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December, 2004 If the Colorado Plateau calls to you and you are not sure how to
answer, consider a Venture with the Museum of Northern Arizona. Let
experienced naturalists, scientists, writers, and artists guide your
outdoor adventuring across the 130,000 miles of mountains, mesas, and
canyon lands in the four corners region of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and
New Mexico. Through Ventures 2005 you can excavate a dinosaur with MNA paleontologist Dr. David Gillette or participate in a hands-on service learning project at a Hopi farm and orchard. You can float down the San Juan River or explore the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument’s sandstone spires and graceful arches. You can dine in a restaurant located in the heart of a vast wilderness area or over a campfire with a meal prepared by your outdoor chef. “Ventures offer amazing opportunities that encourage people to form deep, long lasting bonds with the landscape, cultures, and diverse biological wonders of the Colorado Plateau,” says Ventures Manager Tracy Anderson. “These programs and trips reflect MNA’s institutional mission and values. For over twenty-five years, Ventures have been welcoming people from all around the world to join us in the front and backcountries of this exceptional region to explore, learn, and have fun.” Besides the 33 scheduled trips to choose from, you also can design your own Venture through MNA’s Custom Tour program. These are “no worry” trips. MNA will design and organize a one-of-a-kind educational adventure or a cultural experience for your group. “If you are interested in a 2005 Ventures trip, but the scheduled dates don’t fit into your personal calendar, or you have the desire to explore an educational interest or ‘dream destination’ that isn’t represented in the current schedule, please contact us. MNA’s experienced staff will work with you to develop your ideal custom trip,” says Anderson. MNA will coordinate as many or as few of the arrangements as you need—from educators and guide services, permits, meals, transportation, and rental gear, to behind-the-scenes collection tours of the Museum’s world-class collections, service learning trips, cultural performances, elegant receptions, and lodging. When you join MNA for a Venture or Custom Tour, you will become a part of an enthusiastic community of learners and adventurers who are inspired by this unique corner of the world. Explore the Plateau by foot, van, boat, or horseback. Experts in biology, geology, archaeology, anthropology, fine art, and creative writing guide you through the rich natural wonders and cultural heritage of a region. Four tiers of activity levels accommodate most physical abilities and schedules:
MNA Director Robert Breunig began the Ventures program in 1977 when working as museum curator. “To be on the Plateau is to know the Plateau,” he says. “Ventures help us complete the goal of fostering a deep relationship between people and the Plateau.” The program’s success is based on MNA’s enduring relationships. Some of the Hopi guides are from families who began relationships with Museum founders Harold and Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton more than 75 years ago. Some of MNA’s educators have been with the Ventures program since it began. Geologist and guide Wayne Ranney interprets the geologic story of the Grand Canyon’s backcountry and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. “I followed my dream to remain a kid at heart and continue my explorative nature in the biggest playground on earth—the Colorado Plateau,” says Ranney who has led more than 60 MNA Ventures. “We inspire a sense of love and appreciation for the landscape. Ventures are designed to be fun. We often visit waterfalls, hidden slot canyons, petroglyph sites, or vista points that take people’s breath away.” An example of an excursion is National Park Treasures: North Rim, Bryce, and Zion. This historic lodge-based, five-day Venture visits parks on the historic Union Pacific Railroad line. Denise Traver, a historian and former Grand Canyon National Park ranger, leads a motor coach tour of the railroad’s original Loop Tour. The Chaco Phenomena is an exploration lead by MNA Senior Curator of Anthropology Dr. David R. Wilcox. This four-day Venture of Chaco Canyon explores what has been called "downtown Chaco," the ritual site for the Chacoan core community. Archaeologist Don Keller leads a three-day San Juan River Raft Trip expedition exploring and interpreting the archaeological sites found in the side canyons along the San Juan River. One of the encounters, An Introduction to Hopi Culture, offers a daylong introduction to traditional and contemporary Hopi culture, history, and art. Hopi cultural consultant Susan Secakuku guides this trip and offers it three times in 2005. Ventures 2005 also includes service learning trips. “As is the case for all Ventures, service learning programs allow people to explore and learn about the Colorado Plateau with expert educators—plus an added bonus of working on volunteer projects that provide Venturers with an opportunity to give back to the places we respect and love,” explains Anderson. “The Museum works closely with land management agencies to develop service learning projects. Projects are created around identified needs and goals of the places we visit, thereby creating a meaningful and mutually beneficial experience for all involved. Trip leaders and agency representatives lead each service learning project and provide in the field training, so previous experience is not required and we have a lot of fun while preserving and protecting the landscapes and cultural sites of the Plateau.” Connect with the natural world through the Ventures 2005 schedule at www.musnaz.org. Ventures Manager Tracy Anderson can be reached at 928/774-5213, ext. 220 or at tanderson@mna.mus.az.us. The Museum of Northern Arizona seeks to inspire a sense of love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the Colorado Plateau through collecting, studying, interpreting, and preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage. The Museum sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountains in Arizona, and is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. SIDEBAR: IN NEED OF A SLICK ROCK FIX? Just talking about taking a Ventures trip with the Museum of Northern Arizona lightens Rick Whitbeck's mood. "Ventures takes you where you have never been, to places you barely or never knew existed. After the experience you ask yourself why you didn't go sooner and wonder how soon you can go back," he says. "Talking about it makes me forget a long day. I’m badly in need of a slick rock fix." Whitbeck works as the Director of Continuing Education for Cleveland's Case School of Medicine, a career he describes as nonstop intense and demanding. "Thankfully, I’ve been able to incorporate the peace of mind I found on Ventures into my daily living.” Whitbeck discovered MNA Ventures programs through an ad while visiting the Grand Canyon in 1991. Since then, he's taken ten Ventures. His favorite trip was a backpacking expedition in 2000 with his daughter through the lower Grand Gulch, an elegant canyon running across Cedar Mesa to the San Juan River in Utah. "It was so quiet I could hear the rush of air under a raven’s wing. I like finding places that are not popular and the MNA guides are really good at mapping out where people usually don’t go.” Led by archaeologist Don Keller and poet naturalist Ann Walka, father and daughter backpacked a 25-mile loop, investigating petroglyhs, thirteenth century Pueblo living and ceremonial sites, and lush springs. “I look for peace and solitude. Sometimes we’d go for days without seeing other people,” says Whitbeck. “Don Keller and Ann Walka are two of my favorite people. I’ve made a lot of long-term friends on Ventures. I often remember listening to Ann read poetry. We were sitting on this ledge and the smell of a damp sage field nearby was filling the air. It was so uplifting and incredible. Like the Navajo say, walk in beauty.” -end- October 8, 2004 Plan now for the 2005 Muses Lecture Series, Knowing the Land and Its People, presented by the Sedona Muses and the Museum of Northern Arizona. The lectures feature regional authors and photographers who share images and lore gathered from their adventures. In 2005, the series seeks to develop a deeper understanding of outlying areas and indigenous people from the Colorado Plateau to Mongolia and back. Also new this year, lectures will be held at two sites—in Sedona at the Church of the Red Rocks and in Flagstaff at the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Branigar Hall from January through April. The Sedona Muses and the Museum of Northern Arizona present “The People of the Grand Canyon,” by Stephen Hirst “Gentle Horizons: Coming to Know the Land and People of the Colorado
Plateau” by Bruce Hucko “The Land of Genghis Khan” by David Edwards “Running Around the West” by Raechel M. Running Proceeds from the Sedona Lecture Series benefit the Museum of Northern
Arizona. Tickets are $6 Members/$7 Nonmembers per lecture or $20
Members/$25 Nonmembers for the entire series. They are available at 6:45
p.m. at the lectures or in advance at the Museum’s front desk, 3101 N.
Fort Valley Road in Flagstaff, daily from -end- November 18, 2004 Fine dining with Hell's Backbone Grill chefs Jen Castle and Blake Spalding at the Historic Colton House The Museum of Northern Arizona is extending an exclusive invitation for an elegant evening of fine dining and conversation at its Historic Colton House on Sunday, December 5. Chefs Jen Castle and Blake Spalding are returning to Flagstaff, their former hometown, after the close of another successful season of their Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder, Utah. The evening’s meal features courses from their newly published book, With a Measure of Grace, the Story and Recipes of a Small Town Restaurant. Located in the heart of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Hell’s Backbone Grill became an enormously popular stop on the itinerary of MNA’s Ventures and custom tours even before it appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, Sunset Magazine, and the Zagat Survey of restaurants. Their cooking style is a blend of Western Range, Pueblo Indian, and Southwestern fare. Adding to their accolades, Castle and Spalding were featured panelists and honored for their work and contribution to sustainability at the recent MNA and Center for Sustainable Environment event, “Celebrating the Lands and People of Canyon Country.” Formerly backcountry and Grand Canyon river chefs, Castle and Spalding share a value system and food philosophy that complements their extensive cooking backgrounds and range of experience. Together these women melded their ideas of place-based cuisine, seasonally appropriate foods, right livelihood, and environmental ethics into a socially-responsible restaurant. Appetizers and conversation with the chefs begin at five o’clock with organic chicken liver pâté with currants and apple brandy, paired with wine. Dinner starts with a pumpkin and heirloom orchard apple soup and their award-winning Backbone House Salad of garden greens, heirloom apples, pomegranate seeds, and organic pear vinaigrette. The main course is seared duck breast with wild rosehip red wine sauce. It is served with lemon-leek smashed Idaho Yukon Gold potatoes, warm red cabbage salad with Utah goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts, and sautéed Swiss chard with piñon nuts. A vegetarian stuffed squash entrée is also available. Dessert is orchard pear gingerbread with vanilla bean ice cream and homemade butterscotch sauce, served with a dessert wine or tawny port. Dinner, beverages, and gratuity are all included for $95 per person. A minimum number of reservations are needed by December 1, so gather your friends for this unique opportunity. You can make reservations by calling 928/774-5211, ext. 225 and at that time you can also specify a vegetarian meal. -end- November 18, 2004 Savor the holiday season and the Colorado Plateau at the Museum of
Northern Arizona’s annual Community Holiday Party from 10 a.m. to noon on
Saturday, December 4. Come to mingle and marvel at this free,
nondenominational event for all. The Joyful Ringers, Federated Community
Church’s hand bell choir, perform from 10 to 11 a.m. Holiday celebrants will make regionally-inspired ornaments to trim the MNA tree and to take home, including split twig figurines, woolly sheep, and strung-bead creations. Baked goods, coffee, cider, and cocoa donated by Late for the Train will add to the fun. Author/chefs Jen Castle and Blake Spalding will sign copies of their new book, With a Measure of Grace, the Story and Recipes of a Small Town Restaurant, which was co-written with Spalding’s sister, Lavinia Spalding and photographed by Eric Swanson. Sixty-eight favorite recipes highlight their blend of Western Range, Pueblo Indian, and Southwestern cooking. From Flagstaff and formerly backcountry and Grand Canyon river chefs, Castle and Spalding now run the enormously popular Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder, Utah in the heart of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Their restaurant has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine; The New York Times; Travel + Leisure; National Geographic Traveler; Sunset Magazine; and the Zagat Survey of restaurants. The Museum’s free admission on this morning includes entrance to all of the exhibit galleries. See Arizona: A View from the Mountains, an exhibit by Flagstaff photographer Michael Collier and author Rose Houk. It showcases 76 photographs of ten Arizona mountain ranges from their recently published book by Arizona Highways. Also experience Caras y Máscaras: Faces and Masks, an exhibit of Zarco Guererro’s masks, altars, murals, giant puppets, and boulder-like Olmec heads inspired by the beauty and humor of cultures around the world. Visit the Museum of Northern Arizona to learn about the beauty and
diversity of the Colorado Plateau. The region’s artistic traditions,
Native cultures, and natural sciences are revealed through changing
exhibits, informative programs, festivals, and custom outdoor adventures.
-end- November 3, 2004 The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship. —Ralph Waldo Emerson One of the most important collections at the Museum of Northern Arizona is its friends—that’s why its annual fundraiser is a friendraiser. Museum friends will gather at Photofeast, MNA’s 2004 Fall Cheerful Friendraiser at 6 p.m. Saturday, November 20 in the Museum’s Harvey W. Branigar Hall for an evening of fine food, a silent auction, a raffle, and fun stories of our region as told through the lenses of celebrated Colorado Plateau photographers Michael Collier, Dawn Kish, John Running, and Raechel Running. Tickets are $100 for members and $135 for nonmembers, who get a MNA year membership with their purchase. “Photofeast continues MNA’s tradition of featuring the enormously talented people who live and work on the Colorado Plateau,” says Roger Clark, MNA’s Assistant to the Director for Development. “We love connecting our community to its rich heritage of artists and scientists.” The event also connects with its current exhibit, Arizona: A View From the Mountains, a display providing a statewide view of Arizona through photographs taken by Collier that are featured in the Arizona Highways book he recently published with author Rose Houk, The Mountains Know Arizona: Images of the Land and its People. Most of all, Photofeast will help you connect as a friend to the Museum. Besides good company and food, your ticket gets you two complimentary drink tickets, an irresistible auction, and an opportunity to have your picture taken with Museum founders Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton and Harold S. Colton. Large cardboard figures of the Coltons, combined with black and white photography, will provide the illusion that you’ve been a Museum friend since its beginning in 1928. Silent auction items include a chance to win four lawn seats at any 2005 event at Cricket Pavilion in Phoenix, an eight-week pottery class, numerous hotel and restaurant certificates, a daytour of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim with author, geologist and MNA Trustee Wayne Ranney, a 90-minute private telescope viewing session at Lowell Observatory, Arizona Cardinals’ football signed by wide receiver Reggie Newhouse, a Navajo rug from Garland’s Navajo Rugs, a private airplane ride right over your home, and more. To donate an item or to buy a ticket, please reply by November 15 to Liz Gumerman at 928/774-5211, ext. 219 or email photofeast@mna.mus.az.us. For an updated listing of auction items, visit www.musnaz.org. Founded as a community effort by a group of Flagstaff citizens, the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) is a private, nonprofit institution that was originally established as a repository for Native American artifacts and natural history specimens from the Colorado Plateau. MNA’s mission is to inspire a sense of love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the Colorado Plateau through collecting, studying, interpreting, and preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage. Michael Collier is well known for his spectacular aerial photography of Arizona, his photo essays, and as a geologist, pilot, medical doctor, boatman, and author who has cast his eyes on the Southwest for several decades. Dawn Kish was raised and is based in Flagstaff. Her passion for travel and adventure around the world now create the work she produces. Documentary photography is her favorite. Kish works for National Geographic Adventure and Sports Illustrated. John Running has been making photographs in Flagstaff for 35 years. Give him 1/125th of a second and he will give you so much more. His photographs stand out with his personally creative and graphically strong style. Raechel Running is a Flagstaff native who makes images that are more than just photographs. Internationally published and an arts educator, her portraiture combines a love of traditional photography and mixed media artwork, inspired by the light and spirit of the land and cultural legacies of the Southwest. Sponsors of this event include Fred Nackard Wholesale Beverage Company, Julie and Patrick Nackard, Direct Impressions Business Services, Greg Reed and Julie Cramer, Botanica Creations, Northern Arizona Sign and Graphics, and an anonymous friend of the Museum. The Museum is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180 and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. -end- October 8, 2004 It’s that time of year when yellow aspens draw our attention to the splash of color on the San Francisco Peaks and the Museum of Northern Arizona draws our attention to its friendraiser on Saturday, November 20, 2004. MNA’s 2004 Fall Cheerful Friendraiser and auction is a Photofeast—an evening of fine food and fun stories of our region as told through the lenses of celebrated Colorado Plateau photographers Michael Collier, Dawn Kish, John Running, and Raechel Running. Photofeast includes an auction of donated irresistible items including fine jewelry, original art, and unique opportunities around the region with artists and educators. All funds raised will support the Museum’s education, exhibit, research, and youth programs. There are two ways to be a friend at this friendraiser: for $100 a ticket for members or $135 for nonmembers. The program begins at 6 p.m. in the Museum’s Harvey W. Branigar Hall with an elegant dinner, two complimentary drink tickets, a fun photography program, the auction, a cash bar, and a viewing of Arizona: A View from the Mountains, MNA’s special photo exhibit by photographer Michael Collier and author Rose Houk. For $1,000 a ticket, you can attend the main event as well as an exclusive reception at 4 p.m. with the photographers, Museum Director Robert Breunig, and Board Chair Susan Garretson at the Historic Colton House. To donate an item or to buy a ticket, please reply by November 5 to Liz
Gumerman at Michael Collier is well known for his spectacular aerial photography of Arizona, his photos essays, and as a geologist, pilot, medical doctor, boatman, and author who has cast his eyes on the Southwest for several decades. Dawn Kish was raised and is based in Flagstaff. Her passion for travel and adventure around the world now create the work she produces. Documentary photography is her favorite. Kish works for National Geographic Adventure and Sports Illustrated. John Running has been making photographs in Flagstaff for 35 years. Give him 1/125th of a second and he will give you so much more. His photographs stand out with his personally creative and graphically strong style. Raechel Running is a Flagstaff native who makes images that are more than just photographs. Internationally published and an arts educator, her portraiture combines a love of traditional photography and mixed media artwork inspired by the light and spirit of the land and cultural legacies of the Southwest. Sponsors of this event include Fred Nackard Wholesale Beverage Company, Julie and Patrick Nackard, Direct Impressions Business Services, Greg Reed and Julie Cramer, and an anonymous friend of the Museum. The Museum of Northern Arizona sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountains in Arizona. Through its research, collections, and educational efforts, the Museum aims to inspire a sense of love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the Colorado Plateau through collecting, studying, interpreting, and preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage. The Museum is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180 and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. -end- October 6, 2004 The Museum of Northern Arizona today announced that a northern Arizona couple, who wish to remain anonymous, pledged three million dollars to build a new Collections Center at the Museum. This major donation comes at a time when the need for a new facility to house and care for MNA’s collections, as well as federal and tribal collections, is a top priority. The donors wrote, “In making this gift for the construction of a new Collections Center, we are expressing our strong support for the Museum of Northern Arizona. We have confidence in its future and in its director. We recognize the significance of the Museum’s collections and the importance of preserving them for generations to come. With this gift we want to make a difference, and we hope to encourage renewed interest and participation in protecting the Museum’s treasured collections.” MNA currently houses significant collections from the region, including the Museum’s 600,000 artifacts and additional extensive bulk collections, many from federal and tribal holdings. Museum director Robert Breunig stated, “This gift addresses one of the most pressing needs of the Museum of Northern Arizona—the need for improved collections storage. With a new Collections Center the museum will be able to provide the best possible conditions for the care of its collections for generations to come. “This gift represents a significant show of support for the future of
the Museum and supports the commitment of the Museum to focus on its core
mission,” said Breunig. MNA’s mission is to inspire a sense of love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the Colorado Plateau—through collecting, studying, interpreting, and preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage. The Museum is working with architect James Roberts of Roberts/Jones Associates of Phoenix to develop a Campus Master Plan and Collections Center building plans. The vision for the facility is that it will meet current museum standards for collections facilities; it will be architecturally pleasing and consistent with existing MNA architecture; economically feasible and environmentally sustainable; accessible to the public; large enough to provide space for scholars, classrooms, and storage; and have add-on capability for the future. James Roberts said, “This generous gift has become the catalyst for
synthesizing an environmental vision for MNA’s mission in this millennium.
This vital, new The Museum of Northern Arizona has an illustrious 76-year history as one of the great regional museums and is a place that evokes the very spirit of the Colorado Plateau—one of the most diverse geological, biological, and cultural landscapes on earth. The Museum of Northern Arizona sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountains in Arizona. It is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180. It is open daily and admission is $5/adult, $4/senior, $3/student, and $2/child. For more information, call 928/774-5213 or log on to www.musnaz.org. -end- October 5, 2004 Mexican, Latino, and Chicano Cultures Gather
at MNA Luminarios will illuminate the Museum’s historic courtyard filled with a Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos decorated gravesite and altars provided by Nuestras Raices, a local group dedicated to locally promoting Mexican/Mexican American/Hispanic culture. The group is also providing a public altar where people who have lost loved ones can join in the celebration by placing a special memento for them on it. Dia de los Muertos is a holiday held throughout Mexico, Latin America, and the Southwest to celebrate the transformation to afterlife and pay homage to the dead with prayers, celebrations, and altars. Preparing an altar by placing photographs, flowers, candles, favorite foods, and drinks of loved ones provides a special time to remember and to transform grief into acceptance. An important aspect of the holiday is the closure it provides for families who have lost loved ones. Celebraciónes de la Gente doesn’t stop there—arts, crafts, music, food, strolling mariachis, traditional storytelling, puppet shows, free dance lessons, graffiti art, and a myriad of masks make this unique event both educational and entertaining. Marvel at music, masks, mosaics and more The elegant traditions of Hispanic tin working are demonstrated by Fred
Lopez, a master tin worker from Santa Fe, while Vincent Ortega from Taos
creates mosaic crosses on wood incorporating gold, silver, pewter, and
brass, with the traditions he learned from his grandparents. Ortega says
his crosses “recreate historic images from throughout the centuries as
well as interpretations of modern religious artifacts.” Diane Moya Lujan’s religious childhood is brought to life in her appliqué work featuring straw mosaics of the lives of saints. Beatrice Maestas Sandoval weaves embroidery into the event. Sandoval uses the Spanish technique of spinning, weaving, and covering fabric called colcha in her art. Sandoval says she works to educate young people on the ancient embroidery craft. “These ways of making life beautiful are endangered—we have a responsibility to keep them alive,” she explains. Graffiti artists snap nozzles on their spray cans to bring the modern Hispanic world to Celebraciónes de la Gente. Grafitti artists demonstrate their emerging craft on large sheets of wood positioned near the Museum’s outside dance floor. “Graffiti is an art form that is finally being taken seriously,” says Anthony Esparza. “We want our work to be seen, and the Museum is a great place to share what we are creating.” Music abounds at Celebraciónes de la Gente. From mariachis to the rhythmic ranges of Nosotros, a Latin-American folk music group using instruments made from deer hoofs and flutes, to the ancient percussion-filled sounds and movement of Matachinas, MNA will be a tough place not to tap your feet. Also performing is violin virtuoso Quetzal Guerrero, son of mask maker Zarco Guerrero. Quetzal Guerrero blends classic Latin jazz and Flamenco music into a dramatic violin performance each day. Entertaining since he was 10-years-old, Quetzal has played his music with Tito Puente, performs throughout the United States, and is about to release his fourth CD. Music is made visual with dancing by the local Ballet Folklorico Mexico Lindo, which transforms the spirit and culture of Mexico into bright costumes swirling through the air. The beauty and splendor continues with Flor de Mexico Ballet Folklorico from California. Dancers range from four-years-old to adults in both groups. On-site salsa, meringue, and cumbia dance lessons are also available to get you moving to a Latin beat. Discussions and storytelling help bring the varied Hispanic traditions to life. Each day El Salvadoran storyteller Amanda Blanco shares the folksy stories she learned as a child and Zarco and Carmen Guerrero use visuals and acting to help explain the numerous influences of Dia de los Muertos traditions. Kid Stuff Zarco Unmasked Guerrero's devilish friends, smiling skulls, portraits, and freaky faces welcome visitors to Caras y Mascaras: Faces and Masks, an exhibit featuring almost 200 masks, multimedia altar installations, murals, puppets, and boulder-like Olmec heads. Guerrero has traveled worldwide to incorporate cultures from around the world into his pieces. “I am inspired by the beauty and humor of all cultures,” Guerrero says. “Human emotions are our common denominator and mask makers around the world have been recognizing that for centuries.” Guerrero’s art installation includes "Katrina Copping a Tan"—a beer swilling, cigarette puffing, pink bikini-clad skeleton—part of Guerrero’s tribute to Dia de los Muertos. “Katrina expresses that life is a dance with death and how we play with death with our bad habits,” explains Guerrero. Altar Nativa, a multimedia altar at the center of the exhibit gallery, uses eggshells, seashells, and ceramic skull masks to honor ancient Indian burial sites. “Traditionally, the smiling skull is a symbol of rebirth,” Guerrero explains. “We decorate the dead, that’s what we do, because one day, we’ll be dead, too.” The exhibit also includes a large Mother and Child fiberglass sculpture, an area of skeletal figures and giant puppets used in Dia de los Muertos celebrations. “The puppets create a spectacle because of their size and allow us to marvel at the power of death and its omnipresence,” Guerrero says. “When wearing a mask or working a puppet, there is a mystical quality and they virtually take over. I witnessed this first in Mexico, where I went to study sculpture as a young man.” Masks that unveil death For almost 30 years, Guerrero has traveled worldwide studying mask making techniques and traditions while gathering materials such as wood from Bali and Japan. Inspired by the beauty and humor of world cultures, he says, “People are not so different. Human emotions are our common denominator and mask makers around the world have been recognizing that for centuries." An Ode to the Olmec Other Mexican inspired artwork in the exhibit includes Calaca masks, the smiling masks of Mexican art used to honor ancestors. These masks serve to identify ourselves with nature and earth’s creatures. “They’re mirrors of us rooted in a common past and destined to share a common future,” says Guerrero. Guerrero’s Nagual masks blend figurative realism with natural elements such as feathers, furs, horns, and other items he finds during travels or when perusing local thrift shops near his Mesa, Arizona home. Nagual is an Aztec term describing the guardian spirit of man. The masks are first modeled in clay, then cast into durable light weight fiberglass and adorned with bull, goat horns, or deer antlers. The fur is usually fox or sheep wool, recycled from used fur coats. He says his contemporary masks are an expression of “indigenous iconography assimilated and applied to the modern urban arena.” Masks in the Noh The Noh mask was developed during the late 14th century when Noh dramaturgy, one of Japan’s oldest performance arts was born. “When I went to study in Japan, I was already profoundly influenced by the art of Mexico and I saw that the Japanese masks looked as if they were carved in the same tradition. I wanted to be a part of Noh art right away,” declares Guerrero. Masks are also clustered in groups such as Carnaval, Frogs, Devils, Freaky Faces, Frida Kahlo inspired masks, Musical, and Healing masks. Most of them have been used in performances throughout the country, as well as in performances by Guerrero. A force in the Arizona art scene since the early 1970s, Guerrero has participated in the Artist in Education program of the Arizona Arts Commission and has conducted national and international workshops focusing on Dia los de Muertos. He is the founder of Xicanindio Artes, Inc. a nonprofit organization dedicated to better understanding of Latino and Native American Arts. “I was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona,” he muses. “My family is third generation American. I began to rediscover my roots during the height of the Chicano art movement in San Francisco, Sacramento, and later in Phoenix. My art helps me acknowledge my own ancestors. I am of Mexican descent and from the Juaneno Tribe of Mission Indians in California.” Guerrero’s Caras y Mascaras: Faces and Masks remains on display through April 25, 2005. -end- October 1, 2004 The National Park Service, in partnership with the Museum of Northern Arizona, is creating new public interpretive exhibits for the Wupatki National Monument Visitor Center. Take part in a design evaluation walk-through on Thursday, October 21 and Friday, October 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Branigar Hall. Small groups of participants will take guided tours of planned exhibit mock-ups, with tours beginning every 20 minutes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will then answer a brief questionnaire, recording their responses and impressions to be used in the final round of design decisions. From 3:30 to 5 p.m., participants can view the exhibit mock-ups without taking part in the formal evaluation process. Families with children are strongly encouraged to attend at any time. Visitors will learn about the entire spectrum of human occupation, experience, and subsistence at the Puebloan settlement of Wupatki, as well as perspectives on the region’s history. Admission to the Wupatki design walk-through is free.The Museum of Northern Arizona sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks and is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180. For further information, contact the Museum at 928/774-5213. -end- September 17, 2004 Open House Admission to the Museum and tours are free, as well as a chance to interact with the researchers and staff involved in the Museum’s scientific work. Get to know what goes on behind-the-scenes in the geology, zoology, and anthropology research labs and enjoy on-site gallery guides throughout the Museum’s exhibit halls. Try prehistoric aboriginal skills and techniques with S.A.L.T. (Study of Aboriginal Lifeways and Technology), a group dedicated to hands-on recreational and educational activities for the whole family. Learn to use an atlatl, the same spear thrower that prehistoric hunters used to kill their prey. Flintnapping will show how ordinary stones were turned into arrowheads and other tools. See how early people turned raw materials into woven fabric and cordage, and learn about gourd craft. Four seasoned guitarists from the Grand Canyon Guitar Society are performing on the research side of the MNA campus. Local performers Craig Yarbrough, Ray Rossi, Jim Hudson, and Patricia Silverberg blend together their talents to play delta blues, folk/rock, jazz, flamenco, and classical guitar from 1 to 4 p.m. Grand Canyon Guitar Society is dedicated to performing guitar music throughout northern Arizona, as well as studying current trends and working to advance the guitar throughout the region. Taste fresh veggies grown at the Flagstaff Youth Garden, during tours every half hour from 1 to 5 p.m. Situated on the historic Colton Community Farm site near the Colton Research Center, the garden features students and a slide show highlighting the efforts of its eight-week summer employment program for area high school students. If veggies are not filling enough, there will be plenty of traditional Navajo foods to taste. Take a half hour tour at 2 and 4 p.m. of the numerous historic buildings on the Museum campus with Susan Deaver Olberding, a Museum research associate and board member. Play “Habitat Hike,” an interactive educational technology game that explores ecological life zones. Susan Sonni Green’s new video on Museum co-founder Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton will be screened. Creative types will enjoy making crafts at Creative Corner, or paper chromatography at Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy (FALA), where math and science teachers Amber Cline and Doug Friedman discuss their programs. Book Sale Bring some knowledge home from Open House with a stop at the MNA’s Book Sale to benefit MNA’s library. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, this fundraiser features several thousand books covering a wide range of topics. There are a large number of archaeology books, as well as works of fiction and Grand Canyon videos for sale. Other Flagstaff Festival of Science Events at MNA Panel Discussion From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 2, four local scientists explore evolving forms of ancient Puebloan communities in an effort to understand how different cultures developed social structures and evolved over time. At Changing Forms of Human Communities in the Southwest, cutting-edge research is shared in a panel discussion with Dr. David Wilcox, Senior Curator of Anthropology at MNA; Dr. Jeffrey Dean from the Laboratory of Tree-ring Research at the University of Arizona; Dennis Gilpin from SWCA Environmental Studies; and Jim Holmlund from the Western Mapping Company. Wilcox has created a new context for understanding the changing forms of Puebloan communities through his studies of all known sites of 13 rooms or more throughout the entire North American Southwest; Dean is discussing the changing forms for Kayenta Anasazi communities, including the cliff-dwelling sites of Kiet Siel and Betatakin; Gilpin is sharing his studies of Chacoan communities; and Holmlund is displaying maps of pueblos on the Colorado Plateau. Flagstaff Festival of Science Twilight Talks at the Museum of
Northern Arizona Tuesday, September 28, 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 29, 7 p.m. Thursday, September 30, 7 p.m. Friday, October 1, 7 p.m. About MNA -end- September 10, 2004 Contact: Craig Yarbrough at 928/213-0752 Classical guitarist Ana Vidovic is a bright young talent with
formidable gifts who is destined for a major Vidovic's reputation in Europe led to an invitation to study with
Manuel Barrueco at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Md., where she
graduated in May 2003. At the age of only 22, Ana has received first
prizes in the Albert Augustine International Competition in Bath, England,
the Fernando Sor Competition in Rome, Italy, and the Francisco Tarrega
Competition in Benicasim, Spain. Her other top prizes include the
Eurovision Competition for Young Artists, the Mauro Giuliani Competition
in Italy, the Printemps de la Guitare in Belgium, and the Young Concert
Artists International Auditions in New York. She has given over a thousand
public performances since first taking the stage in 1988. Her international performance career includes recitals in London,
Paris, Vienna, Salzburg, Rome, Budapest, Tickets at the event or at Cedar Music, 1530 S. Riordan Ranch Road in
Flagstaff, are available for $15 or -end- August 27, 2004 Travel the state without leaving Flagstaff at Arizona: A View from the Mountains, the new photography exhibit at the Museum of Northern Arizona. From the highest mountains to the most delicate wildflowers, this exhibit will open your mind and eyes to the rich diversity of Arizona landscapes. On display from September 4, 2004–April 17, 2005, it features text and 76 photographs from the recently published Arizona Highways book by author Rose Houk and photographer Michael Collier, The Mountains Know Arizona: Images of the Land and Stories of Its People. Collier’s vivid photography tells the stories of ten Arizona mountain ranges while Houk’s writing adds a human element by focusing on people who live on or study these geologically-rich landscapes. The two traveled two years and 30,000 miles to compile images and text celebrating Arizona. They wandered through aspen groves on the San Francisco Peaks, walked canyons around Navajo Mountain, and explored Mount Trumbull in the Uinkarets. Now, they want to hear what you have to say. As a special addition to the show, Collier is including seven additional images of the San Francisco Peaks. Unlike the book photographs, these images show human interaction with the Peaks. Exhibit goers are invited to scribe their thoughts about the mountains in a book at the exhibit. Collier and Houk will share some of these public thoughts during a slide show and reading at 4 p.m. Sunday, November 7. “We thought it would be nice not only to have people see lovely images of Arizona, but to elicit responses to the exhibit and get their thoughts of what the mountains mean to them,” says Collier. “One way to do that is to step out of the "beautiful mountains" mode. The new pictures show people another reality. It’s the reality that these mountains are not just a beautiful landscape, but it is a landscape influenced by people.” When they are not hiking, biking, or working on another book, Collier and Houk often work from their sandstone brick office overlooking Flagstaff’s Heritage Square. They took the time to speak with the Museum about their show as a soft summer breeze meandered through the historic open windows: MNA: Why did you produce this book? MNA: Rose, how did you create such interesting text while
writing about such academic topics? MNA: When did you first know you were a writer? MNA: Why did you add seven new photographs to the exhibit at the
Museum of Northern Arizona? MNA: So, you’re not making a political statement with the new
photographs? MNA: Why didn't these photos make it into the book? MNA: Why was making this book important to you? MNA: Has working on this book changed you? MNA: Do you have a favorite image in The Mountains Know Arizona? MNA: Rose, there was a lot to write. How did you stay inspired? MNA: Michael, how do you balance being a photographer with being
a pilot, a doctor, and a geologist? MNA: How did you get such extraordinary photos? MNA: Some of these images seem very bird’s eye view. Did you
take them from a plane? MNA: How does Rose feel about flying? MNA: Do you enhance photographs during processing? MNA: How many books have you worked on together? MNA: Why are you showing these photos at the Museum of Northern
Arizona rather than in an art gallery? Michael Collier Rose Houk Join Collier and Houk on a Museum of Northern Arizona Ventures Program
photography and writing tour April 2–9, 2005. For more information, Call
Tracy Anderson at -end- August 26, 2004 In a bind because you have too many books? Docents at the Museum of Northern Arizona are planning another fundraising book sale at MNA’s annual Open House on October 3. All proceeds from the book sale will benefit the MNA Library, so look through your books to see which ones you might like to donate. Your support will certainly be appreciated. Donations can be dropped off at the MNA Library’s reading room (at the Research Center, across Hyw. 180 from the Museum) through the month of September. For further information, call MNA Librarian Carol Hassler at 928/774-5211, ext. 256. -end- August 26, 2004 The Museum of Northern Arizona’s annual Museum Shop Labor Day Sale
September 3–6 is an opportunity to acquire authentic Native art at a great
price. Consignment items are not included in this sale and no additional discounts apply. -end- August 20, 2004 Artists from indigenous tribes living on the Colorado Plateau are on their way to Flagstaff to share their cultures at the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Native Artists Marketplace on Saturday and Sunday, September 4 and 5. Native Artists combines the diversity of the Zuni and Pai Nations with
other Plateau tribes such as the Southern Paiute, the Havasupai, the
Hualapai, and the Yavapai-Apache. Artist booths brim with pottery,
fetishes, baskets, and jewelry as historic stone courtyards bustle with
dances, music, carvers, and food. Pikyavit’s baskets will be on display in MNA’s Enduring Creations seasonal sales gallery. He will speak each day in the gallery at 11 a.m. about being a Southern Paiute and his efforts to keep basket making active. (see Pikyavit sidebar). Connect further to the Pai cultures by experiencing the Hualapai Social Dance and Bird Songs and the intricate colorful clothes that accompany them. Jewelry maker George Bennett will demonstrate Pai jewelry techniques and Katherine Marquez will discuss the evolving Pai culture. Enhance your Zuni knowledge by enjoying the Zuni Young Pottery Maidens and the A:shiwi Traditional Dancers. The history behind creating Zuni fetishes is discussed by carver Mike Yatsayte, and Zuni Katsinas are explored by carver Selino Eriacho. And if it’s the outside that draws you in, sign up for ethnobotany tours along the Rio De Flag with Wilber Haskie, a Zuni ethnobotanist. Children of all ages will enjoy a Native-inspired puppet show, “Dragonfly’s Tale,” as well as a creative corner on Saturday where they can make a take-home craft. For a complete listing of activities, go to www.musnaz.org. The Museum of Northern Arizona is located three miles north of Flagstaff’s historic downtown at 3101 N. Fort Valley Road and is open from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily. Admission is $5/adult, $4/senior, $3/student, $2/child. For more information, call 928/774-5213. Zuni Pai Featured Artist Everett Pikyavit His brown hands hurt from scraping, cutting, sorting and weaving rods of willow branches. He says, “When I am getting ready for an event like the marketplace, the whole house is full of piles of different size willow branches.” As the featured artist at the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Native Artists Marketplace, Pikyavit hopes to educate the public to the artistry of his people. His methods are traditional, his materials are natural, and his inspiration is the Paiute basketry he learned at his grandmother’s feet. “I used to play with my toys at my grandmother’s feet as she was weaving,” says Pikyavit. “She planted the seeds for me to make baskets too.” But it didn’t happen overnight. As a young man, Pikyavit pursued geology at school and worked putting out California forest fires for eight years. It wasn’t until his 30s that he began longing for his Southern Paiute roots. Now he is an active member of the Moapa Band of Paiutes and works to encourage others like him to follow traditional basket designs. “I picked up the technique easily. I believe it was in my blood,” he says. “I try to encourage young weavers to stick with their task. I believe if I teach people now, they will return to it later and keep the tradition alive.” Pikyavit formed the Great Basin Native Basket Weavers Association which now includes more than 30 members learning the trade. He also makes traditional clothing such as beaded buckskin attire, shoes, bows and arrows, and feather-adorned hats, which also will be on display. -end- August 2004 Escalante Canyon, rim to rim of the Grand Canyon, and the San Juan River are waiting for you. This fall, enjoy the wonders of the Colorado Plateau while learning about them on a Museum of Northern Arizona Ventures trip, planned and guided by expert scientists and artists. All you have to do is pack your hiking boots and leave the rest to MNA. Permits, food, gear, and even suggested reading are provided to Venturers. From exploring ancient ruins to learning how to paint them, there’s a Ventures trip for you to talk about the rest of your life. September 15–19 • Escalante Canyon Archaeology/Biology Service
Project September 27–October 2 • Escalante Canyon Backpack October 4–9 and October 10–14 • Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Backpacks
October 6–9 San Juan River Trip with Shonto Begay Advance reservations are required for all Ventures. For further trip information go to www.musnaz.org. For trip information or to register, call Tracy Anderson, Ventures Manager at 928/774-5211, ext. 220 or email tanderson@mna.mus.az.us. -end- July 30, 2004 Artists, dancers, musicians, activities, and food from Navajoland - or Diné Bikéyah as the Navajo say - arrive in Flagstaff on Saturday and Sunday, August 7 and 8 for the 55th Annual Navajo Marketplace at the Museum of Northern Arizona. More than 50 artists representing today’s 250,000 Diné bring their fine art skills in painting, textiles, basketry, silverwork, pottery, and folk art to the marketplace. A collection of Navajo rugs provided by traders and trading posts throughout the Colorado Plateau also will be on display and for sale in MNA’s Fine Arts Gallery. Miss Navajo, Code Talkers, and Honor Guard Ceremonies Navajo Code Talkers, Dr. Samuel Billson from Window Rock and Samuel Tso from Lukachukai, honor veterans of World War II and exemplify the unequaled bravery and patriotism of the Navajo people. Both Billson and Tso are available throughout the marketplace to meet the public and sign copies of two books, Navajo Weapon and Warriors, Navajo Code Talkers. Dancing, Talking, and Walking Demonstrations and discussions include rug weaving by Marilou Schultz and the Bighorse family, basket making by Sally Black and Agnes Gray. Presenter Larry King walks the audience along a path of history while highlighting the resilience of The Navajo Language in the Twenty-First Century. Liz Williams discusses The Traditional Navajo Woman in Contemporary Times. The cultural significance of cradleboards and the objects on them is discussed by Tammy Begay and Ralph Jim, who run a cradleboard family business. And ethnobotany tours along the Rio de Flag are guided by educator Theresa Boone-Schuler. Reggae, Hip Hop, and Folk Music Featured Artist Shonto Begay Begay’s fertile creativity births paintings with wonder, sadness, and truth about the everyday life of being Shonto and everyday life on the Navajo reservation. Begay will sign his books (available in the MNA Bookstore) and have numerous large-scale paintings ranging from edgy to mystical, including his famous “White Shell Woman,” a depiction of the Navajo mythological mother to the Hero Twins. Kid Stuff About MNA MNA’s Heritage Program marketplaces are generously supported by major donors: Arizona Commission on the Arts/National Endowment for the Arts and Flagstaff Cultural Partners/City of Flagstaff. Sponsors include NEBS, Sunny 97 FM, and KAFF/The Mountain. -end- July 2004 Artists, dancers, musicians, activities, and food from Navajoland—or Diné Bikéyah as the Navajo say—arrive in Flagstaff on Saturday and Sunday, August 7 and 8 for the 55th Annual Navajo Marketplace at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Opening ceremonies for the marketplace start 9 a.m. Saturday and include a traditional Navajo prayer, Code Talkers, Honor Guard ceremonies, and Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley. Navajo Code Talkers, Dr. Samuel Billson from Window Rock and Samuel Tso from Lukachuka, honor veterans of World War II and exemplify the unequaled bravery and patriotism of the Navajo people. Both Billson and Tso are available throughout the marketplace to meet the public and sign copies of two books, Navajo Weapon and Warriors, Navajo Code Talkers. “I'm impressed with the artwork quality we are seeing for judged categories,” says Bob Lomadafkie, MNA’s Heritage Program Manager. “We’ve brought back Heritage Program’s featured artists format this year and are pleased to have Navajo painter Shonto Begay at the Museum. His colorful work brings traditional art with a contemporary flair to the weekend.” Shonto Begay is one of this era’s most important Native American
painters and book Begay will sign his books and have numerous large-scale paintings
ranging from the edgy to mystical at the marketplace, including his famous
“White Shell Woman,” a depiction of the Navajo mythological being who is
mother to the Hero Twins. Begay’s presentation, “Releasing the Light,”
draws from his experiences as a writer, storyteller, and painter to share
stories about his process of creativity. (see attached sidebar) More than 50 artists representing today’s 250,000 Diné bring traditional and contemporary arts to the marketplace. Their fine arts skills in painting, textiles, basketry, silverwork, pottery, and folk art are passed lovingly from generation to generation on the Navajo Nation, the largest Indian reservation in the U. S. The Navajo Nation lies between four sacred mountains—Mount Blanca in Colorado to the east, Mount Taylor in New Mexico to the south, the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, Arizona in the west, and Mt. Hesperus in Colorado to the north. Returning this year are Casper and the Mighty 602 Band, combining Native roots with positive reggae music. Casper Lomayesva, a young Diné/Hopi singer, and this band have risen to popularity throughout the Southwest and opened out-of-state for concert headline reggae bands such as Burning Spear and The Wailers. The Mighty 602 Band easily juxtaposes traditional beliefs with modern expression, letting people know of the Native American struggle. New this year, Larry King from the Water, Mexican, and Red House Clans presents a humorous reflection of the culture in Navajo and English, walking the audience along a path of history while highlighting the resilience of the Navajo language in the Twenty-First Century. In addition, the cultural significance of cradleboards and the objects on them is discussed by Tammy Begay and Ralph Jim, who run a cradleboard family business in Round Rock, Arizona. See dancing by The Little Bitterwater Hoop Dancers, accompanied by the Antelope Trail Singers, and numerous art demonstrations. Rug making will be highlighted by Marilou Schultz and the Bighorse family. Rose Bighorse says, “My mother, Maybelle Bighorse, will be working on a traditional loom. She is known for her detailed and tight storm patterns.” The Traditional Navajo Woman in Contemporary Times is discussed by Liz Williams and ethnobotany tours along the Rio de Flag are guided by Diné educator and ethnobotanist Theresa Boone-Schuler. Schuler gathered her skill from her father, a noted herbalist who urged her to pass on the knowledge of traditional healing plants by teaching about identification and usage. The Museum of Northern Arizona sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountains in Arizona. It is located three miles north of Flagstaff’s historic downtown, on scenic Highway 180. An originator of American Indian marketplaces, MNA’s Heritage Program presents the best of the diverse cultures of the Colorado Plateau in a celebration of marketplaces. Since 1930, audiences of all ages—families, children, connoisseurs, and collectors—have enjoyed fine Native American and Hispanic arts and performances. For more information, call 928/774-5213 or visit www.musnaz.org. MNA’s Heritage Program marketplaces are generously supported by major donors: Arizona Commission on the Arts/National Endowment for the Arts and Flagstaff Cultural Partners/City of Flagstaff. Sponsors include NEBS, the Radisson Woodlands Hotel, Sunny 97 FM, and KAFF/The Mountain. SHONTO BEGAY—STORYTELLER OF WONDER, SADNESS, AND TRUTH “I paint images and subject matters to bring about closures in my own life’s experiences that left me a bit bewildered. Each piece begins with a feeling, a yearning to bring into the light aspects of the psyche that need my attention….I face down my fears and embrace my passion fully there before a blank canvas, and coax into my world a little bit more order and peace. We have a journey to make, dust must be raised, and pain endured,” says Begay. From the Navajo Bitterwater and Salt Clans, he is the fifth child born to a Navajo medicine man and a weaver and sheephearder. His journey from the reservation to the Institute of American Indian Arts, then the California College of Arts and Crafts, and finally completing a Native Artist Fellowships at the Smithsonian Institute in both New York and Washington, D.C. has taken his art from his early interest in drawing to today’s statements about modern reservation life. From first light upon the mesa to images of the streets of Manhattan, his impressionistic brushstrokes depict moments in time that pay homage to his memories or state his concerns about the environment or encroaching development. Whether an individual work startles or amazes, all of Begay’s paintings call forth or provoke a response from the viewer. Some of his paintings are the dramas within, some are the dramas he experiences around him. “Northeast of Chinle” shows a landscape of trash along the roadside in a nation that cherishes the land. “In Witness to Changes” expresses the painter’s indelible memories of boyhood faces from boarding school, “more traumatized than they realize,” as they sit without power, in witness to the changes in their lives. In “Helpless” we peer into what looks like a crash pad after the party. While painting these images is an effort by the artist to heal those situations, they evoke the roughness and everyday facts of life on the rez. There are other Begay paintings, however, that celebrate the beauty within and around him. His mother cooks over a woodstove in “My Mother’s Kitchen,” “Morning Blessing” depicts a woman making a corn pollen offering at sunrise, and his new series of butterfly paintings are metaphors for the changes in his life at this time. Begay adds, “From my grief and jubilations, painting is externalizing for me—a blow hole through which all goes. The power has always been in the storytelling.” -end- July 2004 Indigenous Action Media (IAM), Flagstaff Cultural Partners (FCP) and the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) present Flagstaff’s first Native American Film and Video Festival celebrating works of Native American film and video makers from the Southwest. The festival will showcase feature length films, documentaries, shorts, music videos, and experimental film and video. “We are very excited to offer a remarkable selection of films and video from the Southwest,” says Klee Benally, Director of IAM. “There have been so many movies made about Native Americans, now were telling our own stories.” The Festival will begin with “We’re Still Here” by Dustin Craig (White Mountain Apache/Dine’), a feature documentary reflecting on family and tribal ties, that was part of the national PBS series “Matters of Race”; “Bitter Water: Dine’ Chronicles of Resistance,” a work in progress addressing forced relocation in Northern Arizona by Malcolm Benally (Dine’); “Hear Our Voices,” a documentary short confronting issues with uranium mining by students of Monument Valley High School; “Dada Yada,” a short film that poses thought-provoking questions about history and racism in a post 911 world, by Bennie Klain (Dine’), and Sheephead Films shorts by Dine’ director Shonie De La Rosa and more. Saturday screenings feature Norman Brown’s (Dine’) PBS special on diabetes, “Horse Song,” as well as various shorts and works by Native youth and other filmmakers. There is also a panel discussion on Native youth productions. At 7 p.m., view “Roast Mutton and Comedy Stew” featuring comedians James and Ernie and Bennie Klain’s “Return of Navajo Boy,” which chronicles an extraordinary chain of events, beginning with the appearance of a 1950s film reel, which lead to the return of a long lost brother to his Navajo family. Shorts films will be shown throughout the evening with discussions by the filmmakers. For more information go to www.culturalpartners.org. Friday, July 16, 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 17, 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The cost is $5/afternoon or $10/evenings. For further information and tickets please call 928/779-2300. -end- June 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.) The Museum of Northern Arizona’s Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the election of five new trustees who will each serve for four-year terms. Nine candidates were presented to the Museum membership for election, each candidate exemplifying breadth of experience, a history of action in support of regional peoples and places, and commitment to the Museum and its mission. Each candidate had to be willing to commit his or her time and expertise as active participants in the Museum’s governance. It is a remarkable statement about the value of MNA to our community that people of this caliber came forward to serve. MNA’s newly elected trustees are: Sheri L. Burnham is a member of the Navajo Nation and a fifth generation “Indian trader.” She promotes Native American art auctions for nonprofit organizations such as the Southwest Museum, Gene Autry Museum, Smoki Museum, Gallup Inter-tribal Ceremonial Association, the Navajo Studies Conference, the Navajo Nation Museum, and the Friends of Hubbell. Through her family’s trading business, R. B. Burnham and Co. Trading Post, she learned the importance of cultural traditions and the impacts of economic constraints on the preservation of these traditions. Her understanding of the intersection of Native cultures with business and philanthropic communities will help the Museum reestablish old, and develop new, connections within the Native American community. Burnham will integrate more Native voices of the Colorado Plateau into the process of fulfilling MNA’s mission.
Sam R. Henderson began his 37-year career in the National Park Service as an archaeologist, subsequently held positions of responsibility and influence throughout Arizona and New Mexico, and finally retired as superintendent of the Flagstaff Area National Monuments, including Wupatki, Sunset Crater Volcano, and Walnut Canyon. Dedicated to cultural resource preservation through linkage between past and present, he also served as NPS Intermountain Region Liaison to the Navajo Nation. MNA will benefit from the many skills Henderson developed through his years of service, including cultural, natural and human resources management, personnel development, infrastructure maintenance, interpretation, research, short- and long-range planning, community relationships, partnerships, fundraising, and inter-agency/inter-government relationships.
Jack Metzger represents the fourth generation of a Northern Arizona ranching family known for careful land management. During the 1950s–1970s, when his family lived next door to the Museum, Metzger washed artifacts, wiped fingerprints from display cases, and worked as a salesperson in the Hopi and Navajo shows. He remembers a pervasive sense of dignity and reverence at the Museum for the Colorado Plateau and its peoples, and recognizes there is no better place to chronicle the past, present, and future of the Hopi, Navajo, and other Native Americans from the Colorado Plateau. He will draw on experience with management and conservation, business, Arizona’s rich natural resources, and the halls of government as he works to regain the status of the Museum as a contemplative place for those who peruse the displays, as well as a place where serious study can be accomplished.
Barbara Poley, of Hopi and Laguna heritage, serves as the executive director of the Hopi Foundation, a nonprofit organization located on the Hopi reservation and established by Hopi people to promote self-sufficiency, self-reliance, self-determination, and proactive community participation. Poley served previously as staff assistant to the chairman of the Hopi Tribe, as manager of a private retail art business, and in a variety of roles with the nonprofit Native Americans for Community Action. The Museum will benefit from her ability to bring Native American understanding and perspectives to the board, as well as from her extensive experience in nonprofit management, including program development, agency financial viability, fundraising, development of endowments, and oversight responsibilities.
Octaviana Trujillo, member and previously the first woman chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, currently serves as professor and chair of the Applied Indigenous Studies Department at Northern Arizona University. She has worked over the past three decades in the area of educational program development for minority and multicultural populations, particularly Native Americans. At the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and now Northern Arizona University, Trujillo has contributed measurably to the funding and development of programs dedicated to improving training of both Native American students and teachers. She will bring considerable expertise in education for and about Native peoples, and will assist MNA in the inclusion of Native people’s voices as the Museum embarks on new directions for revitalization.
Etched crystal vases and letters of appreciation were presented to the four outgoing trustees: Deb Hill, Jon Bonnell, Louis Jacobs, and William Clarke. -end- June 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)Hopis are gathering in Flagstaff July 2–4 for Hopi Days, a community-wide event celebrating Hopi artisans. Hopi Days, in association with the Museum of Northern Arizona’s 71st Annual Hopi Marketplace, features Katsina doll carving, basket weaving, potters, and silversmiths demonstrating techniques at five downtown Flagstaff galleries. “We want the town jam packed with the best Hopi art,” says Jonathan Day, owner of Jonathan Day Indian Arts and author of Traditional Hopi Kachinas. “It will be great when everyone knows on the Fourth of July weekend, it’s time for Hopi Days.” Demonstrations begin 6 p.m. on Friday, July 2 at Jonathan Day’s Indian Arts, Painted Desert Trading Company, Puchteca Indian Goods, Thunder Mountain Traders, and Winter Sun Trading Company and continue through the weekend, coinciding with the array of events happening at the Museum. Hopi Days is intended to solidify and connect Hopi art demonstrations during MNA’s Hopi Marketplace, the oldest Hopi show in the world. “We are not just a resource for the community, we are part of it, and want to be involved with events educating the public about the cultures on the Colorado Plateau,” says Robert G. Bruening, MNA director. The Museum’s Hopi Marketplace is also the venue to catch up on modern Hopi culture. Besides highlighting more than 50 master and emerging Hopi artists, the marketplace embraces the contemporary sounds of Dawa, a Phoenix-based Hopi rock band that will perform in the courtyard both days. Plus, this year’s featured artist renowned jeweler Sonwai, Verma Newquatewa, will be on hand in the Enduring Creations’ gallery to discuss her family influences and techniques. Downtown gallery demonstrations feature more than 25 Hopi artists, begin during Flagstaff’s First Friday Art Walk, and continue through the weekend. Hopi Days maps will be available at participating galleries and the Museum. Katsina Doll carvers include Jonah Hill at Winter Sun Trading Company, John Fredricks at Puchteca Indian Goods, Darance Chimerica at Jonathan Day’s Indian Arts, and Delbridge Honanie at MNA. Carver Jonah Hill says, “These events help us connect and share creativity with other artists, and links carvers with customers looking for authentic work.” Up until this year, the galleries and the Museum held separate events through the marketplace weekend, but by working together they hope to “convey the positive aspects of Hopi life and art to the greater world,” says Bob Lomadafkie, MNA’s Heritage Program Manager. Hopi people live on a 1.5 million-acre reservation in villages over 800 years old, on or around the First, Second, and Third Mesas in northeastern Arizona. The word Katsina refers to the spirits who watch over Hopi—bringing rain and fertility and all that is required for life—the dancers who embody these spirits in ceremony, and the carved cottonwood dolls that are part of a tradition linked to teaching Hopi children. An originator of American Indian marketplaces, MNA’s Heritage Program presents the best of the diverse cultures of the Colorado Plateau in a summer-long celebration of marketplaces. Since 1930, audiences of all ages—families, children, connoisseurs, and collectors—have enjoyed fine Native American and Hispanic arts and performances. MNA sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, on Highway 180 three miles north of downtown and is open daily from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission is $5/adult, $4/senior, $3/student, $2/child (7–17), and always free to members. For more information, call 928/774-5213 or visit www.musnaz.org. -end- June 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)The oldest Hopi art show in the world is also the place to find some of the newest Hopi art today. More than 50 traditional and contemporary Hopi painters, potters, doll carvers, weavers, jewelers, storytellers, musicians, and dancers will be represented at the 71st Annual Hopi Marketplace from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 3–4 at the Museum of Northern Arizona. From ancient Katsina doll carving techniques to modern Native American sounds, the marketplace is designed to increase awareness and sensitivity to both past and present Hopi culture, says MNA’s Heritage Program Manager Bob Lomadafkie. DAWA, a Phoenix-based rock band named after the Hopi word for sun, will light up the courtyard with its blend of rock and reggae sounds as artists share their inspirations and techniques. “Many generations will be represented here, presenting their creations to the visitors for viewing and purchasing,” says Lomadafkie. “Artistic talents and guarded techniques have been passed within families or clans, and each generation adds its own expressions and skills.” Featured artist and Hopi jeweler Sonwai Verma Nequatewa, from the Butterfly clan in Hotevilla on the Third Mesa of the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona, creates exotic inlaid stone collectible jewelry that she first learned to make by apprenticing with her internationally-recognized uncle Charles Loloma. Clark Tenakongva and his daughter Simana, from the Rabbit and Tobacco clans on Third Mesa, will perform traditional Hopi music. Clark, an award-winning Katsina doll carver, hosts a Hopi KUYI radio show featuring the tribe’s songs, oral history, and storytelling. Other performances include traditional eagle and rainbow dancing by the Lomayaoma Dance Group. This year’s cultural presenter is author Gregory Schaff, who will discuss his recent book, Hopi-Tewa Pottery. “I researched my book in the Museum library and archives,” says Schaff. “For more than 75 years, MNA has been a leader in the collection of Hopi art, and I’m glad to be part of the marketplace.” Twice a day, Medicine Woman Theodora Homewytewa will host hour-long ethnobotany hikes along the Rio de Flag. “I show people how to spot a dozen or more different plants that are used for medicinal purposes,” she says. “For example, hops are used to treat epilepsy and sleeplessness.” Demonstrations include pottery making by Karen Charley, wicker basket making by Leora Kayquoptewa and Hopi food making by Alice Dashee. A Creative Corner will entertain and educate kids, while adults learn how they can help the tribe through the Hopi Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to providing developmental opportunities for Hopi people. The Museum of Northern Arizona is located on Highway 180 three miles of downtown Flagstaff. An originator of American Indian marketplaces, MNA’s Heritage Program presents the best of the diverse cultures of the Colorado Plateau in a summer-long celebration of marketplaces. Since 1930, audiences of all ages—families, children, connoisseurs, and collectors—have enjoyed fine Native American and Hispanic arts and performances. For more information, call 928/774-5213 or visit www.musnaz.org. -end- (sidebar) The personalities of stones guide Hopi jeweler Sonwai, Verma Nequatewa to create her award-winning designs. Nequatewa, the featured artists at the Museum of Northern Arizona’s 2004 Hopi Marketplace, says, “Often, it is the stones that tell me what to do with the inlay. I work with them to help them become what they can be. When it is done, I feel sort of like I am releasing a child into the world to go on and create happiness in others.” Nequatewa’s bold yet delicate pieces reflect her life growing up on the Hopi reservation in northeastern Arizona, where she apprenticed with her uncle and renowned jeweler, Charles Loloma. Under Loloma’s encouragement, Nequatewa adopted the working name, Sonwai, the feminine counterpart to loloma meaning beautiful in Hopi. She uses gold, silver, turquoise, lapis lazuli, ivory, wood, and opals in her work. She says it was difficult finding her own style after working with Loloma for twenty-three years, yet a distinctive Sonwai aesthetic has emerged. “Charles taught that beauty is all around us on Hopi, in the environment, in the culture, in ceremony,” she says. “By combining elements from what is a part of my everyday life, with the finest of ideas and the finest of materials, I can interpret a part of Hopi for people to see and wear. Whenever I can, I like to develop a piece for a special person. That way, I can make the interpretation, the message, even more appropriate and specific. This then goes back and forth between Hopi culture, my input, the wearer and those who see the piece. Good feeling, smiles, and happiness are the result.” -end- June 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—Echoes of the past will reverberate through the
Museum of Northern Arizona when the annual sales exhibit, Enduring
Creations—Generations, returns Also of note this year, a highly-regarded collection of original David Paladin paintings is available. This artist’s multicultural education, iron individualism, his relationship to the earth, and his Navajo traditions are all evident in his work, which records his lifelong search for the divine. During the Museum’s Heritage Program marketplace weekends from July through October, four featured artists recognized for excellence within their fields will be highlighted in the Enduring Creations gallery where they will meet the public, talk about the generational ties in their art, and present choice pieces they have created especially for this occasion. At the 71st Annual Hopi Marketplace on July 3 and 4, jeweler Verma Nequatewa, or Sonwai, will display her contemporary silver and stone art pieces, crafted in a style that is reminiscent of internationally-recognized jeweler Charles Laloma, her mentor. The 55th Annual Navajo Marketplace on August 7 and 8 showcases Shonto Begay, a prolific painter whose impressionistic images honor his memories and state his concerns about modern life on the reservation. MNA’s first Native Artists Marketplace on September 4 and 5 highlights basket maker Everett Pikyavit from the Moapa Band of Paiutes. Pikyavit is inspired by many of the weavers of the past and includes all traditional Southern Paiute and Goshute basketry styles from the Great Basin Desert regions in his work. Mask maker Zarco Guerrero brings his striking masks to MNA’s new event, Celebraciónes de la Gente for El Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead on October 30 and 31. Enamored with the transformational power of masks, Guerrero’s mask making has been his passion for the last three decades. The Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountains in Arizona. It is located on scenic Highway 180, three miles north of the town’s historic downtown. As a gateway to understanding the Colorado Plateau, the Museum provides changing exhibits that reveal the artistic traditions, Native cultures, and natural sciences of the region. It is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission is $5/adult, $4/senior, $3/student, $2/child (7–17), and always free to members. -end- May 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—The Visitor Center at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, closed for redesign since March 1, will reopen to the public on June 7, 2004 at 8 a.m. The National Park Service, in partnership with the Museum of Northern Arizona, has created new interpretive exhibits to replace those installed in the 1970s. Visitors will learn about current scientific ideas about the volcano, the surrounding geological and ecological systems, how the volcano transformed the landscape and how certain species of plants and animals have adapted to a harsh environment. Cultural perspectives from American Indians of the area are explored, along with the historical human witness to the eruption. Funded through the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program, the new exhibits and building upgrades represent countless hours of effort by National Park Service (NPS) staff and partners. Exhibit design and fabrication was accomplished though a partnership with the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA). “The relationship between MNA and the Flagstaff Area National Monuments goes back to their establishment. MNA conducted all of the early scientific research at the site, its founders were instrumental in setting aside Sunset Crater as a national monument, and it currently houses National Park Service objects from excavations over more than six decades. It is fitting that we have worked together to better interpret this area for our visitors,” said NPS Exhibit Specialist Sue Fischer. “The list of other partners on this project is quite extensive and includes various tribal representatives, scientists, academics and staff from other agencies. The support has been overwhelming.” Sunset Crater Volcano was established in 1930 to protect the most recent volcanic eruption on the Colorado Plateau; it is one of some 600 volcanoes in the San Francisco Peaks Volcanic Field. The eruption and its aftermath figure prominently in the history and culture of several American Indian tribes. “The combination of natural and cultural history of Sunset Crater offers a wonderful opportunity for the public to learn about the forces that formed our planet and how humans have interacted with the volcano over the years. We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the new look of the visitor center,” said Park Superintendent Palma Wilson. May 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—Echoes of the past will reverberate through the Museum of Northern Arizona when the annual sales exhibit, Enduring Creations—Generations, returns May 29 through September 26. Traditional canons of tribal pasts are reflected in art forms as techniques move forward through time and through generations. This exhibit focuses on the highest quality historic and contemporary artwork by internationally celebrated Southwestern Native American artists. Of interest to both novice and seasoned collectors, the gallery is filled with works—paintings, katsinas, pottery, basketry, fetishes, and a large number of Navajo weavings—representing lasting regional styles and traditions. The exhibit is refreshed throughout the season. Also of note this year, a highly-regarded collection of original David Paladin paintings is available. This artist’s multicultural education, iron individualism, his relationship to the earth, and his Navajo traditions are all evident in his work, which records his lifelong search for the divine. During the Museum’s Heritage Program marketplace weekends from July through October, four featured artists recognized for excellence within their fields will be highlighted in the Enduring Creations gallery where they will meet the public, talk about the generational ties in their art, and present choice pieces they have created especially for this occasion. At the 71st Annual Hopi Marketplace on July 3 and 4, jeweler Verma Nequatewa, or Sonwai, will display her contemporary silver and stone art pieces, crafted in a style that is reminiscent of internationally-recognized jeweler Charles Laloma, her mentor. The 55th Annual Navajo Marketplace on August 7 and 8 showcases Shonto Begay, a prolific painter whose impressionistic images honor his memories and state his concerns about modern life on the reservation. MNA’s first Native Artists Marketplace on September 4 and 5 highlights basket maker Everett Pikyavit from the Moapa Band of Paiutes. Pikyavit is inspired by many of the weavers of the past and includes all traditional Southern Paiute and Goshute basketry styles from the Great Basin Desert regions in his work. Mask maker Zarco Guerrero brings his striking masks to MNA’s new event, Celebraciónes de la Gente for El Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead on October 30 and 31. Enamored with the transformational power of masks, Guerrero’s mask making has been his passion for the last three decades. The Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountains in Arizona. It is located on scenic Highway 180, three miles north of the town’s historic downtown. As a gateway to understanding the Colorado Plateau, the Museum provides changing exhibits that reveal the artistic traditions, Native cultures, and natural sciences of the region. It is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission is $5/adult, $4/senior, $3/student, $2/child (7–17), and always free to members. -end- May 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—Continuing a 75-year-old tradition of informal
lectures at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Board of Trustee members delve
into their respective areas of expertise. June 8 “Cultural Landscapes: A Hopi Perspective” by Leigh Kuwanwisiwma June 22 “Native Fishes: The Depths of Tragedy” by W. Linn Montgomery,
Ph.D. July 6 “MNA and Elden Pueblo” by Peter J. Pilles Jr. July 20 “Grand Canyon: Deep Biogeography” by Lawrence E. Stevens, Ph.D. August 3 “A Look at Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton” by Susan Deaver
Olberding August 17 “Asteroids and Comets” by Carolyn Shoemaker -end- MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA
MAGAZINE SELECTED AS WINNER (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—The Museum of Northern Arizona’s magazine, Plateau Journal: Land and Peoples of the Colorado Plateau, has been awarded a second prize in the magazine category at the 24th annual AAM Museum Publications Design Competition. The American Association of Museums competition acknowledges excellence in the graphic design of museum publications and is the only national, juried event involving publications produced by museums. The award-winning issue titled Passages, Vol. 7, No. 2 was published in fall/winter of 2003. Competing institutions are divided according to budget: museums with an annual budget of $500,000 or more and those with budgets of less than $500,000. The Museum of Northern Arizona competed in the $500,000 budget or more category. The first prize winner in the same category was Freer and Sackler Galleries’ magazine Asiatica, from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. An additional second prize was awarded to the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia in México and honorable mentions were awarded to Historic Deerfield in Deerfield, Mass.; the Mary Baker Eddy Library in Boston; the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles; and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Plateau Journal is published twice a year in May and November and is a membership benefit for the Museum of Northern Arizona at designated levels or by subscription. It explores the Colorado Plateau—a 130,000-square-mile area encompassing portions of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah—and celebrates the diversity and splendor of this unique geologic and cultural region through multidisciplinary articles, striking color images, and historic archival photographs. Plateau Journal was also winner of the 1998 National Park Service Director’s Award for Excellence in Interpretation. The Museum of Northern Arizona sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff, the highest mountains in Arizona. It is located three miles north of downtown on scenic Highway 180. As the gateway to understanding the Colorado Plateau, the Museum is dedicated to exploring, interpreting, and preserving the region’s natural sciences, Native cultures, and artistic traditions. It offers changing exhibits, informative programs, and outdoor adventures to encourage a deeper knowledge of the area’s beauty and character. More information is available at 928/774-5213 or www.musnaz.org. -end- April 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—The higher reaches of Arizona come into focus at the Museum of Northern Arizona’s new exhibit Arizona: A View from the Mountains, opening Saturday, September 4 and running through April 17, 2005. Seventy-six landscape images by Flagstaff photographer Michael Collier represent ten Arizona mountain ranges and the diversity of the state’s well-known vistas and lesser-known parts. Text by Flagstaff author Rose Houk accompanies the exhibit, telling the story of people who have shaped the land and how the land has shaped them. The exhibit displays many of the images from Collier’s twelfth book, The Mountains Know Arizona: Images of the Land and Stories of Its People, published by Arizona Highways in 2003 and recently selected as one of the top ten Southwest Books of the Year. Collier and Houk set out to capture the essence of the mountain ranges that ring the edges and rise from the interior of Arizona. They traveled more than 30,000 miles in two years around the state, letting serendipity guide them much of the way. The pair wandered through aspen groves on the San Francisco Peaks, walked in canyons around Navajo Mountain, and explored Mount Trumbull in the Uinkarets. Their goal was to convey the idea that Arizona is a mountain state connected by stretches of lowland desert, not the other way around. The images offer a view from a fresh perspective, the words spark the imagination and allow the reader to tag along. Collier has rowed boats commercially in Grand Canyon, is trained in geology, and has written several books on the geology of national parks. He also works as a family physician in Williams. Houk first came to Arizona as a ranger-naturalist at Grand Canyon. She writes on natural history, history, archaeology, and travel destinations and is a frequent contributor to Arizona Highways magazine. The Museum of Northern Arizona sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountains in Arizona. As the gateway to understanding the Colorado Plateau, it provides changing exhibits that reveal the artistic traditions, Native cultures, and natural sciences of the region. The Museum is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180. It is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission is $5/adults, $4/seniors, $3/students, $2/children (7–17), and always free to members. -end- March 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—MNA's Geology Department and the Colbert Chair have been restored, with Dr. David D. Gillette again at the helm announced Museum Director Robert G. Breunig. With this restoration, the Geology program will once again become a vital part of the museum’s research and educational programs. In addition to Gillette, prominent mammal paleontologist and researcher Dr. Michael O. Woodburne has been named Honorary Curator of Geology and former MNA Curator, William J. Breed, has been named Curator Emeritus. Woodburne moved to Flagstaff in 2003 with his wife, Janice, following his retirement as Chairman of the Department of Geology at the University of California, Riverside. Breed was MNA Curator of Geology from 1960–1980. Both Woodburne and Breed keep an active research interest in Antarctica, now with a new perspective on that continent’s relationship to the Colorado Plateau. Although officially a member of the Collections Department, Janet Whitmore Gillette, who is also a paleontologist, continues to add support to the Geology Department as Associate Collection Manager for Natural Sciences. The Colbert Chair, named in honor of the late Dr. Edwin H. Colbert, is partially funded by the Colbert Fund, a restricted endowment fund. In order to grow the museum’s paleontology program, one of the priorities of the Museum will be to increase the size of the fund by seeking additional endowment gifts from donors interested in the future of vertebrate paleontology at MNA. Additional funding for the geology program will come from various grants and contracts. Gillette's excitement about bringing his expertise in Mesozoic reptile paleontology and ice age mammals back to MNA was evident when he was interviewed for this story. He aims to continue to make his work as the Colbert Curator a critical element of geological and paleontological studies on the Colorado Plateau and to enlarge MNA's role in the larger community of science in this region. Conducting paleontological research with regional and national scope including exploration and fieldwork, lab work, study, and publications are Gillette’s overall goals, accompanied by educational benefits and curriculum development based on his research. “MNA needs to be well-rounded and take full advantage of this incredible region,” he stated. “I expect that one day this department will add a curator of Grand Canyon geology, further strengthening MNA’s research contributions to the Colorado Plateau. I also expect that MNA will eventually add endowed curator positions in biology and anthropology. Together, this complete research program will reflect the magnificence of the Colorado Plateau and tie into our collections and our proposed repository facility.” Education is at the top of Gillette’s mind as he thinks about ways to increase MNA’s scientific outreach. To that end, the plesiosaur exhibit now displayed at the Museum is moving to Page in May and will be a focal point for education in the communities that contributed to those discoveries. He pictures producing small traveling exhibits on a rotating schedule, first at MNA and then on to other museums, libraries, city halls, or community colleges. And this summer? Gillette heads out to southern Utah, moving west to
east from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, to Glen Canyon
National Recreation Area, and Canyonlands National Park to continue his
work in Cretaceous biodiversity. Who knows what he will find. February 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—The past comes alive at Archaeology Day at the Museum of Northern Arizona on Saturday, March 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can practice prehistoric life skills such as grinding corn and making cordage. See a flint knapping demonstration by Dr. Carl Phagan, an eminent archaeologist, on how ancient people created weapons and tools from stone. An informative line up of lecturers will speak about protecting and studying cultural resources. From 11 a.m. to noon MNA’s Senior Curator of Anthropology Dr. David R. Wilcox focuses on Hilltop Communication Systems and Warfare in West Central Arizona A.D. 1100–1450. Hilltop sites throughout this region long thought to be forts, retreats, lookouts, or ceremonial sites will be reexamined as a communication system that may have linked the region together socially, economically, and as protection from enemies. Peter J. Pilles Jr., Coconino National Forest Archaeologist since 1975,
will talk from Throughout the day Dr. Chris Downum from NAU’s Anthropology Department will present 3-D Scanning and Mapping of the Wupatki Ruins, a three-dimensional color digital photography animation loop highlighting the main ruins at Wupatki, including the Citadel and Nalakihu Pueblos. Cultural Resource Specialist J. Grace Ellis from Grand Canyon National Park will lead two sessions for young people. From 1–2 p.m. she will present Introduction to Artifacts for Kids for ages 6–10 and from 3–4 p.m. ages 9 and up will enjoy What Kind of Life Is That?—Careers in Archaeology. At 12:30 p.m., six 2004 statewide Bookmark Design Competition winners from Weitzel Elementary School will be presented awards by Tom Woodall, Northern Arizona Chapter President of the Arizona Archaeological Society and Robert Breunig, Director of the Museum of Northern Arizona. The six Flagstaff winners are among 24 total winners across Arizona. The following winners are from Diane Sanders’ third grade art class and won in the Grades 1–4 category:
Elden Lab will teach prehistoric artifact analysis from excavated materials at Elden Pueblo. This after-excavation process provides archaeologists valuable data for analysis. Members of the Northern Arizona Archaeological Society identify, date, chart, and classify artifacts. A gallery guide is available to all visitors in the Museum’s Archaeology Gallery with hands-on exhibit pieces to touch and fun craft activities that involve rock art and shell bracelets. Admission to Archaeology Day is included with the Museum’s regular
entrance fee and admission for members is always free. Arizona Archaeology
Awareness Month is celebrated statewide in March and focuses on current
efforts to preserve the past by protecting our fragile and non-renewable
cultural resources. The Museum of Northern Arizona is located three miles
north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180. -end- February 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—Join the greater Flagstaff community to welcome new MNA director and alum Dr. Robert Breunig on Saturday, March 6 from 5–6:30 p.m. at the Museum of Northern Arizona. This reception will be a chance to share stories about MNA’s past, mingle with MNA staff and alumni, and rekindle friendships created throughout MNA’s 75 years. The Museum’s new Board of Trustees will also be there to greet visitors. Breunig has long-standing ties to this community. He worked at the Museum from 1975–1982 as the Museum’s educator, curator, and head of the Department of Anthropology. He has also been on the Board of Directors at the Arboretum at Flagstaff. This event is free and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. The Museum
of Northern Arizona is located three miles north of historic downtown
Flagstaff on Highway 180. -end- January 2004 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)―The Museum of Northern Arizona recently welcomed Bob Lomadafkie to his new position as program manager for the Heritage Program. With Lomadafkie have come fresh energy and ideas, adding new aspects to the 2004 Heritage Program event series. A noted Hopi jewelry artist, Lomadafkie graduated from NAU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art. This longtime Flagstaff resident also worked at MNA’s Museum Shop before taking on his new role. This year, several committees and individuals worked with Lomadafkie to ensure that the 2004 events are sensitive to the current needs of each culture. Among those groups is Nuestras Raices who, with County Supervisor Liz Archuleta, helped to determine the direction of this year’s Celebraciónes de la Gente. MNA has moved its annual Hispanic event from May to the weekend before Dia de los Muertos, a uniquely Mexican holiday that dates back to pre-Columbian times, as a response to their input. Zarco Guerrero, an award-winning mask artist from Phoenix, is this event’s featured artist. Also new this year, Heritage Program planners will focus the public’s attention on the traditions of smaller Colorado Plateau Native American tribes by combining the various Pai nations, Paiutes, Utes, Yavapai-Apache, and the Zuni into a single event—the Native Artists Marketplace. By creating the framework for a larger marketplace, MNA hopes to allow as many visitors as possible to experience these cultures’ unique traditions in a meaningful way. To contact the Heritage Program, call Bob Lomadafkie at (928) 774-5211, ext. 237, email blomadafkie@mna.mus.az.us, or visit www.musnaz.org. -end- January 2004 There are two kinds of backpackers. Those who were born into backpacking families and carried a pack from their first steps and those of us who were unaware that we were backpackers, but took right to it (or in most cases, gritted our teeth and went for it once the opportunity presented itself). When asked by non-backpackers (who are folks who might actually be backpackers if they gave it a try) why we get great pleasure from lugging 30 pounds of weight through the wilderness, well, this backpacker can only say― it just feels right. The second way to backpacking usually begins with a call from friends who invite you to join them for a backpacking trip. Not familiar with backpacking, you figure that you are in reasonably good shape and all you will need are some good boots and a borrowed pack. You still have no concept of what it means to be carrying everything on your back, so unless you have some expert guidance, you pack more clothes and gear than you need, pack foods appropriate for a car camping trip instead of lightweight versions, and you even stuff in that book you have not had time to finish, because you will certainly have time to flip some pages in camp. Reality sinks in the moment you struggle into your pack at the trailhead. You think to yourself―can I really do this? After a few days of flailing like a turtle with an equilibrium problem, feeling burning muscles from carrying that darn heavy pack, and dealing with strawberry hot spots on your hips from a poorly-fitted pack, first time backpackers who are meant to be backpackers have an epiphany. You are completely thrashed, but at the same time completely blessed out that you were able to go to some of the most beautiful and remote country you have every experienced, you love the physical challenge, and you are completely taken with the idea that you have carried every thing on your back that you needed to survive in the wilderness. But, being a quick learner, you are also very aware that you could have left 10 pounds (including that novel that didn't even get opened) back at the trailhead. The backpacking adventure grows on you, each trip sharpening skills to not only negotiate in the wilderness and survive, but actually enjoy yourself and be comfortable while backpacking―and doing it in a way that has minimal impact on the places you visit. Regardless of whether you are a lifelong backpacker or a new initiate, regardless of whether you are a private hiker or one who prefers organized hikes, as you catch the backpacking bug and your skills increase, so does the list of places you want to explore and you begin to develop a "life list." You find yourself spending stolen moments pouring over maps, researching trails and routes, calculating mileage, and arranging permits or searching for outfitters who can take you to the places you want to go. With each trip, the list grows. Grand Canyon, Escalante, Grand Gulch, Glacier, The Sierras… -end- Tracy Anderson was introduced to the Museum of Northern Arizona as a university field study participant in 1992. After spending an awe-inspiring month in the Four Corners area, it was hard for her to return to the cornfields of Indiana. She joined MNA’s education department in 1995 and today continues her love affair with the Colorado Plateau as the Manager of the Ventures, Discovery, and Custom Tour programs. “I am fortunate to work with a team of experienced, enthusiastic, and creative educators and guides, and I look forward to each and every program where I am able to learn and explore the Colorado Plateau with new and returning Venturers. “In developing MNA Custom Tours I work directly with families, universities, school groups, and professional organizations to develop one-of-a-kind programs. My goal is to offer superior educational and adventure programs that further an appreciation for this incredible region. Most days you’ll find me in the office developing programs and working on logistics, but if I’m away I’m usually working a backpacking, basecamping, or river trip as cook and trip assistant. I am passionate about sharing my love of the Plateau—especially inspiring places like the backcountry of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Cedar Mesa, Grand Canyon, and the Colorado and San Juan Rivers. If you have questions about MNA programs, please give me a call at 928/774-5211 ext. 220. I hope to see you in the field!” December 2003 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—The Accreditation Commission of the American Association of Museums has withdrawn the accreditation of the Museum of Northern Arizona, the Museum disclosed today. The action by the Commission was taken in response to allegations that the former board of the Museum had improperly sold twenty-one items from the Museum's collections in April 2002 and that money raised from the sale was used for operating expenses, which violates AAM guidelines. The AAM action was based solely on the sale of the objects from the Museum's collections. The Accreditation Commission, in its findings, noted that circumstances of the sale violated standard museum practices as well as the Museum's own policies and procedures. In withdrawing the accreditation, the Commission acknowledged the Museum's cooperation with the AAM investigation of the allegations and recognized a new board and director have replaced the board and director that approved the sale. "We do not intend this decision to penalize the current staff and governing authority for the actions of the former leadership. This action is not a judgment of the Museum's current governance and administration, but of the institutional conduct of the Museum while under accredited status," said the Accreditation Commission. In response to a petition drive by the Museum's members to remove the former board and a complaint from Museum members to the AAM in July 2003, the members of the former board resigned on July 26, 2003 and were replaced by a new board elected by the Museum membership. The new board conducted a search for a new director and selected Dr. Robert G. Breunig for the position in October 2003. Dr. Breunig officially began working as the Museum’s director on December 6, 2003. "While we are disappointed by the loss of accreditation,” stated Breunig, "the current board and administration of the Museum of Northern Arizona intends to operate the Museum by the standards of an accredited institution, utilizing the best practices of the professional museum community. In addition, the Museum board has resolved to seek reaccreditation at the earliest possible time. We will work closely with the AAM to achieve that end.” Susie Garretson, Chair of the Museum's Board of Trustees said, “This action by the Commission validates the seriousness of the concerns raised by the Museum and community members this past summer that led to the resignation of the former board and administration. The new board is a membership based board and has received tremendous support from both Museum members and the community towards restoring the institution to its rightful place as one of our nation’s finest regional museums.” According to the Accreditation Commission the Museum must wait one year before seeking reaccreditation. MNA plans to request a review of AAM's decision. -end- December 2003 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—The upcoming 2004 Sedona Lecture Series is titled Artists and Scientists of the Colorado Plateau. Presented by the Sedona Muses and the Museum of Northern Arizona, this series offers monthly lectures, bringing together prominent artists and scientists to talk about the magnificence of the region. January 12 Inscribed in Light: Writing the Colorado Plateau February 9 Cross Pollinators: Scientists and Poets of the Plateau March 8 Releasing the Light April 12 Artistic and Scientific Insights to the Colorado Plateau Proceeds from the Sedona Lecture Series benefit the Museum of Northern
Arizona. All lectures are at 7 p.m. at the Church of the Red Rocks, 54
Bowstring Drive, in Sedona. Tickets are $6 Members/$7 Nonmembers per
lecture or $20 Members/$25 Nonmembers for the entire series. They are
available at 6:45 p.m. at the lectures or in advance at the Museum’s front
desk, 3101 N. Fort Valley Road in Flagstaff, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Advance tickets are also available in Sedona at 928/282-4786. If a lecture
sells out, late arrivals with tickets may not be able to be seated and
will receive a refund. For further information call 928/774-5213 or go to www.musnaz.org Take a 2004 Ventures tour with lecturer Ann Weiler Walka to Escalante Country on May 22–27. From a base camp above the Escalante, hike down intriguing side canyons, along the river, over an historic slickrock trail, and visit a tucked-away village or two. Read and hear stories from natives, explorers, artists, and Mormon pioneers who speak from diverse perspectives about this place. Call 928/774-5211, ext. 220 to register or visit the MNA website at www.musnaz.org. -end- November 2003 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—Join in a free holiday celebration at the Museum of Northern Arizona's Annual Community Holiday Party on Saturday, December 6 from 10 a.m. to noon. The Federated Church's Joyful Ringers perform from 10 to 11 a.m. and Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy's Chorale Ensemble, led by Director Cindy L. Steussy, sing holiday carols throughout the museum's galleries from 11 a.m. to noon . Prominent Flagstaff's authors Richard and Sherry Mangum will sign copies of their new book, Flagstaff Past & Present. Published by Northland Publishing, it takes Flagstaff from its humble origins as a rough and tumble railroad camp to its present as a burgeoning mountain town, and shares the Mangum's love and knowledge of Flagstaff with others. The Museum's free admission on this morning includes entrance to all of the exhibit galleries, including Treasures of MNA: 75 Years of Passion for Discovery and Plesiosaur—Terror of the Cretaceous Sea. Holiday party celebrants will make Plesiosaur pinecone ornaments and Hispanic fiesta flower tissue paper garlands to trim the MNA tree and to take home. Tasty holiday cookies, cider, and hot chocolate add to the fun. Members will be recognized on this day with a 20 percent discount in the Museum Shop. The Museum of Northern Arizona is celebrating 75 years as a national treasure and one of Arizona's most important cultural institutions, working to bring the Colorado Plateau to the community and to the world. Located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180, it is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. -end- October 2003 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—Seventy-five years ago, the Museum of Northern Arizona opened, beginning the story of one of Arizona's most important cultural institutions. It is the story of an organization that searches for innovation and inspiration, expresses passion of place for the surrounding Colorado Plateau, and takes great joy in the function of stewardship—of things as well as ideas. The Museum of Northern Arizona's new exhibit, Treasures of MNA: 75 Years of Passion For Discovery opens on October 25. Exhibit guest curator and research associate Susan Deaver Olberding and MNA staff have selected seventy-five treasures and stories to tell the institution's multi-faceted history. Olberding commented, “This is a wonderful opportunity to see and enjoy MNA’s legacy of discovery. The behind-the-scene stories and rarely seen collections are fun, and they offer insights to our region’s rich natural and cultural heritage. We look forward to sharing MNA’s treasure trove of ideas, artifacts, art and artists, science and scientists, and a possible eccentric or two.” The Lockett Gallery will be devoted to the exhibit, with additional highlighted locations throughout the Museum. Two of the stories behind the objects are good examples of the way in which this exhibit weaves science, history, and artifacts into stories about the venerable 75-year-old MNA. A Tim's Cave ceramic pot tells a story from 1991 about helicopter sightseers who became illegal pothunters. Flying around the Sedona area, the sun was just right and they experienced a once-in-a-lifetime experience—they spotted an undiscovered, undisturbed cave site in a cliff face that revealed large ceramic storage jars and baskets. As soon as the helicopter landed after the flight, one of the passengers named Tim went to the Coconino National Forest Service to tell them of the sighting. Wanting to leave the site undisturbed, the Forest Service went to merely record it but discovered that several items had already been removed. They then had to document and remove all of the items. There was so much publicity surrounding the discovery that the person who took the items realized that it was impossible to put the stolen artifacts on the market. The items were anonymously donated back to the Yavapai-Apache tribe and eventually made their way to MNA, the region's repository, for safekeeping—waiting for their story to be told. Several award-winning pieces from the Hopi Craftsmen Exhibition which began in 1930 represent a ten year effort by MNA cofounder Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton and staff to create a market for Hopi artwork and thus preserve their traditional craft heritage. Remotely located, the Hopi were able to get things they needed from traders, but the traders encouraged the Hopi to produce cheap, non-traditional souvenir items that the traders could easily sell to tourists. The MNA representatives traveled cross-country to persuade the reluctant Hopi to enter their products in the Hopi Craftsman Exhibition. Quality was emphasized, prizes were awarded, and the community supported the shows. In 1959 Mary-Russell received a Certificate of Appreciation for her work with Native arts and crafts from the Indian Arts and Crafts Board of the U.S. Department of Interior. From those beginnings the Museum's summer-long series of marketplaces has evolved. This exhibit can be experienced through May 2004. The Museum of Northern Arizona is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180 and is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. For 75 years, MNA has sought to explore and explain the land and peoples of the Colorado Plateau to encourage a broader understanding of its unique beauty and character. It serves as the gateway to understanding this dynamic region and provides changing exhibits, informative programs, and outdoor adventures. -end- October 2003 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—Save Saturday, November 8 at 6 p.m. for a fun evening to benefit the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. Ted Danson of "Cheers" fame will again be "Sam Malone" behind the bar at the Museum. Step up to the bar to chat with him and hear of his fond memories of growing up at MNA, and celebrate the Museum's 75th anniversary. "Cheers" bloopers and a lounge piano player will add to the fun. Danson's versatility makes him one of today's most accomplished and popular actors. He charmed television audiences worldwide with his portrayal of the tall, dark, and handsome Sam Malone, a role he played for 12 years on NBC's hit comedy series "Cheers." Danson, who now resides in L.A., recently stated, "In 1959 my father, Edward B. "Ned" Danson, became the second director of the Museum of Northern Arizona. My family lived in the Homestead on the Museum grounds. In this way, MNA and I grew up together. I am proud to support the continuing mission of the Museum to protect and celebrate the wonderful cultural and scientific treasures of our beloved Colorado Plateau. Please join me and friends of the Museum for a lighthearted celebration of MNA's 75th birthday." An exhibit newly on display, Treasures of MNA: 75 Years of Passion for Discovery, presents artifacts and stories that tell the institution's multi-faceted history. Exciting live and silent auctions will offer a wide range of items for guests to bid on, including works of fine art and jewelry by prominent Native American and regional artists, soon to be announced items from Ted Danson, weekend getaways, and a fly-fishing trip and lessons, among many other items—all donated by friends of MNA. Some of the numerous artists represented in these auctions include: Alice Cling, Jeffrey Lunge, Henry Shelton, Joella Jean Mahoney, R.C. Gorman, Edison Cummings, Terry Samples, Bessie Yazzie, Gay Tso,and Susan Kliewer. Don't miss out on this fun event. Tickets are $75 per person and include a buffet of hot hors d'oeuvres and a no host bar. As seating is limited, October 27 is the deadline to buy tickets. A separate ticket is required for an additional intimate pre-event at the Museum's Historic Colton House at 4 p.m. Call the event hotline at 928/774-5211, ext. 266 or email cheers@mna.mus.az.us. The MNA website at www.musnaz.org will have weekly updates on auction items at the event. The Museum of Northern Arizona—where everybody knows your name. -end- October 7, 2003 (Flagstaff, Ariz.)—The Museum of Northern Arizona announced today that Dr. Robert Breunig has been named the new director of the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Arizona. Dr. Breunig has served as executive director of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center since 1997. Previously, Breunig worked at the Museum of Northern Arizona from 1975–1982 as the museum’s educator, curator, and head of the department of anthropology. “One of the greatest treasures of my life has been to work with Lady Bird Johnson and the staff and board of the Wildflower Center, said Breunig. I will miss that interaction tremendously. At the same time I feel challenged to help an institution that has been an important part of my life. The Museum of Northern Arizona is a national treasure with a rich history, irreplaceable collections, and vitally important programs in science and education. It will be an honor to join with those who care deeply about the Museum to restore it to its rightful position among the great museums of our country.” Susan Garretson, Chair of the MNA Board of Trustees added, "Dr. Breunig was chosen by MNA's Board of Trustees from over 70 applicants for his depth of experience in managing museums, as well as his background with Native cultures and natural sciences. It is an added bonus that he has such familiarity with the institution and with the Colorado Plateau. The input we received after his local interview—from the staff, the board and civic leaders—was overwhelming. He will be received with open arms by an entire community." After leaving MNA, Dr. Breunig became Chief Curator and Deputy Director at the Heard Museum from 1982–1985, Executive Director of the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix from 1985–1994, and Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History in California. He led the design and execution of new displays at each of these museums. He also serves on the board of the Arboretum at Flagstaff. During his time at the Wildflower Center, Dr. Breunig was successful in expanding the Center’s land holdings from 43 acres to its current 284 acres; implementing Landscape Restoration and Plant Conservation programs; expanding the Center’s educational offerings; introducing several new gardens; opening a new restoration research trail system; and joining forces with Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in a world-wide seed collection project called the Millennium Seed Bank Project. “Dr. Breunig brought to the Wildflower Center a tremendous sense of vision and professional direction. He has increased the scientific credibility of the institution, solidifying Mrs. Johnson’s vision and the mission of the organization,” said Melanie Barnes, president of the board of directors, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. "It saddened me deeply to learn of 'Dr. Bob's' departure from the Wildflower Center, but I understand a call of the heart, said Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson (Lady Bird Johnson). "He is a man of merit and vision, whose leadership and philosophies gained an important national and international reputation for the Center. He leaves a rich legacy—getting us additional land, overseeing our endowment growth, the improvement in the beauty of the gardens, and the restoration and conservation program. I know his greatest joy—and mine—would be for us to build on his legacy and fulfill the promise of the Center he envisioned." Dr. Breunig expects to move to Flagstaff with his spouse, Karen Enyedy, before the beginning of next year. -end- |
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