LAS GUIAS NOTICIAS
To Guides from the Education Department
January 2014
Heard Museum Guide Schedule: http://heard.org/education/volunteers/schedule.html
From the Heard Museum Bookstore
BOOKS & MORE NOTES
Stop by and say hello to the bookstore folk, who will be out selling books and DVDs at heard museum events this winter.
First, in conjunction with the Hopis On Film program, we will be offering copies of Mysteries of Chaco Canyon for sale during and after the screening. Here is a chance to take home a compelling tale of southwestern archaeoastronomy. Wonderfully narrated by acclaimed actor and director Robert Redford, this DVD is a necessary addition to your collection.
Second, Books and More will be open for this years Haute Chocolate event, offering titles and cookbooks on everyone’s favorite confection. At last years event, Irene from the cafe conjured up some amazing chocolate brittle that we handed out to the attendees. Well worth the visit!
Finally, we will be present at the lecture of Dr. Stephen Lekson. With copies of his book for sale. At present we have two titles available. Stop by and peruse our selection.
-Lance Polingyouma
From Jaclyn’s Desk…….
Yá’at’eeh Las Guias,
I hope you all have settled into the new year seamlessly. Here are a few items to keep in mind, fill you in or have you ponder for later:
- As a heads up, continue to encourage visitors to vote for their favorite piece as part of the “That’s the Way We Like It” interactive. The blue chips are at the info desk so continue to spread the word and don’t forget to vote too.
- Most of you know I have begun to teaching the short-course and am having a blast. We have 32 attendees who are now all museum members and hopefully will begin to be involved in other parts of the museum through the Guild. As I begin to transition into teaching the Las Guias training course next year I would like to remind all of you to keep your eyes open for people you think might be interested in taking the course. Once I confirm details we will begin to get the word out to you so we can start recruiting candidates.
- Along the lines of planning for next year be expecting, by month’s end, a survey I will invite all Las Guias member to take part in. I think the New Year is a great time to reflect and for this purpose, I will be asking you for ways your Las Guias training could have improved and for ideas about what kind of training would be helpful to you now.
I was fortunate to take part in the National Docent Symposium in October and was exposed to many new ideas and fortunate to meet some wonderful new people. While some of these ideas won’t fit the work we do there are openings for fresh ideas to be integrated with what we do best, tell a story about the culture and art of American Indian people today in the southwest. I am excited to get feedback from you about what I should be thinking as I begin to plan for next year all in an effort to make our program even stronger.
- Lastly, some of you may have started to hear buzz about our new show opening May 22, “Build! Lego Art at the Heard”. I wanted to share with you a primary education goal of the show so you can have some information should you begin to get the inevitable question, “what do lego bricks have to do with Indians?!” This show creates an opportunity to talk with our visitors about one of the very important point I hope every Heard visitor’s learns by visiting us: American Indian cultures are not static. We do not exist in a vacuum. We are exposed to and gain inspiration from a myriad of sources including things as iconic as lego bricks. I grew up playing in the wash near my grandma with my cousins, Barbies, army figures and Lego bricks. Lego as a company is one built on the foundation that play is learning opportunity. So taking American Indian art and lego-fying it is a great way to bridge aspects of American Indian art so kids and can see the universality of other cultures through the lens of something familiar to them. Another key aspects of the show is that play and experimentation process is foundational to the creative process. Since we will have work by artist who have never worked in Lego before, it will be a great point to make even artists need to “play” with their ideas to make them work. This will be the first family focused show we have launched in an awhile so it will be exciting and I look forward to sharing more details as they become firm.
As always, please let me know should you have questions.
Best – Ahé’hee’,
Jaclyn
From Betty Murphy in the Library
Billie Jane Baguley Library and Archives Collection Spotlight for January 2014
Here is a sampling of four selections from the library collection that provide different approaches to understanding and appreciating indigenous art. The first title was originally published in 1971 and has been updated several times over the years. The other three titles are new publications for 2013. All four books are currently on display in the public reading area of the library. Please feel free to visit the library to view these or any other items of interest in the library and archives collections. For additional collection information, click on the Search Catalog button located from the library page of the Heard Museum website.
American Indian art
Feder, Norman
New York : Abradale Press/Harry N. Abrams, 1995
Heard call number OVW:E98.A7 F32 1995
Hopi kachinas : history, legends, and art
Pecina, Ron and Bob Pecina
Atglen, PA : Schiffer Publishing [2013]
Heard call number E99.H7 P435 2013
Native art of the Northwest Coast : a history of changing ideas.
Vancouver : UBC Press [2013]
Heard call number E78.N78 N284 2013
Sakahàn : international Indigenous art
Hill, Greg A.
Ottawa : National Gallery of Canada, c2013
Heard call number N6351.2.I53 H55 2013
From Shaliyah’s Desk……..
Hello Everyone!
Happy New Year!
Hoop Dance 2014
The 24th annual Heard Museum World Championship Hoop Dance Contest will take place on Saturday and Sunday, February 8th and 9th. This is a wonderful opportunity for Las Guias to admire dancer agility, creativity and showmanship in a intertribal setting. It is truly a sight to see so many tribes represented by the dancers. This year will be no exception so If you haven’t made it to HOOP now is the time! Don’t forget to bring family and friends as the weather will undoubtedly be one of the main attractions! Grand entry is at 9:30 am both days. We end promptly at 5 pm on Saturday and start the adult final round at 2 pm Sunday.
Touring on Fair Market Weekend
As usual we will have our student guides on “all hands on deck” status for Saturday and Sunday, March 1st and 2nd. Also, because of the hustle and bustle of fair weekend I will also have student guides available Friday, February 28th. The last tour will be the 2 pm Highlights tour on the 28th of February; the best of show reception will start at 5 pm.
Good ol’ Schedule
On top of peer review requests coming in now; we also have guides that are showcasing their skills to the new Las Guias class as mentors. Everyone is doing a great job letting me know what dates and times you need for a HOME tour. Keep it up!
Reminders
*Please keep tours to 45 minutes. Gallery Talks, 20 minutes.
*Please remember to check the galleries and replenish activities if necessary.
*Please rove in galleries and engage with public, please avoid standing around the info desk.
*Please obtain subs in a timely manner, not one week before.
*Please tour BOTH levels in O’Keeffe gallery talk assignments
*ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD OR DRINK IN THE GALLERIES, THIS INCLUDES THE INFO DESK!!
*Please arrive at the info desk 15 minutes before your tour starts, not 3, 2, or 1 minute before 😉
Round of Applause…..
*I have a meeting with the visitors services manager tomorrow to inquire about getting the comment cards (3×5 inch cardstock cards) back at the information desk* -Shaliyah
12/4 – (When asked, “what did you like most about your visit today?”) ……..”The guides were excellent so much information”
12/7 – (When asked, “what did you like most about your visit today?”) ……. “Cassie (Tso) she was amazing and extremely knowledgeable! very personable”
12/9 – (When asked, “what did you like most about your visit today?”)…..”Tour with Emma (Sansone)! Fantastic!”
12/28 – (on visitor survey) “Our tour by guide Juan (Ozuna) was excellent”
1/4 – (When asked, “what did you like most about your visit today?”) …..”I did 3 tours, all excellent, Brandan (Benally) was especially excellent with his first hand Navajo commentary, great chicken walnut wrap, super courtyard, great weather; I’m glad you emphasize the beauty of Indian Culture and Art not just the tragic story of broken treaties; friendly and helpful staff and VOLUNTEERS!“
On or around the first week in December Dorothy Sullivan went to the P.T. Coe Elementary School for career day as a speaker’s bureau presenter. She thoroughly impressed the teachers and the students; so much so that I received a packet with 19 letters from each student; a letter from the student council and school counselor. Here are three very cute notes that she received.
“Dear Ms. Sullivan, Thank you for coming to P.T. Coe and teaching us of Apache, and Zuni, Katcinas, baskets and wool of sheeps. I enjoyed what you teach (taught) us about, I loved all of the things you teach us, I might go to the Heard Museum, I love museums so much, I loved everything you showed us! -from Naydeline”
“Dear Ms. Sullivan, Thank you for coming to P.T. Coe. Thank you for telling us what is a Katcina (Katsina) and for giving us information about what are baskets and (what they) are made of. Thank you for telling us what is a Zuni is. Thank you for reading us a story of Katcina. That story gave me a lot of information. I hope you come some day – Sincerely, Melissa”
“Dear Ms. Sullivan, Thank you for coming in our school. I liked when you showed us the Katcina and the pottery and the rug and the baskets, so thank you so much because you are the best. Sincerely, Ana”
It is great that as guides we all have the ability to plant the seed of interest in museums at such a young age! Good job everyone!
Happy Touring!
Shaliyah
Exhibit Schedule
Home: Native People in the Southwest – long term
We Are! Arizona’s First People – long term
Every Picture Tells a Story– long term
Remembering Our Boarding School Days – long term
Around the World – long-term
“Elegance from Earth: Hopi Pottery Families” – through June 2013
“Georgia O’Keeffe in New Mexico: Architechture, Katsinam, and the Land – through March 3, 2014
“Chocolate, Chili, and Cochineal: Changing Taste Around the World“ – through November 30, 2014
Heard North at the Summit
“Choices and Change: American Indian Artists in the Southwest” – long term
The Heard Museum, 2301 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004
Shaliyah Ben
Educational Programs and Outreach Coordinator
Heard Museum
2301 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
602.252.8840 l museum
602.251.0259 l direct