April 30, 2010
Museum of Northern Arizona • Flagstaff, Arizona
Navajo Rug Auction: Saturday, June 12, 2010 • 2–5 p.m.
Preview: Saturday, June 12, 2010 • 9 a.m. –1 p.m.
Flagstaff Cultural Partners (FCP) and the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) will host Flagstaff’s 4th Semi-Annual Navajo Rug Auction on Saturday, June 12, 2010. The auction will be held at the Museum of Northern Arizona and will feature 300 vintage and contemporary Navajo weavings from artists, consigners, and the R. B. Burnham & Co. Trading Post. Rug styles being auctioned include Two Grey Hills, Ganado, Teec Nos Pos, Ye’ii, Pictorial, Wide Ruins, Storm, Sandpainting, and Eyedazzler.
A public preview of all weavings in the auction begins at 9 a.m. and continues until 1 p.m. on June 12. The auction begins promptly at 2 p.m. and is free to the public. A portion of the proceeds from this event will provide support for Flagstaff Cultural Partners and the Museum of Northern Arizona.
A Members’ Preview, also at the Museum of Northern Arizona and open only to members of Flagstaff Cultural Partners and the Museum of Northern Arizona, will be on Saturday, June 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Curator of the Museum Dr. Jennifer McLerran will give a presentation on Navajo textiles during the Members’ Preview.
Consignments will be accepted for this auction. Artists and other consigners are invited to bring their Navajo weavings to the Museum of Northern Arizona from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8 through Thursday, June 10. Experts will be on hand to view and select weavings for the auction.
The auction will be led by auctioneers from the R. B. Burnham & Co. Trading Post. Bruce Burnham and his family are well-known for their work in trading Native art of the Four Corners Region for five generations. He has been a trader to the Navajo for over forty years and is also the auctioneer for the Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado, Arizona. He and his wife Virginia own and operate the Burnham Trading Post and Collector’s Gallery in Sanders, Arizona, in the Navajo new lands. The Burnham family is known for their encouragement of innovation and quality in Navajo textiles, and Bruce Burnham’s expertise in buying, selling, and trading has earned him the respect of area collectors and peers nationwide.
Specialists and experts in the field of Native art and Navajo weaving will be on-site to identify handspun, hand-carded, and vintage pieces, verses acrylic yarns, to ensure quality items and prices for the auction. Information on how to evaluate and buy Navajo rugs, as well as detailed information on each auction item, will also be available.
Saturday morning from 9 to 11 a.m., auction attendees will be able to bring Navajo textiles of their own for evaluation and assessment for $25 per piece. Please note, the evaluation values given will be approximate and are not suitable documentation for insurance or tax purposes.
In these difficult economic times, Navajo rugs are a good investment. The value of the rugs can only appreciate with time, and in recent years, Navajo rugs have outdistanced many other investment options for their return on investment. The breadth of artists, styles, and bidding opportunities has made rug auctions an affordable way to purchase and collect high quality rugs. Rugs sell from twenty to a couple thousand dollars.
Even if you do not buy anything, the auction is an exciting experience. Navajo rug auctions are an excellent opportunity to learn more about Native art. Before the auction, you can hold rugs in your hands and appreciate them up close. Discussion about a specific piece, the artist, and other aspects of the weavings is available before and after the auction by experts in the field of Navajo weaving and culture. It is important to note that auctions allow weavers to obtain an immediate and higher return for their work.
Auction items can be purchased with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, cash, and checks.
Also, frybread and Navajo tacos will be on sale on Saturday from 11 a.m. on.
The Museum of Northern Arizona is located at 3101 N. Fort Valley Road in Flagstaff, Arizona, on Hwy. 180, on the way to the Grand Canyon. Call (928) 779-2300 or visit culturalpartners.org or musnaz.org for more information.