Message from Mary –
Snow transformed the museum campus last month and each day the sculptural spires of ice hanging from the eaves drip, extend, and even bend in the wind. While nature paints the landscape white, within the museum we have art in a full spectrum of colors, from the rich abstract landscapes of Joella Mahoney to Baje Whitethorne’s rainbow-hued skies and cliffs.
Visiting the museum is a warm respite from the cold outside, and I encourage you to visit us to enjoy our galleries and exhibitions. Winter is my favorite time at the museum because the galleries are often quiet and can be experienced at whatever pace a visitor wishes. I love to spend time in front of favorite works of art or displays to really take them in, and sometimes see them from a new perspective.
But, you don’t have to leave home to enjoy some art. You can view all 35 entries to the Jr. Indigenous Art Exhibition at https://musnaz.org/juniorart/. This is the third year that we have held the youth contest online and we received entries from all over the Colorado Plateau. It’s an example of our efforts to reach a broader audience and make lifelong learning the heart of what we do – two of the goals identified in our Strategic Plan. If all this art inspires you, join Alan Petersen on Feb 19th for insights into the Joella Jean Mahoney exhibition. For a more active art experience, consider signing up to learn to draw, paint, or make pottery with one of the artists teaching in the MNA Discovery Village. New class sessions are starting this month and next. The classes are another aspect of our lifelong learning program, along with upcoming talks and Ventures Trips.
I hope to see you soon at the museum.
Mary Kershaw
Executive Director & CEO
Museum of Northern Arizona
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The results are in and you can now enjoy the online exhibit of art. This year we had more submissions than ever from all corners of the Colorado Plateau. The tradition of a youth art show goes back to 1931, when Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton started the annual show to showcase and encourage young artists.
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Joella Jean Mahoney – The art and artist
Feb. 19, 2 pm
Join Fine Art curator Alan Peterson for engaging insights into the art and life of Joella Jean Mahoney. Arguably 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. She left an indelible mark that will continue to inspire future generations of artists.
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Tour the Easton Collection Center
$10 MNA members/$15 non-members
Join MNA docents for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum of Northern Arizona’s collections inside the Platinum LEED certified, architectural masterpiece Easton Collection Center. Home to more than 800,000 objects, the ECC tour will enhance visitors’ understanding of the Native cultures of the Colorado Plateau and MNA’s role in research and conservation.
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Spring Break at MNA
March 13-17, 1-2 pm
Bring the kids to the museum for fun activities during spring break. The activities are free with museum admission.
Messy Monday – Hands-on science activities
Wordful Wednesday – Storytime with crafts and the Palsmobile
Therizinosaur Thursday – A puppet show and fossil touch box.
Family Friday – Nature journaling for all ages
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Life and Seasons on the Living Roof
March 26, 2 pm
Living Roofs contribute to a healthy environment by providing habitat for birds, bats, butterflies, insects, lizards and other organisms while eliminating stormwater runoff and reducing temperature extremes. Join Research Botanist Jan Busco and Botany Collections Manager Kirstin Phillips as they talk about the 14,000 square foot native Living Roof atop MNA’s Platinum LEED-certified Easton Collections Center and how it is evolving and adapting to our changing weather.
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Last month Historian Susan Olberding and MNA’s Archaeology Division Director Kim Spurr gave a presentation on Gene Field Foster, an artist whose unique relationship with MNA led her to record archaeological sites in Glen Canyon in 1952. If you missed it, you can now watch the entire presentation on the MNA YouTubechannel, where you will also find many fascinating presentations from the last few years.
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March 4, 9 am – 2 pm
$100 for MNA members/ $125 for non-members
The Grand Falls on the Little Colorado River is among the most surprising and dramatic features of the Northern Arizona landscape. Join MNA and geologist Dr. Kent Colbath on this amazing venture a mere one-hour drive from Flagstaff.
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Valentine Clay-Make
Feb. 11, 1-4 pm
What’s more romantic than flowers? Working together to make a vase to put the flowers in. Potter Chas Frisco is again leading a couples clay workshop for Valentine’s weekend. Template, clay, firing, and snacks all provided. For details and to register, email chasarts101@gmail.com
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Sundays 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Sketching enhances your relationship with nature by letting you slow down and look more closely. In these drawing workshops, nature artist and biologist Liz Blaker helps “non-artists” learn to draw what they see, while learning about the plants and animals. In February these classes meet on Zoom, then they move outdoors as the weather improves. For details or to register, email elizabethblaker1@gmail.com
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Drawing workshop
February 18 & 25 and March 4, 11 am – 2 pm
Choose from Fridays or Saturdays, 9 am – noon or 1-4 pm
In this three day workshop, Lisa Lee Pearce teaches the fundamentals and techniques for drawing, including perspective, structure, elements of art, contour lines and shading. For details or to register, email Lleearrist@gmail.com
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Tuesdays, 9 am – noon
Landscape painter Deborah Mechigian teaches fundamentals of composition, perspective, and color mixing in this weekly class. Each week the class focuses on one element of a painting. For details or to register, email rockhunterdeb@gmail.com
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Next session starts March 1
Choose Mondays or Wednesdays, 12- 2:30 pm or 6-8:30 pm
Come play in the clay and learn how to throw and hand-build. During each 6-week session you can expect to make 10 quality pieces, fired in electric kiln, pit kiln, and wood kiln. For details and to register, email chasarts101@gmail.com
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March 24-May 20
Choose from Fridays or Saturdays, 9 am – noon or 1-4 pm
Painter Lisa Lee Pearce teaches fundamental skills and techniques for painting with watercolor. These eight week sessions accommodate beginners and more advanced students, and are offered at four times. For details or to register, email Lleearrist@gmail.com
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This exhibition presents key paintings by the artist, who is 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. Read about it in this recent Arizona Daily Sun article.
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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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Bursting with color, this retrospective exhibit presents the full spectrum of art by Baje Whitethorne Sr., a visual storyteller acclaimed for his colorful paintings full of life and energy. Born and raised on the Navajo Reservation, his art often depicts the landscape around his family home near Shonto and the harmony of the Navajo way of life. Click here to watch Baje explain the meaning behind the title of his exhition.
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When you need a gift as special as that special person you are giving it to, visit the Museum Gift Shop. There you’ll find unique, handcrafted items, like this two-sided mosaic necklace by Charlene Reano. Each side is laid with differing mix of lapis lazuli, mother of pearl, spiny oyster, and jet to creating two different looks in a single necklace. Reano’s distinctive designs are inspired by jewelry worn during traditional dances. Find more jewelry, pottery, baskets, and books at the Museum Gift Shop, where every purchase supports MNA and the artists.
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