2013 Indian Arts Research Center Speaker Series

Ethics, Aesthetics, and Preservation of the Arts

The Indian Arts Research Center at the School for Advanced Research and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture are pleased to announce the 2013 IARC Speaker Series, Ethics, Aesthetics, and Preservation of the Arts. This speaker series is geared toward individuals and institutions interested in collecting and working with cultural materials. Over the course of several months, speakers will delve into the various legal and ethical issues surrounding art collecting and preservation, and offer some best practice guidelines.

Talks will be held at the host institutions, the School for Advanced Research and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe. Please see specific events for locations.

This series is open and FREE to the public. These are brown bag lunch events, so please feel free to bring a meal with you to the lectures. Reservations can be made by calling (505) 954-7205 or e-mailing iarc[at]sarsf.org.

Download a flier of the 2013 Indian Arts Research Center Speaker Series (PDF, 2 MB)

Past 2013 Speaker Presentations
	Speaker Series Thursday, May 23, 2013, 12:00–1:00 pm, Free Admiration/Appropriation: Native Art Globalized Adrienne Keene, EdD candidate, Harvard University; blogger, Native Appropriations Fascination with Native cultures and aesthetics has become increasingly globalized over the last century. Most recently, appropriations of Navajo designs have prompted the tribal government to issue cease and desist letters to an American fashion-forward retailer. When does admiration cross the line into appropriation?
	Speaker Series Thursday, May 9, 2013, 12:00–1:00 pm, Free The Museums’ Dilemma: Culturally Appropriate Conservation Kelly McHugh, Objects Conservator, National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution Many indigenous communities have differing ideas about the concepts of preservation and conservation, which often contradict typical museum practices. How does one balance museological best practices with cultural worldviews?
	Speaker Series Thursday, April 25, 2013, 12:00–1:00 pm, Free Consultations: Providing Interpretation and Guidance for Collections Jim Enote, Director, A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, Director, Hopi Cultural Preservation Office Gary Roybal, Native American Liaison, Bandelier National Monument Cynthia Chavez Lamar (Moderator), IARC Director, School for Advanced Research Native community representatives often work with museums to improve collections records and bring information back to the tribe. How do tribal representatives determine what information can be shared with the public and at what level? Where is the line between what should be kept internal versus made public—even in limited amounts—for the sake of preservation?
	Speaker Series Thursday, April 11, 2013, 12:00–1:00 pm, Free Tribal Archives: Ethics and the Right to Access Peter Chestnut, Attorney, Chestnut Law Offices, P.A., Albuquerque Attorney Peter Chestnut talks about various issues and concerns that have impacted tribal archives and how these institutions and communities have solved or negotiated through these issues.
	Speaker Series Thursday, March 28, 2013, 12:00–1:00 pm, Free Is It Native American Art?: Authenticity and Self-determination Lara Evans, Art Historian, Art History Faculty, Institute of American Indian Arts In the summer of 2012, the Southwest Association for Indian Arts hosted a lecture series on the topics of quality and authenticity. Speaker Series consultant Lara Evans presents the outcomes of these discussions and addresses the questions of who gets to decide what is “authentic,” and how Native self-determination plays into these issues.
	Speaker Series Thursday, March 14, 2013, 12:00–1:00 pm, Free Archaeology in the Southwest: To Collect or Not? T.J. Ferguson, Archaeologist and Professor, School of Anthropology, University of Arizona Don Whyte, Chief Ranger, Chaco Culture National Historical Park Elysia Poon (Moderator), IARC program coordinator, School for Advanced Research Did you know it is illegal to collect pottery sherds and stone tools from public lands? Noted Southwest archaeologist T.J. Ferguson and Chaco Culture National Historical Park Chief Ranger Don Whyte discuss how to navigate the legalities surrounding archaeology in the Southwest and whether or not there is a way to be a responsible collector.

2012 Indian Arts Research Center Speaker SeriesThe 2012 theme “Thinking Ahead: The Preservation, Protection, and Support of Artists’ Legacies” was geared towards artists and museum professionals who needed to know more about estate planning, artist rights, funding opportunities, and documentation of artists’ work.

2010–2011 Indian Arts Research Center Speaker SeriesThe 2010–2011 theme “Getting Back to Basics: Practice and Process in Native Collections Care” emphasized the need for practical application training in working with tribal collections.

2009–2010 Indian Arts Research Center Speaker SeriesThe 2009–2010 theme “Intersections: Native Collections, Curation, and Museums” highlighted important topics relevant to current issues and discussions in contemporary Native arts, anthropology of museums, research, and Native collections.

Sponsored by Anne Ray Charitable Trust