Weaving in Beauty

The Generations exhibit runs through January 23, 2010 at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, AZ.

Generations exhibit curator Mark Winter speaks at the exhibit opening

Two inspiring weaving exhibits are taking place over the next few months and you’ll want to visit them both if you can possibly do it.  The Generations exhibit from Toadena Trading Post runs through January 23, 2010 at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, AZ, and the Diamonds, Dreams and Landscapes exhibit at the Colorado University Natural History Museum in Boulder goes through May 30, 2010 with the exhibited pieces changing three times over the duration of the show.

Generations represents 20 years of work by exhibit curator Mark Winter.   As he worked to identify weavings with weavers and families, he documented clan and family relationships as well as weaving patterns and techniques.  The exhibit consists of 32 panels holding over 300 rugs, each panel representing a family/clan grouping, which is documented with the panel.  This is a far more detailed approach than I’ve ever seen in any exhibit and allows a level of textile analysis that is unparalleled because of Mark’s concentration on identifying the weavers of pieces as well as the techniques used.  Mark refers to this as giving credit to the weavers and there is video footage from Clara Sherman and other weavers to add to the intpretative nature of the exhibit.

The exhibit was originally hung at Mark’s Toadlena Trading Post, but has been expanded for the larger available space at the Navajo Nation Museum.  The large exhibit space also allows the observer and scholar to appreciate the impact of the textiles from different perspectives.

One of the documentation panels at the Generations exhibit.

The Diamonds, Dreams and Lanscapes exhibit explores the sweep of Navajo weaving from the Joe Ben Wheat collection at Colorado University’s Museum of Natural History.  Exhibit curator Judy Newland has arranged 20 to 30 selections for each cycle.  The curent installation represents the diamonds phase of the exhibit and concentrates on contemporary weavers and their design processes.  I don’t have any pictures from the exhibit yet (that’s a hint to those of you in the Boulder, Colorado area), but I will be trying to get there to see the current phase before it closes on October 1.   The second exhibit cycle, Landscapes, will run through February 4, 2010 and the final phase will be open from February 5 through May 30, 2010.

Now see how much better that essay’s going to be?

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker

Window Rock, AZ Two more of our first October class session students finished their rugs yesterday and our new class completed their loom warping and then went on a field trip to examine the rug styles (and jewelry) at Richardson’s Trading and Perry Null’s Tobe Turpen Trading Post.

First, have a look at the fabulous finished rugs!  Rosemary Morrill, below, completed a difficult outlined diagonal figure and did a great job with it.

Rosemary Morrill shows off her newly finished rug!

Nance Howsman also finished her rug, a great achievement for a first time weaver.  You can see Nance and her new rug posing with Jennie Slick below.

Nance Howsman (left) and Jennie show off Nance's newly finished rug.

Our group also enjoyed shopping in Gallup yesterday afternoon and you can see us at Perry Null’s below.

From left, Cindy Henry, Lissa Ward, Mary Walker, Diana Frawley, Ellen Nelsen and Debi Ward

Today, we were at the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site where we enjoyed the rug room and trading post.  We visited with Geno Bahe, Maralyn Yazzie and Tina Lowe.  Tina did a wonderful tour of the Hubbell home for us.  That’s her below with Debi Ward at the conclusion of the tour.

Tina Lowe (left) discusses Hubbell Trading Post history with Debi Ward.

Finally, I hope you’ll enjoy seeing a Pauline Glasses Nightway Pictorial rug that we saw Saturday at Richardson’s Trading Post in Gallup.  The Yei Bi Chei dance season is fully underway here on the Navajo Nation at this time of year.

Nightway Pictorial by Pauline Glasses, courtesy of Richardson Trading Company, Gallup, NM

Mary Walker

Today, our Window Rock class took a field trip to Two Grey Hills and Toadlena.  These areas are noted for finely woven rugs woven in natural colors.  There are two trading posts in this area, so we had a busy afternoon.  We stopped at first at the Toadlena Trading Post and Rug Museum to visit with Mark Winter.  Mark took the class through the Master Weavers exhibit showing the development of the Two Grey Hills style through the years.  Mark made the interesting observation that it was in the Two Grey Hills area that rug weavers were first identified with their work.  Mark graciously allowed us to examine a Daisy Tauglechee rug while we were in the museum.  You can see Mark with the students in the picture below.

Mark Winter of the Toadlena Trading Post and Rug Museum shows the students through the Master Weavers exhibit.

One of the more interesting rugs at Toadlena is pictorial of an Indian chief in full regalia.  Mark had seen a picture of the rug, and it turned up in show within the next two weeks.  As you can see in the picture of part of the rug below, it’s very distinctive.

We went on to the Two Grey Hills Trading Post where Shirley Brown showed us one of her fabulous hand carded and handspun rugs.  It is approximately 4′x6′ and is priced at $9000.  Here’s a picture of Shirley with the rug in the Two Grey Hills rug room.

Shirley Brown with her handspun and handcarded Two Grey Hills rug.

Before we left Two Grey Hills, Shirley took us out to see Irma Henderson’s Navajo-Churro sheep.  I took the opportunity to take a picture of my favorite Navajo-Churro ram and I’ll call it a day with that picture.

Irma Henderson's Navajo-Churro ram.

Jennie Slick and I are teaching back to back sessions of our weaving class and tour over the next two weeks, so we’ll try to post our activities each day.  Yesterday, we went to the Friends of Hubbell Native Arts Auction.  It was a very rainy day, unusual for October, but the R.B. Burnham auctioneers did everything they could to move the auction along and bring cash to the local economy.  By about five in the afternoon, it was too dark to see in the tent, and we made our way back to Window Rock with some wonderful rugs, jewelry and pottery.

Today we started weaving in Window Rock, and as of this evening all of the students are making great progress and will start working on patterns in the morning.  Brenda Spencer dropped by and showed us her latest weaving, a stunning Wide Ruins/Burntwater Overlay pattern that is reportedly on its way to the Heard Museum Shop.  Here’s a picture of the tapestry grade rug, which boasts an impressive 88 weft threads per inch.  It took Brenda 15 months to complete it.

Our students did a great job with their warping as you can see in the picture below.  That’s Jan Souders and Mary Falzone working as Jennie watches.  Our classes do their warps in teams so that they have an opportunity to repeat the process right away.

This is an enthusiastic class and the students worked well into the evening.  That’s Gloria Thompson on the left and Jan Souders on the right.  Tomorrow, we’ll be headed to out to look at yarn and visit with Jennie at home. 

Albuquerque, NM Weaver and silversmith Morris Muskett will be showing his work this weekend at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Indian Market.  Morris’ work is a provocative melding of traditional and contemporary designs.  You can see a sample of his work below and at his web site.  The market hours are 9 to 5 each day.  You’ll find the market off exit 232 on I-25.  Follow the signs to the second tent. (Full disclosure: I’m also Morris’ web diva.)

Mary Walker

Jennie Slick demonstrates weaving for our workshop class. From left are Cheryl Holbert, Carole Kosturko, Jennie, Ruth Buchman (standing) and Pat Shea.

Jennie Slick and I have spent the last two days doing a workshop in Harvard, MA at the Friendly Crossways Conference Cetner.  Our class of 12 students has done a wonderful job and we’ve had a great time.  We are already talking about another workshop next year, so please be sure to check for exact dates and location information.

I’ll post a more full synopsis of the workshop and more pictures tomorrow when our workshop concludes.