Sunday, January 22, 2012

The Heard Museum - Phoenix

Let's take a little trip to downtown Phoenix, but let's not drive......way to much traffic. So, walk, bike, helicopter????? No, let's take the Metro Light Rail, a modern and up scale trolley. It runs from close to where we are staying right through the heart of Phoenix, it even passes by the airport and through the campus of Arizona State University.

So, what should the destination be???? How about the Heard Museum. And there is a stop right outside the entrance!!!!

Founded in 1929 by Dwight and Maie Bartlett Heard, the small museum has grown and become recognized internationally for the quality of its collections. It is more an art than history museum and showcases Indian art and artists from the Southwest.

Hand woven rugs, baskets, and clothing are on display everywhere and extreme in detail and appeal.

The pottery is all beautiful and most items in the museum are made traditionally, that is laid up entirely by hand without the benefit of a potter's wheel. Don't miss the modern painting on the wall behind the pottery.

The jewelry is amazing, with most of the items on display being large pieces. There is a gift shop at the entry/exit to the museum with many pieces from the artist on display in the museum for sale. I saw one jewelry piece in the shop for $37,000.

There are a lot of contemporary and modern paintings.......

as well as many forms of sculpture.

There is even a display of Navajo Bola Ties. Wait, they are a symbol of the Southwest, Arizona's official state neckwear, and they often feature Indian art in the slide, but they aren't truly Indian. Their roots (pun intended) are most probably from a somewhat similar adornment made of hair and worn by Indian women.

Click here to see more about>>>>>>>> Bola Ties
Click here to see more about>>>>>>>> The Heard Museum