TUCSON, ARIZONA.- The Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, presents Navajo Weaving at Arizona State Museum: 19th Century Blankets, 20th Century Rugs, 21st Century Views, through May 1, 2005. More than fifty spectacular textiles fill two galleries! Admired the world over, Navajo textiles are among the most compelling of the native Southwest art forms. Beginning in the 19th century when presidents, foreign dignitaries, national heroes, and art aficionados of the East began collecting, the weaving of the Navajo people took on epic significance as representatives of the land, the people, the culture, and the way of life from which they came. Indeed, the textiles themselves, especially from the 19th century, tell the stories of the Navajos -- struggle, strength, influence, family ties, and most of all, endurance.

Learn what significance the art form still holds for the Navajo people through the voices of 21st century weavers. Explore how weavers have made artistic choices through the decades based on their own creativity and cultural changes. See how weavers have responded to modern-day influences. Videotaped interviews, and written statements offer unique insight. Monthly live demonstrations offer personal interaction. Looms, hand-tools, raw materials, photomurals, and interpretive panels round out the experience.
The exhibition is curated by Ann Lane Hedlund, PhD, one of the country’s most highly regarded textile scholars and director of the Gloria F. Ross Center for Tapestry Studies at Arizona State Museum. She is author of numerous publications and has curated exhibitions nationwide. Award-winning Navajo weaver, Barbara Ornelas, and her college-aged children, Sierra and Michael, join Dr. Hedlund as exhibition consultants.