The Art of Being Huichol (Exhibition)

Exist Dates

1979 November 7 - 1980 February 10

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Exhibition. Opened in November 7, 1979 and closed February 10, 1980. Located in Section 1A, Floor 1 in Gallery 77 at the American Museum of Natural History. "The Art of Being Huichol" was an exhibition which documented the art of the Huichol Indians of Mexico.

Summary

"The Art of Being Huichol" was an exhibition which documented the art of the Huichol Indians of Mexico. Highlighting Huichol Indian Art from the turn of the century to the time of the exhibit, the more than 150 objects were drawn from the collections of the American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of New Mexico, the Museum of Cultural History (University of California, Los Angeles) and private owners. The items on display included costumes, votive objects, weavings, embroidery, beadwork and yarn "paintings" for the Huichol. According to Peter Furst in the exhibition catalogue, art was considered a religious experience. The exhibition premiered at The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which organized the exhibition, and was also exhibited at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. The exhibit was made possible by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and by The Museum Society of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and was of view in the Gallery 77 of the American Museum of Natural History from November 7, 1979 through February 10, 1980.

Individuals and institutions involved in the creation of the exhibition: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Sources

American Museum of Natural History Press Release, October 9, 1979. Departmental Records, 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History. Gallery 77.
Location of exhibition.

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