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.

Wedding Vases

Creative Expression and Resilience within the IARC Collection

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.

View Wedding Vases here >

Reinventing the West

Southwestern Landscape from an Indigenous Perspective

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.

View Reinventing the West here >

A Story of Evolution

The Impact of the Sewing Machine in Native American Fashion

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.

View A Story of Evolution here >

The Western Aesthetic

Bolo Ties in the IARC Collection

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.

View The Western Aesthetic here >

Bursts of Light

Contemporary Glass at the Indian Arts Research Center

Among the many cultural artworks cared for by the Indian Arts Research Center is a growing collection of glass art. We are proud to introduce this collection and celebrate the artists who express their diverse cultural heritages in hot glass, carved glass, and glass beadwork.

View Bursts of Light here >

Pueblo embroidery today is the most viable and commonly practiced of all the Pueblo textile traditions, which date back more than a thousand years. Follow the history of this ancient technique through the present.

View We Dance With Them here >

San Felipe potters Daryl Candelaria, Gerren Candelaria, Hubert Candelario, Ray Garcia, Joseph Latoma, Geraldine Lovato, and Ricardo Ortiz gathered at the IARC several times to discuss the past, present, and future of pottery-making in their community. During these meetings, the potters grappled with various issues such as how to define pottery from San Felipe and what it means to be a potter from the Pueblo.

View Evolution in Clay here >

Familiar Webs

An Exploration of Collecting Practices at the Indian Arts Research Center and Beyond

Many factors influenced how Native American cultural materials have been collected in the last century. This exhibit explores the history of collecting, by both individuals and institutions, and examines changes in contemporary practice.

Trading Concepts

Re-Visions of Southwest Artistic Heritage

Trade and adaptation are universal concepts that have helped communities all over the world survive and grow throughout history. This exhibit focuses on these concepts and how it relates to the Southwestern United States.

Indians 4 Sale

Using Culture as a Commodity

Native American participation in the tourist industry extends over 100 years. This exhibit introduces you to two different regions of Native America and provides an overview of the ways in which various tribes capitalized on or were affected by tourist presence.

Winklil

The Human Body in Ancient Mayan Art

Winklil is the Yucatec Maya word for body. For this exhibit, winklil will be used to reference the human body and will be a means of exploring the rich and complex world of Mayan art.