Artistry of Hopi

Iva Honyestewa, 2014 Eric and Barbara Dobkin Fellow. Photograph by William Geoghegan.

Artistry of Hopi

October 26-29, 2018

Cost per person:
Double Occupancy – $1,470 (Includes a $100 tax-deductible donation to SAR)
Single Occupancy – $1,655 (includes a $100 tax-deductible donation to SAR)

Study Leader: Bertram “Tsaava” Tsavadawa

Across three decades the IARC has hosted seventy-five Native American artists within its annual fellowship programs. Seven of these artists have come from Hopi; this trip offers a rare opportunity to peek into the working studios of three former Hopi artist fellows and see the direct impact of the IARC fellowship on their current work.

On this trip, we will see a variety of Hopi art forms. We will learn not only about how the artists create their work, but also how they are involved with their community. We will visit with Ramson Lomatewama (2005 SAR King fellow, Hopi glass and katsina artist) and Iva Honyestewa (SAR 2014 Dobkin fellow and Hopi basketweaver and figure artist) in their studios.

The ceremonial calendar is rich and full at Hopi. If we are fortunate during our visit, we may have the opportunity to witness the Basket Dance. Our Hopi guide will share the history of the Basket Dance and connect us with many of these outstanding artists.

Additional stops will be a visit to the Hubble Trading Post and a private tour of the Tawaaki petroglyph panel. Taawaki (Dawa Park) contains over 15,000 petroglyphs dating from 500 BCE to 1300 CE. This sacred site can only be visited with a Hopi certified guide and contains seventeen solar calendars.

Bertram “Tsaava” Tsavadawa, Photo courtesy of Bertram Walker

Bertram “Tsaava” Tsavadawa’s birth name is Bertram Walker, and he is Hopi/Hualapai/Havasupai. He will guide you on an exclusive tour of Old Oraibi village, Daawa Petroglyphs site, and Walpi village. He will also give a lecture on Hopi ancestry, history, and present-day understandings.

Tsavadawa is from Old Oraibi village and is a member of the Piikyas Corn Clan. Upon graduating from high school, he attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM, where he majored in museum studies. In 1991, he participated in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., for two weeks, earning him recognition in the 2000 Outstanding Artist & Designers of the 20th Century from the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England. Tsavadawa was a participant in the Katsina Carvers Convocation, hosted by SAR in 2004, which explored contemporary issues in Hopi katsina carving. Two of his carvings are housed in the Indian Arts Research Center collection.

Activity Level: Moderate

Includes: Entry and guide at the Hubble Trading Post; overnights at Hopi Cultural Center (HCC); visits to the Old Oraibi village, artist studios, and the Dawa Park; two lunches and a traditional Hopi meal; transportation, gratuities, and water on the bus.