| Message from Mary –
This month you have the opportunity to gain unique insights into the museum Easton Collection Center, from a talk about living roof this weekend to an open house on August 26. During that open house, we’re rolling out the rug for you, quite literally – the Staples rug. This large, double-sided rug was last displayed in 2017. Because of its size and age (more than 130 years old) the rug is difficult to display, but also a remarkable example of Navajo weaving.
I hope you join us for this opportunity to see not only the Staples rug, but also our beautiful collections facility and some of the other spectacular objects we care for.
There’s so much more going on this month I can’t mention it all, but be sure to scroll through this entire email to see the upcoming talks, Ventures trips, art classes, and more.
Mary Kershaw
Executive Director & CEO
Museum of Northern Arizona |
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Mark your calendar
Thirsty Thursdays……………August 17, September 21
Garden Tours………..August 5 & 19, September 2 &16
Easton Collection Center Open House…….August 26
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Heritage Festival Juried Art Competition
Woven Textile by Artist Mona Laughing
Fifty-seven artists were honored with awards totaling $6,750. Several artists from the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project (ZYEP) were awarded prizes. ZYEP’s mission is to promote resilience among Zuni youth so they will grow into strong and healthy adults who are connected with Zuni traditions by providing them with positive role models, enriching programs, and nurturing spaces that build on the strengths of their community. |
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Pecos Conference
This month MNA welcomes several hundred archaeologists to the Pecos Conference, an annual archaeology conference. MNA founders Harold and Mary-Russell Colton were among the many leaders in the field of archaeology who attended the first Pecos Conference held in Pecos, New Mexico in 1927. MNA has been one of the rotating hosts of the conference since 1950. This year the conference includes an opening reception at MNA, two days of papers, panels and discussion groups, and then a day of field trips to local archaeological sites, many of them led by MNA research associates. |
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Appropriation in the Arts series
Cultural Appropriation in Art: Centering Authenticity; September 17, 2023 at MNA 2 pm
More Than a Meal: November 5, 2023 at MNA 2 pm
Drawing Cultural Inspiration: January 21, 2024 at Sedona Arts Center 2 pm
In this series expert panelists will lead the audience in an exploration of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, what appropriation in art looks like, what authentic Native art is, and how to appropriately appreciate Native art forms and culture. This series is a collaboration between MNA and the Sedona Arts Center, funded by the Arizona Humanities. |
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Easton Collection Center Open House
August 26, 10 am – 2 pm
Everyone is invited to visit the collection center and learn about MNA’s collection of more than 800,000 artifacts. Selected areas of the collection will be open and textiles from the collection will be brought out for viewing, including the Staples rug. The Staples rug is the oldest surviving two-sided Navajo rug in existence. Given that it is also one of the largest rugs ever woven, the Staples rug is truly a Southwestern textile treasure. |
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12th Hopi Arts and Cultural Festival
August 26 from 9 am – 5 pm; August 27 from 9 am – 3 pm
at the Continental Country Club Driving Range
This festival is put on by the Hopi Arts & Education Association (HAEA). Enjoy two days of Hopi culture featuring a variety of Hopi artists, traditional Hopi performances, good food, a silent auction, and more. For details go to hopifestival.com |
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Thirsty Thursday – Highland Ramblers
Third Thursdays, 5 pm – 8 pm
Blending elements of bluegrass, Americana and roots, the Highland Ramblers were named one of the Top Ten Bluegrass acts by Westword in 2016. Enjoy the summer evening with music outdoors in the historic courtyard. Admission is $15 nonmembers/ $8 MNA members.
August 17 – Highland Ramblers
September 21 – NAU Jazz |
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The Life and Seasons of the Living Roof
August 5, 2 pm – 3 pm
Join Research Botanist Jan Busco and Botany Collections Manager Kirstin Phillips as they share their knowledge about the 14,000-square-foot bioregional native living roof atop MNA’s Easton Collection Center. The talk will be held in Pearson Hall, near the Easton Collection Center. This area of MNA’s campus is located on the opposite side of Highway 180/N Fort Valley Road from the museum. Turn at the sign for the Harold S. Colton Research Center sign. |
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Garden tours
Moore Medicinal Garden tours – Aug. 19, Sept. 23 at 10 am
Colton Garden tours – Aug. 5, Sept. 9 at 10 am
The museum grounds and gardens are always open to enjoy on your own, or you can come for one of the free docent-led tours to learn more about the gardens. All tours start at 10 am at the gardens, which are across the street from the Museum exhibit building. For the Colton Garden, turn onto Winding Brook Rd. For the Moore Medicinal Garden, turn at the sign for the Harold Colton Research Center. |
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September 16, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Guide: Dr. David Kring
Explore wonderfully preserved remnants of two volcanic eruptions, one an explosive crater that excavated a deep cavity into an evolving volcanic field and the other a near-perfect topographically-high cone that is so picturesque that it graces textbooks. Learn more and sign up here, or contact development@musnaz.org or 928-774-5211, ext. 285. |
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September 30, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Guide: David Purcell, MNA Archaeologist & Historian
Wupatki National Monument contains more than 2,700 historic places and stunning views of the San Francisco Peaks and Painted Desert. We will visit several, including Wupatki Pueblo, the largest village in the region and part of widespread ceremonial networks. Learn more and sign up here, or contact development@musnaz.org or 928-774-5211, ext. 285. |
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Meteor Crater
October 7, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Guide: Dr. David Kring
Get an up-close introduction to the Meteor Crater impact site with one of its leading geologists and learn about early exploration efforts, the evidence that proves the crater was produced by a near-Earth asteroid impact, the explosive energy of the impact and how the blast excavated the extraordinary geological site. Learn more and sign up here, or contact development@musnaz.org or 928-774-5211, ext. 285. |
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Landscape Painting
Tuesdays starting August 15 from 9am-12pm
Landscape painter Deborah Mechigian teaches fundamentals of composition, perspective, and color mixing in this weekly class in the Guernsey Building. Registration for these classes is directly through the instructor. Email rockhunterdeb@gmail.com for details, prices, and to sign up. |
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Ceramics Classes
Beginner sessions start August 14 on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays, from 12 pm – 2:30 pm or 5:55 pm – 8:25 pm
Intermediate/advanced sessions start August 17 on Tuesdays or Thursdays from 5:55 pm – 8:25 pm
Potter Chas Frisco teaches wheel throwing and hand building in the Newberry Building. Registration for these classes is directly through the instructor. Email chasarts101@gmail.com for details, prices, and to sign up. |
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Drawing and Watercolor Classes
Beginner drawing sessions start September 7 on Thursdays from 1 pm – 4 pm or Saturdays from 9 am – 12 pm
Beginner watercolor sessions start September 7 on Thursdays from 9 am – 4 pm or Saturdays from 1 pm – 4 pm
Artist Lisa Lee Pearce teaches fundamental skills and techniques for drawing and watercolor painting in the Guernsey Building. Registration for these classes is directly through the instructor. Email Lleearrist@gmail.com for details, prices, and to sign up. |
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Vast Lands, Inner Visions
The Art of Joella Jean Mahoney
This exhibition presents key paintings by one of the most important female artists of the Southwest. Mahoney’s art career spanned 66 years, from her roots in the abstract expressionism of the 1950s to her role as a mentor and master artist with a distinctive style that bridges realism and abstraction. |
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MNA Archaeologists in Glen Canyon
From 1957-1963, MNA archaeologists were part of a multi-year project to record the human history of Glen Canyon before a dam flooded 153,000 acres, creating Lake Powell. At the time everyone expected these archaeological sites would be destroyed forever, but recently MNA archaeologists returned on another multi-year project to reassess the sites they could reach. This new exhibition looks at both projects and the responsibility we all share to protect the past. |
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Designed to Move
See Southwest seeds in a new way through macro-photography by Taylor James. This up-close look reveals the beauty and functional diversity of desert seeds that use different methods for dispersal and propagation. They can float in the air and water, fly far from their mother plant, and hitchhike on the fur of animals. The exhibition was organized by the Biomimicry Center at Arizona State University in collaboration with Desert Botanical Garden, ASU’s Herbarium and ASU’s Design School. At MNA the exhibit also features items from the museum collection highlighting the ethnobotanical uses and cultural importance of these plants.
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A New Plateau
There’s a new addition of the Plateau journal available now, focusing on the work of MNA archaeologists in Glen Canyon. A wonderful addition to the MNA Archaeologists in Glen Canyon exhibition, the Plateau Glen Canyon Then & Now includes essays by contributors who worked in Glen Canyon, photos of some of the sites before the dam and more recently, and a map. Now available at the Museum Gift Shop, where every purchase supports MNA and the artists. |
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