EXHIBITS & LONG TERM EVENTS

See how two generations of acclaimed Hopi artists use their talents to express the imagery of their homeland and peoples through painting, sculpture and other media.

In two galleries: Crossroads and the Berlin Mezzanine.

Dan Namingha
Dan has been showing professionally as an artist for over forty years. His works command unwavering respect for the earth and spirit of his ancestry, the beautiful heritage that is the heart of his creativity. He is drawn to his roots, deeply embedded in ceremony yet allows us only a guarded glimpse of his sacred traditions; the spirit messengers, the kachinas representing blessings, ancestors and cloud people ... all of these forming the interim of visage between the physical and the spirit world.

Dan paints and sculpts the imagery of his homeland and his peoples, always with the integrity instilled in him by that depth of belief and love of spirit. Drawing and paintings was a natural part of Hopi childhood. It gave him a way to express his feelings about culture and environment, leading to a path of creative freedom. Dan feels that change and evolution are a continuum; socially, politically, and spiritually and that the future of our planet and membership of the human race must be monitored to insure survival in the spirit of cultural and technology diversity. He says that only then can we merge the positive and negative polarization and balance so necessary to the communal spirit of the universe.

On May 15, 2009, Dan Namingha received an Honorary Doctorate from the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Arlo Namingha

Arlo Namingha is primarily a sculptor. Studying both business and architecture, he decided to pursue his career as an artist. From his earliest carving of katsina dolls, he moved on to sculpture, working with a wide range of materials such as wood, stone and bronze. His work celebrates his background and the beauty of the land, its infinite forms and textures.

He has said, “Using the idea of design, form and movement, I minimize these literal images not to recreate them but to draw from them and my personal experiences.” Arlo has shown his work nationally and internationally, and his works are included in many museums and private collections, including those of U.S. embassies. Arlo chose to use the idea of time, change and cultural mythology to depict the exhibit theme of landscape, form and light.

Michael Namingha

Michael Namingha is a conceptual artist who studied at Parsons School of Design in New York City. He has studied with master artists John Baldessari, Fritz Scholder, Judy Pfaff and Manuel Neri. After spending 10 years in New York City, Michael moved back to his hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has had shows in the United States and Europe. In addition, he serves as an arts commissioner for the City of Santa Fe. Regarding the theme of this exhibit, Michael chose to represent a very contemporary landscape saying, “In this exhibit, my interpretation stems from the current state of the bleak American economic landscape.”

On display through January 27, 2013.

Most of the works on display in this exhibit are also offered on sale; visit the Berlin Gallery at the Heard Museum Shop for more information.