Craft Master Residency — March 11-18
Artist at work on a loom
Navajo weaving with Mary Redmustache Keahey and Navajo basket making with Betty Hawley
Navajo wool rugs and blankets are famous the world over for their vibrant patterns and intricate designs, as well as the depth of knowledge it takes to make them. Navajo baskets are equally complex art forms, filled with hidden meanings woven into their coils. Come meet Navajo master craftspersons Mary Keahey and Betty Hawley, who will be actively demonstrating their expertise at making rugs and baskets at the Gregg Museum March 11-18.
Whether it’s only for a brief visit, to gain greater appreciation for the Navajo rugs now on display at the museum, or a chance to spend hours each day for a week learning the rudiments of the techniques involved, we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to encounter two delightful Navajo artists plying their time-honored skills in a casual setting. Special arrangements can be made for groups and classes, too. All visits are free and open to anyone.
Mary Keahey and Betty Hawley are sisters, and live in northeastern Arizona on the Navajo Reservation, in sight of the iconic stone spires of Monument Valley. Both speak Navajo as well as English, and will be happy to answer questions about their current activities as well as other aspects of life in the high deserts of the American Southwest.
An artist making a basket
They will be weaving at the Gregg Museum Tuesday through Saturday 10 am -12pm and 1-4pm, Sundays 1-5pm. The Museum is closed Mondays.
In adjacent rooms are displays of Navajo silver and turquoise jewelry, Navajo weavings, Hopi katsinam, Apache basketry, Pueblo pottery and Northwest Coast masks, selected from the Gregg Museum’s Greenberg Collection of Native American Art.
