(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.