The Power of Pastel- Exhibit Celebration & Plein Air Paint Out

Saturday, October 5th

9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Plein Air Paint Out

1-2 p.m. Exhibit Celebration

Come and join us on Saturday, October 5th, from 1-2 pm as we celebrate the exhibit The Power of Pastel. This juried show of Tucson Pastel Society artists is a snapshot of the region’s many talented pastel artists, the uniqueness of each artist, and the many styles in which they paint. Come and enjoy the art and meet the artists as we celebrate this show.

This exhibit runs through November 30, 2024.

The Tucson Pastel Society will also be having a Plein Air Paint Out on the Amerind grounds from 9-12. You are invited to bring your paints or pastels and join them in this Plein Air Paint Out. All mediums are welcome. The artists also enjoy visiting with the public as they paint. Come out and paint or just observe a painting in progress before the celebration.

For more information, visit their website: Tucson Pastel Society.

This event is included with Museum admission.

* Please note: If you want to plein air paint beyond the picnic area or Yucca Park by hiking out onto the trails, you must check in with the admissions desk before going out. Thank you.

Silver Suite Trunk Show & Sale

Silver Suite Trunk Show & Sale

Saturday, November 9, 2024

10 am – 4 pm

Join us for a one-day Trunk Show with Silver Suite, vintage Native American jewelry. Find the perfect holiday gift or something special to add to your collection. Also, don’t forget you do not pay sales tax on any purchases from the Amerind.

This event is included with Museum admission.

Amerind’s Comcáac (Seri) Art Show & Sale

Comcáac (Seri) Art Show & Sale

Saturday & Sunday, October 26 & 27, 10am – 4pm 

Visit the Amerind and learn about the art and culture of the Comcáac (Seri) people of Sonora, Mexico. Meet the artists behind these unique creations of Comcáac basketry, wood carvings, necklaces, and other beautifully crafted works of art for sale.

The Seri people of the desert and the sea are known for their beautiful arts and crafts, which include a long history of basket weaving and more recently wood carving and other crafts.

This event is included with Museum admission.

Amerind Autumn Fest

Amerind’s Annual Autumn Fest

Saturday, October 19, 2024

10 am – 4 pm

$10 per vehicle

Join Amerind at our Annual Autumn Fest as we celebrate the history, culture, and arts of the Apache Community.

Rich in tradition, history, and culture, Apache teachers, artists, and singers will hold a day-long cultural celebration at the Amerind Museum in Dragoon, Arizona.

Autumn Fest will feature live performances by musician Matthew Andrae (Jicarilla Apache) accomplished guitarist and singer-songwriter.

Public talks about Apache history from scholars:

Jeff Haozous (Fort Sill Apache) will present the following talks:
“Geronimo’s Road — the removal and ruination of the Chiricahua Apache Tribe”
11:45-12:45 Lecture in the Art Gallery
“Cochise’s Trees — the restoration and return of Chiricahua Apache people”
1:00-2:00 Lecture in the Art Gallery

Marcus C. Macktima,PhD (San Carlos Apache) will present the following talks:

“Civilizing” the Peoples: San Carlos Apache History, 1872-1900″ 

10:30-11:30 Lecture in Art Gallery

Prior to the colloquially named, “Apache Wars,” in the late nineteenth century, the Apachean peoples in Arizona Territory underwent a series of changes to their culture and hierarchies. The placement of Apachean peoples on reservations in the White Mountains and at the San Carlos Agency after the Camp Grant Massacre in 1871, fostered an environment where the federal government replaced the societal structures of the peoples and transformed the people into one that grew reliant on the government for all of their basic needs. Removals of Indigenous peoples throughout Arizona to the San Carlos Reservation altered the local community into a conglomerated peoples that proved problematic for all those involved. Moreover, the discovery of precious natural resources motivated Arizona officials to petition government entities to force a relinquishment of reservation territory for the benefit of the territory. The inclusion of all removed peoples on the reservation in determining such a change to reservation territory proved that the perception of identity was rooted in “reservation” politics, and also provided a means for government agents to accomplish its goals in developing a civilized American West. These changes and experiences primed the reservation for a moment in the 20th century that solidified the modern understanding of the San Carlos Reservation.

“Modernity as a Justification: The Coolidge Dam and Indian Reorganization, 1900-1930s”

2:15-3:15 Lecture in Art Gallery

As Arizona Territory moved into the 20th century, so did the Apachean peoples. The changes brought to the reservation in the 19th century, culminated in further diminishment of the Apachean identity. Furthermore, perceptions of the “San Carlos Indian” stemming from the previously fought “Apache Wars” made the peoples “expendable” in the eyes of the new settler government as water rights and issues for both settlers and the O’odham peoples in Central Arizona came to the forefront. The creation of the Coolidge Dam on the reservation, justified by Carl T. Hayden as a necessity to assist the O’odham people, hindered the ranching and farming capabilities of the San Carlos “Indians.” By the 1930s, the peoples underwent a significant change as they incorporated the Indian Reorganization Act into their new tribal government. Debates on its implications and implementations caused a political upheaval, and upon the establishment of the San Carlos Constitution, the peoples officially recognized all peoples on the reservation, including those removed to the reservation, as “Apache.”

We will have artist booths from various Indigenous artists who will be showing and selling their work, including: Oliver Enjady, paintings, Ishkoten Dougi, paintings/prints, Aaron Freeland, paintings/prints, Jicarilla Apache baskets by Rowena Mora, Jacinda & Adrian Atencio, Beadwork, pottery by Shelden Nunez-Velarde, Jewelry by Matagi Sorensen, Talrick Enjady, paintings/drawings,  Jordan Torres, paintings/prints/metalwork, Leonard Boyd, paintings/sculpture, Randy “Sabba” Sabaque, prints, Roger Sosakete Perkins, paintings/pottery/digital art, Eric & Charlotta Greenstone, jewelry/horsehair pottery, Veronica & Ernest Benally, jewelry, Maria Arvayo, paintings,  Gerry Quotskuyva, paintings/carvings,and last years people choice winners, Priscilla Tacheney, photography, John Suazo, sculpture, Arnold & Karlene Goodluck, jewelry and others!

  • Artist demonstrations in Apache basket weaving by Rowena Mora.
  • Amerind Artist in Residence Akilah Martinez will be showing her latest digital art.
  • Join us for a special free basket-making activity designed for kids. This event offers a unique opportunity for young participants to learn about Apache culture and engage in the timeless art of basketry. Come and discover the beauty and significance of Apache baskets through a hands-on activity.
  • Enjoy two new museum exhibits during Autumn Fest; Museum entry is included with vehicle entry.
  • non-profit booth  Nde’ Bike’eya’ Chiricahua Apache Land Trust

Food: by Shirley’s Native Food and La Unica Mexican Food.

Autumn Fest is Saturday, October 19, from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm at the Amerind Museum in Dragoon, AZ. $10 per vehicle.

Please be aware the Amerind Hiking Trails will be closed on October 19th during Autumn Fest. Thank you for your understanding.

Please note if you are interested in coming with a group on a chartered bus from Tohono Chul, visit: https://tohonochul.org/event/amerind-autumn-fest/ for more details.

Exhibit Celebration and Artist Talk with Maria Arvayo

Exhibit Celebration and Artist Talk with Maria Arvayo

Saturday, January 27, 2024 1 – 2 pm, Artist Talk: 1:00 pm

Come and meet artist Maria Arvayo on Saturday, January 27th when we will celebrate her exhibit Inspired by Texas Canyon: The Art of Maria Arvayo, on display through September 2024. She will give a talk at 1:00 pm.

Maria Arvayo is a painter and a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe living in Tucson, Arizona, where she works and teaches painting. She works in a wide variety of media including watercolor, pastel, acrylic, oil and encaustic.

In 2020 she completed an artist in residency at the Amerind. During this time, she hiked the grounds and did a number of plein air paintings. Inspired by the landscape of southern Arizona, in this exhibit she shares her appreciation for the beauty that is abundant in the land and sky of Texas Canyon. Many of the works in this exhibit are from her time spent at the Amerind. Some of the works in this exhibit are from her time spent at the Amerind and many pieces are available for purchase, although they must remain at the Amerind through September 2024. For more information contact the Museum Store.

We hope you will join us in celebrating this talented artist and the inspiration of the Texas Canyon Nature Preserve!

This event is included with your membership or regular Museum admission.

Celebrating and Reconnecting Turtle Island and Abya Yala through Lucho Soler’s Pottery Art

 

Please note: Rescheduled- the Amerind closed due to dangerous winter road conditions in Texas Canyon last Saturday on February 1oth.

Lucho Soler will speak this Saturday, February 17 at 11:00 am in the Amerind Art Gallery.

Saturday, February 10th 

Saturday, February 17th

Artist Talk: 11:00 am

Born in Peru, Lucho’s interest in clay and pottery art came at the early age of 10. His extensive knowledge and practice in pottery art blends ancient technologies, techniques, and motifs from the Chavín, Moche, Nazca, and Paracas Indigenous Peoples of South America with contemporary ceramic art traditions of Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. Vessel forms and finishes encapsulate both the ancient and contemporary, for example his rolled coil, stone burnishing, and 24 karat gold and platinum luster appliqué techniques. In addition to creating stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces, Lucho’s work essentially reconnects contemporary Indigenous artists of the Americas, hence the title of his talk.

Lucho will be at Amerind to discuss his work and demonstrate his pottery making techniques.

Lucho’s talk will be at 11:00 am

This event is included with regular Museum admission.

Lucho Soler Fine Pottery Art exhibit will be on display in the Amerind Gallery through June 2024.

Lucho has made many of the pieces in this exhibit available for sale, although the works must remain until the exhibit ends in June 2024. To inquire about purchasing work from this exhibit please contact the Museum Store at: [email protected].

Vintage Basketry & Navajo Weavings with Terry DeWald

 Vintage Basketry and Navajo Weavings with Terry DeWald

Saturday, February 3, 2024

10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Talk: 11:00 am

 Please join us on Saturday, February 3, 2024, when we host Terry DeWald of Terry DeWald American Indian Art for a Vintage Basketry and Navajo Weavings Show & Sale at the Amerind Museum. The show will feature vintage Navajo weavings, vintage baskets from California, the greater southwest, and contemporary Tohono O’odham baskets.

DeWald has been a prominent dealer, lecturer, appraiser, and author of Native American art for more than 40 years.

DeWald will give a talk on Vintage Basketry and Navajo Weavings at 11:00 am.

This event is included with regular Museum admission.

Book Signing with Author Charmayne Samuelson

Please join us on Friday and Saturday, February 16 & 17, 2024, 10am-3pm we will have a book signing with Award-Winning Author Charmayne Samuelson for her Best Seller biography SPENCER MacCALLUM Memories-Mystique-Mata Ortiz. a biography of the anthropologist who jump-started the Mata Ortiz pottery movement after meeting potter, farmer and cowboy Juan Quezada. She will be signing books for during two of the three days of our Mata Ortiz Show & Sale.

“Many books and articles have been written about Juan Quezada and the potters of Mata Ortiz. Now author Charmayne Samuelson has written an important book that tells the story of anthropologist Spencer MacCallum, who was the first to recognize Juan Quezada’s potential as a world-class artist; and who helped the Mata Ortiz potters create arguably the most important ceramic art movement in the second half of the 20th century.  Walter Parks, The Miracle of Mata Ortiz

“This is a wonderfully written and truly entertaining book! It is full of many interesting nuggets about Spencer never before published. I really appreciate the exciting stories in it and highly recommend it to anyone interested in the fascinating life of Spencer and the story of Mata Ortiz pottery. Congratulations to author Charmayne Samuelson on a great job well done.” Ron Bridgemon, The Magnetism of Mata Ortiz

She will be signing books during two of the three days of our Mata Ortiz Show & Sale.

What could be more special than an exquisite piece of pottery along with a signed bestseller!

This event is included with Museum Admission

Mata Ortiz Show & Sale

Mata Ortiz Pottery Show and Sale

Friday-Sunday, February 16-18, 2024

10:00 am-4:00 pm each day

with talk on Mata Ortiz pottery by Ron Bridgemon, Sr., 1:00 pm each day

Visit Amerind’s Mata Ortiz Show and Sale and meet Award-winning pottery artists Hector Gallegos Jr., Laura Bugarini, and Lazaro Ozuna Silveira from Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico.

You will have the opportunity to meet these artists and learn about their work. The artists will conduct demonstrations, firings (weather permitting), and offer their exquisite ceramic vessels for sale.

Also, on Friday and Saturday, February 16 & 17, 2024, 10:00 am-3:00 pm we will have a book signing with Award-Winning Author Charmayne Samuelson for her Best Seller biography SPENCER MacCALLUM Memories-Mystique-Mata Ortiz. a biography of the anthropologist who jump-started the Mata Ortiz pottery movement after meeting potter, farmer and cowboy Juan Quezada.
What could be more special than an exquisite piece of pottery along with a signed bestseller!

This event is included with regular Museum Membership or regular admission.