What We're About

The Heard Museum Guild is a cadre of women and men who value the mission of the Museum and support the projects of the Guild.

The members of the Guild participate in the development of the Museum and its facilities and services, and in the growth of the Museum as a vital cultural and educational institution in the Southwest.

The Guild is the volunteer arm of the Museum. It began in 1956 with 30 members, and now includes over 500 dynamic men and women who support the Museum’s many services and projects, including:

• Las Guias – conducts the public tours of the Museum
• Speakers Bureau – available for community groups
• Library and Archives – assists with the library and slide collections
• Museum Shop - sales and information
• Heard Guild Presents Lecture Series – provides educational programs
• Notecard Project – raises money for scholarships and student artist grants
• Information Desk – greeting and assisting visitors to the Museum
• Many other service opportunities

The major public events regularly scheduled on the annual Guild calendar are:

• Book Sale and Treasure Market (January)
• The Indian Fair and Market (March)
• The American Indian Student Art Show and Sale (March/April)

The year includes other Special Events and Exhibit Openings. See the Calendar.

Our History

Origins:
In 1956, thirty women came together and agreed to form an Auxiliary to the Heard Museum. The main purpose of this group would be to support the mission of the Heard Museum in its efforts to "educate the public about the heritage, living cultures and art of native peoples." In addition, the organization would help publicize the museum, plan social events, conduct guided tours and prepare traveling exhibits for local schools. On a less lofty plane, the group agreed to handle the typing as well! Founding President Helen Shackelford summed up the role of Heard Guild volunteers then and now by saying: "Much needed doing, and we did it."

Important Milestones:
In 1958 the Heard Board gave the Auxiliary $2,000 to start a Gift Shop. With artists such as Charles Loloma, Grace Medicine Flower, andLarry Golsh supplying tempting artwork, the seed money was quickly repaid, and an additional $1,400 profit was also presented to the Board. In 1958 the first Indian Fair was conceived. It included the fun of llama rides and hot dogs; as well as educational demonstrations by Ida Redbird, Pee Posh, and Fred Kabotie, Hopi. Then in 1968 the Heard Guild Arts & Crafts Exhibit was created as a juried competition with early winners such as R.C. Gorman, Navajo, for painting and Adam and Santana Martinez, San Ildefonso, for pottery. Together, the early Fair and the Arts & Crafts Show were the basis of the current Indian Fair & Market.

Our Members

The Heard Museum has a membership of some 7,000 people. Over 500 of those members have chosen to join the Guild and become volunteers for the Museum. To become a member of the Guild, one must first become a member of the Heard Museum and then join the Guild. Some Guild members are involved in a multitude of volunteer endeavors. Others specialize in a single event or a specific type of activity. Some can be seen at the Heard almost any day of the week. Others appear only for selected
periods of time. Some are leaders, others are content to follow. While some are casually involved, 100 others have dedicated themselves to a seven month training program followed by a two year commitment to become members of Las Guias, the Heard Museum’s cadre of docents.

Guild members consider themselves a privileged group of people. Although they are volunteers, they have through the years created a culture. The Guild has become a unique fraternal organization of like-minded people. Although extremely diverse in their experiences, talents, backgrounds, and life styles, the members have bonded together as equals and are enthusiastically engaged in a labor of love. They have created a culture that respects the American Indian people and is committed to telling their stories and honoring their traditions. It is a culture of selfless dedication to the Museum and to educating curious minds about the peoples of the Southwest. It is a culture of goal-directed
performance and well-organized behaviors guided by time-tested procedures and guidelines. Finally, it is a culture that cultivates personal friendships in the process of achieving excellence.