Exhibits
Summer 2020 through October 18, 2020
Eric Kaldahl, Curator
From Above: Images of a Storied Land
Adriel Heisey is a legendary photographer whose work has been published by the Smithsonian and National Geographic. His work is greatly admired by the archaeological community for his amazing ability to capture the beauty and wonder of ancient communities. Courtesy of the nonprofit organization Archaeology Southwest, Amerind has borrowed 15 large-format aerial photographs of historical landscapes located in the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico. These breathtaking images include many ancient communities well known to Amerind’s guests: Paquimé in Chihuahua, Reeve Ruin in the San Pedro valley, the ancient fields of Safford, and many others. Come see these important places in a whole new light.
October 20, 2020 through May 30, 2021
Eric Kaldahl, Curator
How the West was Built
A joint Friends of Western Art—Amerind Exhibition
From ancient cliff dwellings to Wild West main streets, from ranch houses to churches, from places long abandoned to places thriving today—this exhibit celebrates the diverse architecture of the West. Featuring pieces by over 20 artists, the show includes works from private collections and Amerind. You will see breathtaking artworks that can’t be seen anywhere else. This exhibition is a joint venture between the Amerind Museum and Friends of Western Art, a nonprofit organization whose members support awareness of and promote Western Art.
Summer 2020 through December 31, 2020
Eric Kaldahl, Curator
The West: Land of Many Stories
The Amerind Museum’s collection brings together artists from many cultures and places. The American West encompasses recent homesteads and ancient farming villages, sheepherders and cattle ranchers, bustling towns and isolated hamlets. Its people speak dozens of languages and are the inheritors of many histories. We have gathered here some of the artists of Amerind’s permanent collection to give you a sense of this many storied land. As all good art does, we hope that their work will touch our visitors across cultures, times, and places.
Summer 2020 through December 31, 2020
Melanie Yazzie and Eric Kaldahl, Curators
Walking Quietly: Mixed Media Works by Melanie Yazzie (Diné)
As a printmaker, painter, and sculptor, Melanie Yazzie’s work draws upon her rich Diné (Navajo) cultural heritage. Her work follows the Diné dictum “walk in beauty” literally, creating beauty and harmony. As an artist, she works to serve as an agent of change by encouraging others to learn about social, cultural, and political phenomena shaping the contemporary lives of Native peoples in the United States and beyond. Her work incorporates personal experiences as well as the events and symbols from Diné culture.
March 17, 2020 through December 31, 2020
Duane Maktima and Eric Kaldahl, Curators
Singing My Song: The Art of Duane Maktima, a new exhibit by Duane Maktima (Laguna Pueblo/Hopi)
This is a retrospective exhibition on the artistic career of Duane Maktima (Laguna Pueblo/Hopi), master jeweler and metalsmith. Duane Maktima is an award winning jeweler with nearly 40 years as a working artist. In addition to selling in the best galleries, his pieces are held by several museums, including Amerind’s. Learn more about Duane’s life, career, and development into a nationally recognized jewelry designer, artist, and mentor.
February 8, 2020 through January 31, 2021
Gabriel Ayala and Eric Kaldahl, Curators
Siki Yoka, the art of Gabriel Ayala (Yoeme)
A member of the Yaqui people of Southern Arizona, guitarist Gabriel Ayala is a classically trained musician, composer and multi- dimensional artist. In October 2017, Gabriel began creating ledger art—a deeply personal and contemporary way of infusing his cultural traditions of storytelling through visual art. The new expression now numbers more than 150 pieces. Gabriel’s work showcases moments in history to share and educate people on the travesties that have occurred to Indigenous people who have been silenced for far too long. Gabriel serves as an advocate for education for all youth. Gabriel believes in leading our children in the right direction through his philosophy, “Love your children, Honor your elders, and Respect your women.”
Permanent Exhibit
Eric Kaldahl, Curator
American Art Form: A Century of A:shiwi (Zuni) and Diné (Navajo) Jewelry
Zuni and Navajo jewelers create some of the most distinctive and beautiful jewelry in the world. Amerind is the proud home of a newly donated jewelry collection built over three generations, from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth century, which includes thousands of pieces by hundreds of artists. This exhibit showcases the history and development of this jewelry and the artists who made these remarkable pieces and put their art form on the world stage.
Permanent Exhibit
Eric Kaldahl, Curator
Without Borders: The Deep History of Paquimé (Bilingual Exhibit)
Visitors can walk through this exhibit, inspired by the architecture of Paquimé, and explore sixty years of research in Chihuahua, Mexico. Paquimé was one of the most socially, politically, and ceremonially important towns in the region. It grew into a leading community in northern Mexico in the late AD 1200s and flourished through the end of the AD 1400s. Home to some of the most remarkable architecture, civil engineering, and ceramic artistry in the region—the ancient town has been designed by the United Nations as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Partially funded by Arizona Humanities, The Robert J. Wick Family Foundation, and the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona.
Permanent Exhibit
Eric Kaldahl, Curator
Fleet of Foot: Indigenous Running and Games from Ancient Times to Today
Among all the people of the world, running and games are universal. Across cultures and traditions, sports and running are universal activities that can help us relate to one another. In the differences among our sports practices, we gain new insights into the ways of other communities. This exhibit considers running and running sports among the Indigenous communities of the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico. Partially funded by Arizona Humanities.
Permanent Exhibit
Eric Kaldahl, Curator
Indigenous Water/Ways
The Indigenous peoples of the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico treasure water in all its forms. This exhibit showcases Amerind pottery, baskets, jewelry, weavings, wood, shell, and antler carvings with water designs and motfis.Visitors will also learn about the way Indigenous farmers used water and engineered the land to nourish their crops.
Permanent Exhibit
Eric Kaldahl, Curator
A Singular Treasure: The Katsikodi Story Robe
Visitors can view an elk hide painted with scenes of hunters, singers, and dancers, created by the Eastern Shoshone artist Katsikodi. He is believed to have been born inthe 1860s and passed away around 1912. Over 20 of his distinctive painted robes have survived the forces of history, largely now preserved in museum collections like Amerind’s. Friends of Western Art supported the conservation of this elk hide.
Permanent Exhibit
Eric Kaldahl, Curator
Ma Fulton’s FF Ranch
Amerind’s founders Rose Hayden Fulton (1881-1968) and William Shirley Fulton (1880-1964) moved to Arizona in 1930. Mrs. Fulton, affectionately known as Ma Fulton, had a ranch operation where she raised and trained some of the finest quarter horses in the United States. Photographs of her horses, ranch hands, and operations are on exhibit along with her prize winning ribbons and trophies.
Permanent Exhibit
Charles Di Peso, Anne Woosley, Allan McIntyre, John Ware, Carol Charnley, and Eric Kaldahl, Curators
The Pine Study
The Pine Study was installed on the occasion of Mr. Fulton’s 80th birthday in the year 1960. The wood paneling and furnishings came from the Fulton family home in Connecticut. Many of Mr. Fulton’s personal effects are found in this exhibit. The paintings on the wall were done by family members and friends. The Pine Study served as Mr. Fulton’s office for the last years of his life.
Permanent Exhibit
John Ware and Carol Charnley, Curators
Images in Time
Built in 1939, the museum building’s main gallery houses artistic treasures created by Indigenous artists from the Arctic to Mexico. Many of the pieces were made during the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century. Visitors will learn about the amazing diversity of Indigenous cultures found throughout North America.
Permanent Exhibit
John Ware and Carol Charnley, Curators
Apache People and History
The Chiricahua Apache people’s history in southeastern Arizona is rich and complex. Visitors will have an overview of the many Indigenous groups who speak the Apache language, and learn about the history of the Chiricahua Apache people specifically.
Permanent Exhibit
John Ware, Curator
Indigenous Dolls
In the museum building entryway, your little ones will find a great selection of Indigenous dolls, lovingly made by parents and grandparents from all across America.
Permanent Exhibit
Carol Charnley and Ron Bridgemon, Jr., Curators
The Potters of Mata Ortiz
Potters from the Mexican town of Mata Ortiz in Chihuahua, Mexico, were inspired by the ancient potters of Paquimé creating beautiful reproductions of that ancient craft. They then began new pottery traditions with finely painted and incised pottery in new shapes and styles. This exhibit shows how these potters are inspired by the past, but are creating new traditions for the future.
Permanent Exhibit
Carol Charnley, Curator
Diné Arts
Known for their weaving and silver work, Diné woven rugs, weaving tools, silversmithing tools, and other arts are found at several locations on the museum’s second floor.
Permanent Exhibit
Anne Woosley and Allan McIntyre, Curators
Hallway of Time
Connecting the 1939 and 1950 wings of the Amerind museum building, this hallway lets visitors peer into the archaeology of the American Southwest. Visitors will learn about the most ancient human tools found in Arizona used some 13,000 years ago. Here to people will learn about the most well studied farming cultures of the America Southwest: Huhugam (Hohokam), Mogollon, and Ancestral Pueblo peoples. These farming communities flourished some two thousand years and their descendants still call this region home.
Permanent Exhibit
Anne Woosley and Allan McIntyre, Curators
Spanish Colonial and Mexican Religious Art
Amerind sits on land that Indigenous people have called home for 13,000 years. In historic times, the governments of Spain, Mexico, and the United States have exercised their sovereignty over the region. This exhibit displays the religious arts of colonial Spain, Mexico, and more contemporary pieces rooted in the Spanish colonial tradition.
Permanent Exhibit
Anne Woosley and Allan McIntyre, Curators
North American Indigenous Arts
The Amerind is home to the arts of Indigenous people from across North America. Now on exhibit are examples of cradleboards from many Indigenous communities. These cradleboards show the love and care of their makers for their children. Also on exhibit are personal accessories and clothing adorned with porcupine quillwork and beadwork.
Permanent Exhibit
Anne Woosley and Allan McIntyre, Curators
Yesterday's Amerind
This small enclosed room gives visitors of sense of Amerind museum history. From 1936 until the 1980s, the Amerind was closed to the public. To see its private collections, visitors had to call for an appointment. This exhibit gives today’s visitors a sense of how Amerind’s collection was displayed in the early years of our museum’s history.
Permanent Exhibit
Hopi Katsina Carvings and Hopi Plaques
Forthcoming
Eric Kaldahl, Curator
Amerind - A Legacy of Discovery
For over 80 years, Amerind has conducted archaeological investigations. This exhibit highlights the discoveries made by Amerind’s founder William Shirley Fulton and Amerind’s accomplished staff of archaeological scholars, including Dr. Charles C. Di Peso. Through ancient objects and photographs, visitors will learn about the people of southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and northern Mexico.