Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest (Exhibition)

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Exist Dates

2004 October 30 - 2005 July 10

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract
Exhibition. Opened October 30, 2004 and closed July 10, 2005. Located in Section 3, Floor 3 in Gallery 3 at the American Museum of Natural History. Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest featured more than 500 artifacts, including historic and contemporary Native American jewelry from the Northwest and Southwest regions.

Summary

Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest featured more than 500 artifacts, including historic and contemporary Native American jewelry, masks, pottery, and basketry from the Northwest and Southwest regions. The exhibition focused on the cultural similarities and differences of the Northwest and Southwest, the role of tribal and individual identity in design, and how artists incorporate images from their physical landscape into their work. The exhibition was co-curated by Peter Whiteley, curator of North American Ethnology in the Museum’s Division of Anthropology, and Lois Sherr Dubin, lecturer and author of several books on Native American jewelry. Advising artists were Jim Hart, A Hereditary Chief of the Haida Nation as well as a carver and jeweler, and Jesse Monongya, a Navajo jeweler known for his inlay work (1, p. 1-2).

Totems to Turquoise showcased artwork from the Haida, Kwakwaka’wakw, Tsimshian, Gitxsan, Nisga’a, Tlingit, Nuu-chah-nulth, Haisla, and Salish peoples of the Northwest, and the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Santo Domingo, Taos and other Pueblos, Apache, and Tohono O’odham peoples of the Southwest. The exhibit featured contemporary sculptures, historic and contemporary masks, boxes, weavings, figures, pottery, and other artworks, including more than 100 from the Museum’s collections (1, p. 2).

Key themes of the exhibition (1, p. 2):

*Cultural continuity from ancient times to the present day

*Distinct regional styles

*Jewelry as portable symbolic art

*Motifs transferred to jewelry from other art forms such as masks and blankets

*How contemporary artists both draw upon and depart from tradition

Section titles (2, p. 4-7):

*Introduction

*World View

*The People

*Contemporary Jewelry Showcase

*Coming Together

Highlights (1, p. 2-5; 2, p. 4-7):

*Side-by-side historic and contemporary jewelry

*Native jewelry portraying the cosmos

*Boxes and ritual masks showing historical incorporation of natural and cosmological themes

*Historic and modern photographs of Northwest Coast and Southwest rituals, geography, and landscape

*Interactive stations with historic and modern film footage

*Model of a traditional Haida house

*Carved gold, silver, and copper bracelets from the Northwest Coast representing totemic aspects of clan design

*Grouping of 24 Hopi katsina (kachina) dolls in a traditional water-drinking maidens dance

*A painted wooden Gitxsan Raven mask from the late 1800s from the Museum’s collection

*Miniature carved mask pendants from the Northwest Coast

Artists represented in the exhibition (1, p. 2-5; 2, p. 4-7):

*Haida: Jim Hart, Bill Reid, Charles Edenshaw, Christian White, Robert Davidson, Don Yeomans, Fred Davis, Isabel Rorick, Victoria Moody, Morris White, Gerry Marks, Primrose Adams, Jesse Brillon, Donnie Edenshaw

*Gitxsan: Philip Janze, John Alexander

*Kwakwaka’wakw: Beau Dick, Kevin Cramner, Lloyd Wadhams, Russell Smith, Elsie Nelson, Tony Hunt, Christopher Cook

*Nuu-chah-nulth: Art Thompson, Bill Kuhnley, Ron Hamilton

*Nisga’a: Norman Tait

*Coast Salish: Rod Modeste, Debbie Sparrow

*Haisla: Lyle Wilson, Derek Wilson

*Tlingit: Donald Gregory, Rudolph Walton, Nick Galanin, Louis Minard, Nathan Jackson

*Navajo: Charles Loloma, Preston Monongya, Kenneth Begay, Jesse Monongya, Raymond Yazzie, Lee Yazzie, James Little, Yazzie Johnson, Victor Beck, Harvey Begay, Vernon Begay, Perry Shorty, Vernon Haskie, Cody Hunter, Gibson Nez, Fred Peshlakai, Ambrose Roanhorse

*Hopi: Verma Nequatewa, Michael Kabotie, Victor Coochwytewa, Paul Safkie, Morris Robinson, Ernest Moore, Jr., Gary Yoyokie, Elise Yoyokie, Chalmers Da, Lendrick Lomayestewa

*Santo Domingo: Martine Lovato, Anthony Lovato, Mary Lovato, Angie Reano Owen, Johnny Rosetta, Joe B. Reano, Terry Reano, Charles Lovato

*Santo Domingo/Laguna: Gail Bird, Charlie Bird

*Zuni: Veronica Poblano, Edith Tsabetsaye, Myron Panteah, Eddie Beyuka, Leo Poblano, Ellen Quandelacy, Leekya Deyuse, Frank Vacit, Dennis Edaakie

*San Juan: Mike Bird-Romero

*Apache: Bob Haozous

The exhibition’s opening day ceremony included dancers in ceremonial regalia with representatives of the Haida Nations in Queen Charlotte Islands in Canada and the Cellicion Dancers from the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico (1, p. 5).

A webpage for the exhibition on the Museum’s website provided photographs of objects in the exhibition, biographies and videos of some of the artists, interviews with the curators, links to additional resources, and behind-the-scenes information on the making of the exhibition, as well as information on lectures, workshops, and other programs and activities for visitors (1, p. 5).

The exhibition was accompanied by a book of the same title copublished by the American Museum of Natural History and Harry N. Abrams, Inc. with general editor Kari Chalker and contributing editors Lois Sherr Dubin and Peter Whiteley with Jim Hart and Jesse Monongya. A special menu was available at the Museum’s Northwest/Southwest Café on 4 (1, p. 5-6).

The exhibition was designed by the Museum’s Department of Exhibition under the direction of Vice President for Exhibitions, David Harvey (1, p. 5).

This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.

Sources

    (1) American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. "Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest Opens October 30, 2004, at American Museum of Natural History." October 2004. Departmental Records, DR 101. American Museum of Natural History Library.
    (2) American Museum of Natural History. Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest. New York: American Museum of Natural History, [2004-2005]. [hosting opportunity brochure]

Terms

place
New YorkExternal link
AMNH: Section 3, Floor 3

Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

Adams, Primrose
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Alexander, John
Featured artist; Gitxsan (2, p. 4-7)
American Museum of Natural History. Department of Anthropology.
Related department (1)
American Museum of Natural History. Department of Exhibition.
Designed and executed exhibition (1, p. 5)
American Museum of Natural History. Gallery 3.
Location of exhibition 2004 October 30 – 2005 July 10 (1)
Beck, Victor, 1941External link
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Begay, Harvey
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Begay, Kenneth
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Begay, Vernon
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Beyuka, Eddie
Featured artist; Zuni (2, p. 4-7)
Bird, Charlie
Featured artist; Santo Domingo/Laguna (2, p. 4-7)
Bird, Gail, 1949-External link
Featured artist; Santo Domingo/Laguna (2, p. 4-7)
Bird-Romero, Mike, 1946-External link
Featured artist; San Juan (2, p. 4-7)
Brillon, Jesse
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Coochwytewa, Victor
Featured artist; Hopi (2, p. 4-7)
Cook, Christopher
Featured artist; Kwakwaka’wakw (2, p. 4-7)
Cramner, Kevin
Featured artist; Kwakwaka’wakw (2, p. 4-7)
Da, Chalmers
Featured artist; Hopi (2, p. 4-7)
Davidson, Robert, 1946-External link
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Davis, Fred
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Deyuse, Leekya
Featured artist; Zuni (2, p. 4-7)
Dick, Beau, 1955-2017External link
Featured artist; Kwakwaka’wakw (2, p. 4-7)
Dubin, Lois SherrExternal link
Co-curator of exhibition; lecturer, and of books on Native American jewelry (1)
Edaakie, Dennis
Featured artist; Zuni (2, p. 4-7)
Edenshaw, Charles, approximately 1839-1920External link
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Edenshaw, Donnie
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Galanin, Nicholas, 1979-External link
Featured artist; Tlingit (2, p. 4-7)
Gregory, Donald
Featured artist; Tlingit (2, p. 4-7)
Haozous, Bob, 1943-External link
Featured artist; Apache (2, p. 4-7)
Hart, Jim
Advising artist; featured artist; Haida (1, p. 1-5; 2, p. 47)
Harvey, David 1950-
Exhibition designed and executed under his direction; vice president, Museum Department of Exhibition (1, p. 5)
Haskie, Vernon C., 1968-External link
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Hunt, Tony, 1942-
Featured artist; Kwakwaka’wakw (2, p. 4-7)
Hunter, Cody
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Jackson, Nathan, 1938-External link
Featured artist; Tlingit (2, p. 4-7)
Janze, Philip
Featured artist; Gitxsan (2, p. 4-7)
Johnson, YazzieExternal link
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Kabotie, Michael, 1942-2009External link
Featured artist; Hopi (2, p. 4-7)
Ki-ke-in, 1948-External link
Featured artist; Nuu-chah-nulth; Ron Hamilton in Museum documentation (2, p. 4-7)
Kuhnley, Bill
Featured artist; Nuu-chah-nulth (2, p. 4-7)
Little, James
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Loloma, Charles, 1921-1991External link
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Lomayestewa, Lendrick
Featured artist; Hopi (1, p. 2-5)
Lovato, Anthony
Featured artist; Santo Domingo (2, p. 4-7)
Lovato, Charles, 1937-External link
Featured artist; Santo Domingo (2, p. 4-7)
Lovato, Martine
Featured artist; Santo Domingo (2, p. 4-7)
Lovato, Mary
Featured artist; Santo Domingo (2, p. 4-7)
Marks, Gerry
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Minard, Louis
Featured artist; Tlingit (2, p. 4-7)
Modeste, Ron
Featured artist; Coast Salish (2, p. 4-7)
Monongya, Jesse, 1952-External link
Advising artist; Featured artist; Navajo (1; 2, p. 4-7)
Monongya, Preston
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Moody, Victoria
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Moore, Ernest, Jr.
Featured artist; Hopi (2, p. 4-7)
Nelson, Elsie
Featured artist; Kwakwaka’wakw (2, p. 4-7)
Nequatewa, Verma, 1949-External link
Featured artist; Hopi (2, p. 4-7)
Nez, Gibson
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Owen, Angie, 1946-External link
Featured artist; Santo Domingo; Angie Reano Owen in Museum documentation (1, p. 2-5; 2, p. 4-7)
Panteah, Myron
Featured artist; Zuni (2, p. 4-7)
Peshlakai, Fred, 1896-1974External link
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Poblano, Leo
Featured artist; Zuni (2, p. 4-7)
Poblano, Veronica
Featured artist; Zuni (2, p. 4-7)
Quandelacy, Ellen
Featured artist; Zuni (2, p. 4-7)
Reano, Joe B.
Featured artist; Santo Domingo (2, p. 4-7)
Reano, Terry
Featured artist; Santo Domingo (2, p. 4-7)
Reid, Bill, 1920-1998External link
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Roanhorse, Ambrose
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Robinson, Morris
Featured artist; Hopi (2, p. 4-7)
Rorick, IsabelExternal link
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Rosetta, Johnny
Featured artist; Santo Domingo (2, p. 4-7)
Safkie, Paul
Featured artist; Hopi (2, p. 4-7)
Shorty, Perry
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Smith, Russell
Featured artist; Kwakwaka’wakw (2, p. 4-7)
Sparrow, Debbie
Featured artist; Coast Salish (2, p. 4-7)
Tait, Norman, 1941-2016External link
Featured artist; Nisga’a (2, p. 4-7)
Thompson, Art, 1948-2003External link
Featured artist; Nuu-chah-nulth (2, p. 4-7)
Tsabetsaye, Edith
Featured artist; Zuni (2, p. 4-7)
Vacit, Frank
Featured artist; Zuni (2, p. 4-7)
Wadhams, Lloyd
Featured artist; Kwakwaka’wakw (2, p. 4-7)
Walton, Rudolph
Featured artist; Tlingit (2, p. 4-7)
White, Christian
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
White, Morris
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Whiteley, Peter M.External link
Co-curator of exhibition; curator of North American Ethnology, Museum Division of Anthropology (1)
Wilson, Derek
Featured artist; Haisla (2, p. 4-7)
Wilson, Lyle
Featured artist; Haisla (2, p. 4-7)
Yazzie, Lee A., 1946-External link
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Yazzie, Raymond
Featured artist; Navajo (2, p. 4-7)
Yeomans, Don, 1958-External link
Featured artist; Haida (2, p. 4-7)
Yoyokie, Elsie
Featured artist; Hopi (2, p. 4-7)
Yoyokie, Gary
Featured artist; Hopi (2, p. 4-7)

Related Resources

American Museum of Natural History press kits, DR 103a
Folder with press releases
American Museum of Natural History press releases, 1933-1990s, DR 101
Fact Sheet: Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest Opens October 30, 2004 at the American Museum of Natural History.” September 2004; “Attention: Listings Editors/Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest Major New Exhibition Opens at the American Museum of Natural History on October 30, 2004.” October 2004; “Tip Sheet.” October 2004; “Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest Opens October 30, 2004, at American Museum of Natural History.” October 2004; “Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest: Biographies.” October 2004; “Public Programs at the American Museum of Natural History Celebrate the Beauty of Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest.” October 2004; “’Totems to Turquoise: The Shop’ Opens October 30 in Conjunction with Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest at American Museum of Natural History.” October 2004; “Companion Book Published in Conjunction with Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest at the American Museum of Natural History.” October 2004; “Northwest/Southwest Cafe Offers Authentic Native American Cuisine in Conjunction with Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest.” October 2004; “Media Preview for Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest, New Exhibition at American Museum of Natural History.” October 2004; “Attention: Assignment Editors and TV/Photo Editors/Opening Day Festivities for Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest at American Museum of Natural History.” October 2004
American Museum of Natural History Special Collections vertical files 
Repository: AMNH Special Collections [Exhibition brochures and flyers; exhibition educator’s guide; Museum Calendar Fall 2004; news articles]
subjectOf
American Museum of Natural History. “Totems to Turquoise.” Accessed 26 September 2018.
Exhibition website
Exhibition Tape Collection
Floor 6, Stack 6-39
subjectOf
Totems to turquoise : Native American jewelry arts of the Northwest and Southwest / Kari Chalker, general editor ; Lois S. Dubin and Peter M. Whiteley, curators ; with essays by Kari Chalker ... [et al.] ; principal photography by Kiyoshi Togashi ; [foreword, Ellen V. Futter].
Date of resource: 2004; E78.S7 T68 2004
subjectOf
Totems to Turquoise : [videorecording]. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.
Date of resource: 2003-2005; 1 CD-ROM (1 CD-ROM), 10 CD (10 CD), 14 DVD (14 DVD). 173 Videorecordings (173 Mini DV), 18 Videorecordings (18 Beta SP), 20 Videorecordings (20 DVcam), 3 Cassette (3 Cassette), 4 Minidisc (4 Minidisc), 6 Videorecordings (6 HD), 73 Videorecordings (73 HDcam); Identifier: EXH.071

Written by: Clare O'Dowd
Last modified: 2018 December 21


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