Telfair Museum of Art to Present Two Exhibitions of Native American Art

SAVANNAH, GA August 5, 2004 -- "These two exhibitions comprise the largest and most diverse array of Native American art ever assembled in Savannah," said the Telfair's Executive Director, Dr. Diane Lesko. "The broad spectrum of objects lends insight into the unique history and heritage of a variety of North America's native peoples, providing a unique look at the rich artistic legacy of Native American cultures."

From Apache to Zuni: Native American Objects from the Lowe Art Museum features the extensive, highly regarded Native American collection of the Lowe Art Museum of the University of Miami. It presents nearly 70 works drawn from Native American cultures throughout North America, ranging in date from 900 through the 1940s, with most pieces dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The largest selection of objects is from the Southwest and includes works by Pueblo, Navajo, Rio Grande, Zuni, Hopi, and Anasazi cultures. These items include magnificent colorful woven textiles such as blankets, serapes, mantas, and shirts; pottery objects such as jugs, bowls and pitchers; and jewelry, including belts, buckles, bracelets, and necklaces.

Works from the Southeast/Woodlands region, produced by the Iroquois, Ojibwa and Naskapi cultures, include masks, moccasins and vessels. From the Plains/Plateau region, pieces created by the Sioux, Apache and Cheyenne include vests, pipe bags and war bonnets. Work produced by the Western/Northwestern tribes, such as the Hupa, Tlingit and Aleut, include exquisite woven baskets, wooden totems and other carved objects.

Continuing Traditions: Native American Art of the Southwest from the Hanson Collection, a complement to the Lowe exhibition, showcases remarkable regional objects from the American Southwest collected over the past five decades by Stanley and Macie Hanson of Statesboro, Georgia. Dr. Hanson, a professor emeritus at Georgia Southern University, and his wife have traveled throughout the Southwest collecting fine Native American jewelry, textiles, baskets, paintings, and pottery, resulting in a significant local collection of largely contemporary Native American art.

Continuing Traditions includes notable Pueblo and Navajo pottery dating from the 1920s to the present; traditional and contemporary Navajo weavings; Pueblo paintings; outstanding pieces of hand-worked Pueblo and Navajo jewelry; and Apache, Hopi, Navajo, and Sioux baskets.

Organized by the Telfair, the exhibition is guest-curated by Savannah College of Art and Design professor Denise Smith. Dr. Smith earned a Ph.D. in art history from the University of New Mexico and has been a professor at SCAD since 1994. This is the first large-scale public exhibition from the Hanson's vast collection, and she has selected over 100 of the finest works for display.

In describing the exhibition, Holly Koons McCullough, the Telfair's curator of fine arts and exhibitions, said, "The Hanson collection presents a fascinating array of 20th-century Native American objects from the Southwest, including some remarkable jewelry and weavings. The Hansons have long resided in Statesboro, and the Telfair is pleased to display such a strong and varied collection from the local area."

Attention Media:
Slides or electronic images are available upon request for both exhibitions.

Please contact Tricia Huddas 912.232.1177 x 28




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