Many Colored Weaves
An Exhibition of Navajo Textiles from the Collection of the Museum of Northern Arizona
 Schedule of Activities
Exhibition open to the public
June 14 - August 10, 2008
Members' only Preview Reception
Friday, June 13, 6-8pm
Navajo legend tells the story of humankind’s progression through successive worlds. Each world previous to the current one was associated with a particular color. The current world, on the other hand, which is variously known as the “glittering,” “sparkling,” or “many-colored world,” is associated with a multitude of hues. The Navajo weaver’s art reflects the multi-colored aspect of this environment.
Flagstaff Cultural Partners and the Museum of Northern Arizona have joined forces to present a new exhibition at the Coconino Center for the Arts this Summer. Many Colored Weaves, which features selections from MNA’s collection of Navajo textiles, will be open to the public from June 14 through August 9, 2008.
Navajo weaving is a holistic practice that brings together the many-colored strands of life to create beauty. The individual weaving stands as a concrete expression of the interconnectedness—the interwoven nature and harmonious relationship—of the diverse elements of the world. In this exhibition, Navajo weavers share their reflections on the processes and practices of weaving and how they are meaningful to them.
 Many Colored Weaves will feature 30-40 textiles from both the early and late twentieth century. The textiles will be representative of the various regions producing quality works during the period.
The Navajo weaver brings beauty into the world, providing a model of right behavior and right relationship to the environment. Like the culture heroes of Navajo legend, whose tales are told in healing ceremonies and traditional chants, her artistic practice constitutes a journey of discovery through which she both explores and demonstrates the harmony-generating potential, the healing capacity, of the plants and animals that populate this world. The knowledge that sustains her practice requires a nuanced understanding of the physical world that allows her to produce objects of beauty and affords her the opportunity to serve as a model of the individual’s proper place in the world.
Traditionally, the Navajo weaver gained her dyes from plants in her immediate environment. Many of these were the same plants as those used in healing ceremonies. She gained her wool from her own or other family members’ sheep, animals that were seen as gifts from the holy people, provided to them for their spiritual and physical sustenance.
With the advent of a Euro-American market for Navajo textiles, weavers turned to artificial dyes and commercial wools. While this increased output and made weavings more affordable, thus engendering a wider market for them, the intimate connection of the weaver to her environment was compromised in important ways. The quality of her product—many believe—diminished, as well.
A number of efforts have been mounted over the past 75 to 80 years to revive the use of natural dyes in Navajo weaving. Sometimes motivated by a desire to improve the quality—and thus marketability—of Navajo weaving and other times by a wish to restore a right relationship of the weaver to her physical and cultural environment, these efforts have enjoyed varied degrees of success. This exhibition examines the history of these efforts, providing examples of weavings produced.
For more information, contact us at (928) 779-2300.
For information about the Navajo Rug Auction, click here.
Also visit the Museum of Northern Arizona website.
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