September 24, 2010
Museum of Northern Arizona • Flagstaff, Arizona
Navajo Rug Auction: Saturday, November 6, 2010 • 2–5 p.m.
Preview: Saturday, November 6, 2010 • 9 a.m. –1 p.m.
Once again, the Flagstaff Cultural Partners and the Museum of Northern Arizona will host Flagstaff’s Semi-Annual Navajo Rug Auction. This event will be held on Saturday, November 6 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Coconino Center for the Arts. It will feature more than 300 vintage and contemporary Navajo weavings from artists, consigners, and the R. B. Burnham & Co. Trading Post. Navajo rug styles to be auctioned include Two Grey Hills, Ganado, Teec Nos Pos, Ye’ii, Pictorial, Wide Ruins, Storm, Sandpainting, and Eyedazzler.
These semi-annual auctions have become popular among individuals, collectors, interior designers and Native arts retailers. The excitement at the last auction was tangible as rugs from the late 1800s to today were shown around the room and bidders vied for their favorites. And it was an excellent opportunity to learn more about Navajo textiles, with the auctioneers adding their expert observations and advice about each rug.
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 from the Four Corners Region for five generations. Bruce Burnham 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.
Rug consignments will be accepted Wednesday, November 3 through Friday, November 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Coconino Center for the Arts. Navajo weavers, traders, and individuals can bring rugs for possible selection by the Burnhams for the auction. Handspun, hand-carded, and vintage pieces verses acrylic yarns will be chosen, to ensure quality items. Information on how to evaluate and buy Navajo rugs will also be available from the auctioneers during the preview hours Saturday, November 6, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Also on Saturday, November 6 from 9 a.m. –1 p.m., 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 for insurance or tax purposes.
Rug auctions are an excellent opportunity to learn about Native fine art. Before the auction you can hold rugs and appreciate them up close. Detailed information and discussion about a specific piece, artist, and other aspects of the weavings will be available before and after the auction the auctioneers, experts in the field of Navajo weaving and culture. Auctions allow weavers and other artists to obtain an immediate and higher return for their work and sometimes consigning artists attend the auction. The breadth of artists, styles, and bidding opportunities has made rug auctions an affordable way to purchase and collect high quality rugs, and in these economic times, Navajo rugs are a good investment. Rugs can sell from twenty to several thousand dollars. Even if you do not buy anything, the auction is a fun and exciting experience and a great way to learn.
Auction items can be purchased with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, cash, and checks.
Frybread, Navajo tacos, and stew will be on sale on Saturday from 11 a.m. on.
The Coconino Center for the Arts is located at 2300 N. Fort Valley Road in Flagstaff, Arizona on Highway 180, on the way to the Grand Canyon. Call the Coconino Center for the Arts at 928/779-2300 or visit culturalpartners.org for more information.