Office of the Secretary |
Anne James:
|
For Immediate Release: September 23, 2003 |
202-208-4659
|
Continuation of
the Arts through the Generations
|
Traditional and modern Indian artistry are featured in Continuation of the Arts through the Generations, a new exhibit at the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum. Highlighting the show are pottery
by Marie and Julian Martinez, and Fannie Nampeyo, a Dakota beaded vest
featuring flag designs, and baskets decorated with woodpecker feathers
and glass beads made by Pomo Indians. The exhibit, which runs through
Sept. 30, 2004, celebrates the 65th anniversary of the founding of the
Indian Craft Shop at the Department of the Interior. Historic and contemporary objects
from four cultural areas of American Indian nations (Plains, Southwest,
Northwest Coast and California) are paired with 1930s-era metal silhouettes
depicting scenes from those regional tribes. The silhouettes, custom designed
for the Interior Museum, have been a hallmark of its distinctive Art Deco
style. A Plains cradleboard or baby
carrier decorated with colorful seed beads in symmetrical geometric patterns
is exhibited adjacent to the Plains silhouette depicting people gathered
by tipis as men depart to hunt buffalo and deer. A woman is shown on horseback,
carrying her child in a cradleboard that she wears on her back. The cradleboard
was donated to the Interior Museum in 1951. Dude Boot, a whimsical contemporary
object loaned by the Indian Craft Shop, was carved in the 1990s by artist
George Blake of the Hupa Valley Tribe from an elk's antler. Dude Boot
and other contemporary objects on display show that over the past 65 years,
American Indian culture has survived, adapted to changing times, and continued
through the generations. The Interior Museum is open
to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except
for Federal holidays) and the third Saturday of each month from 1 p.m.
to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Adult visitors must present a form of photo
identification (such as a driver's license, student ID, or employment
card) when entering the Main Interior Building which is at 1849 C Street,
N.W., in Washington, D.C. Wheelchair access is available at the 18th and
E Streets entrance. For more information, call 208-4743. |