Department Of Interior

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Office of the Secretary
Anne James:
For Immediate Release: September 23, 2003
202-208-4659

Continuation of the Arts through the Generations
Indian Craft Exhibit Opens at Interior Museum

Traditional and modern Indian artistry are featured in Continuation of the Arts through the Generations, a new exhibit at the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum.

Highlighting the show are pottery by Marie and Julian Martinez, and Fannie Nampeyo, a Dakota beaded vest featuring flag designs, and baskets decorated with woodpecker feathers and glass beads made by Pomo Indians.

The exhibit, which runs through Sept. 30, 2004, celebrates the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Indian Craft Shop at the Department of the Interior.

Historic and contemporary objects from four cultural areas of American Indian nations (Plains, Southwest, Northwest Coast and California) are paired with 1930s-era metal silhouettes depicting scenes from those regional tribes. The silhouettes, custom designed for the Interior Museum, have been a hallmark of its distinctive Art Deco style.

A Plains cradleboard or baby carrier decorated with colorful seed beads in symmetrical geometric patterns is exhibited adjacent to the Plains silhouette depicting people gathered by tipis as men depart to hunt buffalo and deer. A woman is shown on horseback, carrying her child in a cradleboard that she wears on her back. The cradleboard was donated to the Interior Museum in 1951.

Dude Boot, a whimsical contemporary object loaned by the Indian Craft Shop, was carved in the 1990s by artist George Blake of the Hupa Valley Tribe from an elk's antler. Dude Boot and other contemporary objects on display show that over the past 65 years, American Indian culture has survived, adapted to changing times, and continued through the generations.

The Interior Museum is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except for Federal holidays) and the third Saturday of each month from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Adult visitors must present a form of photo identification (such as a driver's license, student ID, or employment card) when entering the Main Interior Building which is at 1849 C Street, N.W., in Washington, D.C. Wheelchair access is available at the 18th and E Streets entrance. For more information, call 208-4743.


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