Online Exhibitions
Our online exhibitions give visitors a peek into our collections and associated materials through topics related to the School for Advanced Research’s mission.
Picuris Pueblo, also known as Pin, Wel, Tah (mountain pass place), is a Tiwa speaking Indigenous nation located in the hard-to-reach Sangre de Cristo mountains of northern New Mexico. The Picuris pots chosen for this exhibition are from the collection at the Indian Arts Research Center (IARC) at the School for Advanced Research (SAR). Because these pots are unpainted, the artistry of these pieces relies on form and structure. Despite there being very little documentation about Picuris, and about these pots, they still tell a rich story of perseverance. To understand Picuris Pueblo pottery is to understand a bit of its history.
This exhibition features some of the chemically treated Diné pieces within the collection. These textiles range in time period and utility. Guided by the perspectives of Diné weaver Venancio Aragon, along with insight from IARC collections manager Laura Elliff Cruz, the exhibition makes a small sample of what is present in the IARC textile collection virtually accessible, while discussing the legacies of colonial care in museum collections.
The Indian Arts Research Center at the School for Advanced Research has a collection of wedding vases that display this range of creativity. Spanning the 20th and 21st centuries, surveying the wedding vases’ shapes, designs, and adaptations within the collection provides a look into artists’ diverse choices to better understand Pueblo pottery and resiliency.
At the turn of the twentieth century, the joint success of the railroads and tourist marketing efforts transformed the American Southwest into an “exotic destination.”[1] In reality, visitors’ understandings were superficial and disconnected from Indigenous ways of knowing about the land and their cultures. This exhibition deconstructs the White Imagination by prioritizing Indigenous knowledge of landscapes through their interpretations of their land.
The sewing machine was invented during the First Industrial Revolution (1760-1840). The technology was brought to Native American communities and disseminated through Western assimilation practices, but also embraced by Native people for its ease in creating garments. This exhibit examines the impact of sewing machines within the world of Native American fashion.
Tucked inside the jewelry vaults of the Indian Arts Research Center is a stunning collection of Native American-made bolo ties. This exhibit highlights the creativity practiced by 20th century tribal artists working within the medium. Today, Native American artists continue to define, refine, and reimagine the Western aesthetic – one bolo tie at a time.
