This September, the Moab Museum invites you to explore the temporary exhibition currently on display, The People’s Tapestry: Weaving Tradition in Navajo Culture through a variety of programs.

About the exhibition: The Moab Museum is honored to present The People’s Tapestry: Weaving Tradition in Navajo Culture, a celebration of the magnificent weavings created by the Diné (which means “the people” in Navajo). Diné textiles reflect the concept of hózhóó, or balance and harmony, which is reflected in the primarily symmetrical designs. Balance and harmony bring beauty and a sense of well-being. The People’s Tapestry provides a space for storytelling by The People through weaving demonstrations and approximately 100 textiles displayed in the spirit of historic trading posts across the four corners region. More information can be found at https://moabmuseum.org/exhibition/the-peoples-tapestry/.

Museum admission is required to attend. Admission is always free for current Moab Museum Members. To become a Member today please visit: https://moabmuseum.org/become-member/

Weaving Demonstrations with Colleen Biakeddy
Colleen Biakeddy, a master weaver raised in Big Mountain, Arizona, will present “Raising Navajo Churro Sheep and Wool Processing” at the Moab Museum on Thursday, September 14 at 6:30 pm. Biakeddy shares her experience raising Navajo Churro sheep & work supporting shepherds, as well as traditional wool processing. Attendees will have the opportunity to see and feel Navajo Churro wool at different stages in processing.

Later that week, on Friday and Saturday, September 15 and 16 from 11 am – 2 pm each day, Biakeddy will demonstrate her weaving craft in the Museum South Gallery.

A member of the Navajo Nation, Biakeddy was “surrounded by relatives who wove and instilled the knowledge to weave.” She is Red Running Into Water Clan, and born to Water Flows Together Clan. As a weaver who raises her own sheep and goats for fiber, Biakeddy has been an active participant with Diné be’ iiná Inc., the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association, and was a founding member of the Navajo Churro Lamb Presidium.

Master Weaver Presentation and Demonstrations with Roy Kady
The Moab Museum is pleased to announce days of programming with master weaver, Roy Kady, from October 19-21, 2023, in conjunction with the current temporary exhibition on display at the Moab Museum, The People’s Tapestry: Weaving Tradition in Navajo Culture.

On Thursday, October 19, Kady will deliver a weaving demonstration in the Moab Museum’s South Gallery. Attendees will have the opportunity to observe the weaving process and ask questions between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Later that evening at 6:30 p.m., Kady will share his interpretation and perspective about the diverse array of Navajo textiles currently on exhibit at the Moab Museum in a guided Museum tour featuring nearly 100 stunning historic and contemporary textiles. Kady will speak about the significant weaving and stylistic differences of some of the rugs and blankets on display, connecting his experience with the exhibit.

At 6:30 p.m. on Friday, October 20, the public is invited to join Kady for an evening program all about the many facets of his weaving experience. His presentation will include a history of his work and a screening of the documentary A Gift from Talking God about Navajo-Churro Sheep raised by Roy Kady. The evening will conclude with a Q&A.

Finally, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kady will deliver a demonstration on the Moab Museum West Lawn on traditional natural wool dyeing. Kady will be preparing three dye baths using vegetal dyes with locally foraged plants and dyeing skeins of Navajo-Churro sheep wool. Attendees will learn how local plants become pigments and see the vibrant array of colors that can be made from vegetal dyes.

About Roy Kady: Roy Kady is a master weaver, who first learned weaving and sheep herding from his mother when growing up in Goat Spring, Arizona on the outskirts of Teec Nos Pos. He is renowned today for his masterful weaving and versatile designs: from traditional patterns to innovative pictorials. He has advocated for the continued vitality of flocks of Navajo Churro sheep through involvement with numerous organizations and has shared his passion and expertise for weaving through teaching and demonstrating both regionally and across the country.

Grand County Ghost Towns: Stories of Miner’s Basin, Cisco, and more.

1904 post card mailed to the now deserted ghost town of Miner’s Basin, UT in the La Sal Mountains.

Castleton

The Moab area is dotted with numerous ghost towns — communities that came into existence due to mining, ranching, and transportation needs, but later depopulated for a variety of factors. The Museum’s archives include a historic postcard that was delivered to the remote community of Miner’s Basin high in the La Sal Mountains in 1904. Join Museum staff to trace the postcard’s path through Grand County, while exploring the fascinating stories of several of the area’s ghost towns. Grand County Ghost Towns features stories from the towns of Cisco, Dewey, Richardson, Castleton, and Miner’s Basin.

Grand County Ghost Towns will take place in the Moab Museum’s South Gallery each Tuesday at 11 am beginning September 12 and concluding October 31. Each program will last between half an hour and 45 minutes.
Regular admission is required to attend. Moab Museum admission is always free for Members.

Last Call for Livestock Built This City: Agritourism Experience
Come experience the legacy of Agriculture in the city of “The Far Country.” Join Museum Staff for this 1-hour guided tour of Moab’s Historic Business District. During this 1-mile guided experience, guests will have the opportunity to learn, explore, and experience the legacy of some of the men and women who helped establish and build-up the City of Moab, Utah through their investments in the community and their civic leadership. Livestock Built This City is available by appointment only each Saturday from 10 am – 11 am, concluding on September 30. To reserve your ticket, email Stephan@moabmuseum.org five days in advance of the tour date.

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.

Each Tuesday from mid-September through the end of October, Museum staff will be offering an in-gallery program on Grand County ghost towns that will last for half an hour.

Moab Museum South Gallery and West Lawn, 118 E Center St., Moab, UT 84532 • info@moabmuseum.org • 435-259-7985

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.

In the museum one can learn more about film locations, how the sets are built, and how the filming process is managed on nature’s own sound stage. On display in the museum are production photographs, movie posters, autographed scripts, props from the many pictures filmed in the area, and displays about the western ranching heritage. For information, call Red Cliffs Lodge at 435-259-2002.

Through the magnificent landscapes of southeastern Utah, writers have been inspired and stories born here. Zane Grey, the famous western novelist, traveled through the area in 1912. His visit inspired him to write his book Riders of the Purple Sage. The book was made into a movie starring Ed Harris and Amy Madigan, and filmed on locations around Moab.