VIP recognition ceremony, complimentary cocktails, and Native American-inspired cuisine by Cheers Catering. The Museum Store also will be open with special offerings for members. RSVP is required.
March 30, 2006
Member Preview
Open to all Members - Free
Join us for the preview of Totems to Turquoise, a landmark exhibition of more than 500 objects, including dazzling contemporary and historic Native American jewelry and artifacts. Totems to Turquoise celebrates the beauty, power, and symbolism of modern Native jewelry arts. This event features live music, a curator presentation, and jewelry-making discussions. All members will receive a complimentary ticket for a serving of Native American-inspired cuisine by Cheers Catering. The Museum Store will be open with special offerings for members.
Exhibition Events
Echoing the Land: Jewelry Arts
Saturday, April 1, 2006
Explore the influence of cultural history and local ecology on Northwest Coast and Southwest jewelry art with a panel of leading artists. Panelists include Jim Hart (Haida)  , Nathan Jackson (Tlingit), Jesse Monongya (Navajo), and Verma Nequatewa (Hopi). The panel will be moderated by Lois Sherr Dubin, cocurator of the exhibition Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest. Following the panel discussion, artists will sign copies of the exhibition catalogue. Click here for more information.
Food Over Fire: Flavors of the Earth
Saturday, April 1, 2006
Take your taste buds on a delicious journey from the Northwest Coast to the Southwest with Lois Ellen Frank, author of the award-winning cookbook Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations: Traditional and Contemporary Native American Recipes; Navajo chef Walter Whitewater; and Haida culinary expert Roberta Olsen. The exhibition Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest will be open for viewing during the event. Click here for more information.
Educational Activities
Saturday, June 3
Let's Make History!
1-2:30 pm, Southwest Museum of the American West
Used as part of Navajo (Diné) religious and healing ceremonies, sandpaintings often took an entire day to complete, only to be destroyed at the ceremony's end. Produce your own sandpainting based on Navajo examples. Free with regular museum admission.
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Saturday, June 10
Let's Make History!
1-2:30 pm, Museum of the American West
Come explore our new exhibition and discover how traditional Navajo weavings have influenced jewelry designed by Native Americans in the Southwest. Then create your own woven work of art. Free with regular museum admission.
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Saturday, June 10
Southwest Spotlight Tour
2 pm, Museum of the American West
Learn more about Southwest Native American culture and art during this special 30-minute spotlight tour of Totems to Turquoise. Free with regular museum admission.
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Saturday, July 8
Northwest Coast Spotlight Tour
2 pm, Museum of the American West
Learn more about Northwest Coast culture and art during this special 30-minute spotlight tour of Totems to Turquoise. Free with regular museum admission.
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Saturday, July 15
Elderhostel Class
"Beyond the Beauty of Native American Jewelry"
9 am-4 pm, Museum of the American West
Using the exhibition Totems to Turquoise, this specially designed class will take participants beyond the visible beauty of the jewelry to its deeper meaning and cultural context. Please call for information.
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Tuesday, August 8
Lunchtime Learnin'
12:30-12:45 pm, Museum of the American West
Learn about the beauty, power, and symbolism of modern Native American jewelry arts by examining pieces by Northwest Coast and Southwest Native Americans. Free with regular museum admission.
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Saturday, August 12
Southwest Spotlight Tour
2 pm, Museum of the American West
Learn more about Southwest Native American culture and art during this special 30-minute spotlight tour of Totems to Turquoise. Free with regular museum admission.
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Monday-Friday, August 14-18
Summer Camp Class
1-4 pm, Museum of the American West
For children ages 10 to 13. Examine the objects and adornments created by Indian artists and learn about their personal and cultural sources for inspiration. Design and make an object of beauty you can wear, play with, and enjoy. $145/$115 for members. Click here for more information.
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Salmon pin. Lyle Wilson (Haisla). Courtesy of the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Photograph by Bill McLennan.
Publication
The works of contemporary Native artists from the Northwest Coast and desert Southwest regions of North America are enormously popular today, especially in the realm of jewelry. This handsome book, and the traveling exhibition it accompanies, explores how the cultures from each region continue to communicate beliefs and traditions through visual adornment, and examines the cross-cultural influences between the peoples of these very different areas.
Totems to Turquoise, available for purchase online
The core of the book consists of personal statements by thirty-nine artists, who discuss their lives, their beliefs, and their approach to art and jewelry-making. Lavish illustrations, both historical images and new photographs by noted photographer Togashi, bring the subject to life. Supporting texts by general editor Kari Chalker, curators Lois Sherr Dubin and Peter M. Whiteley, Haida artist Jim Hart, and anthropologist Martine Reid provide background and insight. Totems to Turquoise will be an important resource for students, scholars, and designers, as well as anyone who loves beautiful and well-made objects.
Click here to visit featured store products related to Native American art and history.
This exhibition is organized by The American Museum of Natural History, New York, www.amnh.org
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