Moab Museum Features Community History & City Walking Tours by Moab Museum Staff |
A Navajo Churro sheep at Cunnington Farms pre-spring shearing. |
This June, the Moab Museum takes an extended dive into conversations about heritage breeds from May programming to the traditional application of animal fibers. Join us for a new exhibition opening on June 22nd and related programming, including a plethora of weaving demonstrations by skilled members of the Navajo Nation from July through November.
The People’s Tapestry: Weaving Tradition in Navajo Culture
The People’s Tapestry: Weaving Tradition in Navajo Culture will be on display at the Moab Museum beginning in mid-June with an opening reception for Members from 6 pm to 7:30 pm on Thursday, June 22nd. The exhibition features contributions from the Utah Division of Arts and Museums’ traveling exhibition, Weaving the Future. The People’s Tapestry celebrates the local Navajo community by highlighting the Tribe’s weaving tradition and features authentic storytelling as well as the spiritual roots of weaving, and highlights a deeply symbolic tradition that is still alive today.
Shearers are few and far between in Southeast Utah, and those who know the practice are highly sought after. Pictured here is a Navajo Churro sheep being shorn in the late winter of 2023. |
Portions of the exhibition will outline the deeply symbolic variation of rugs, blanket, and garment styles, the history embedded in the styles, and how weaving sustains the Navajo Nation culturally and economically today more than ever.
Anita Hathale Weaving Demonstration in July
On Thursday and Friday, July 13 and 14, from 10 am – 4 pm, master weaver, Anita Hathale will demonstrate her weaving technique in the Moab Museum’s South Gallery. Anita was born for the Water People Clan and to the Water Edge Clan and was raised in the traditional Navajo way. When Anita first began weaving, she sought guidance from her father who would perform a Beauty Way Ceremony for her with a “rainbow prayer.” Anita now weaves up to 11 and 12 hours a day and her style has evolved from traditional patterns to her own original motifs. Anita is unique from other weavers for her open designs – large areas of one color. Stop by the Museum to observe Hathale’s process and hear her speak about the significance of the art form.
Navajo Churro Sheep and Southwestern Textiles Presentation
Sam Cunningham, owner of Cunnington Farms in Spanish Valley, which is home to a number of heritage sheep breeds including the Navajo Churro, will be giving a presentation titled “The Legacy of Joe Ben Wheat: Internationally Renowned Archaeologist and Expert on Southwestern Textiles” on Friday, August 18th at the Moab Museum. Keep an eye out on the Moab Museum website and through social media for more details down the road.
To learn more about Museum membership, programs and exhibits, and to read the Museum’s blog and explore online archives and collections, please visit moabmuseum.org
118 East Center Street, Moab, UT • 435-259-7985
The Museum is pleased to announce a semi-permanent exhibition entitled Spirit & Grit, which has recently opened at the Dead Horse Point State Park visitor center. Spirit & Grit tells the story of settlers who pieced together a hardscrabble living in early Moab, from the 1870s onward. Visitors to Spirit & Grit experience a window into the lives of some of these early settlers through this immersive satellite exhibit. |
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Movie & Western Memorabilia Museum at Red Cliffs Lodge |
Red Cliffs Lodge, on the banks of the mighty Colorado River, is home to the Moab Museum of Film & Western Heritage. The lodge is built on the old George White Ranch, a key location for nine of the big westerns including Rio Grande, Cheyenne Autumn, Ten Who Dared, The Commancheros, and Rio Conchos. The late George White was founder of the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission, the longest ongoing film commission in the world.
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