Stamford Museum To Host Exhibit Of Art By Native American Women

STAMFORD, Conn. -- Stamford residents are invited to meet the Native American women who transformed everyday objects into works of art.

The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is set to host an exhibit featuring artistic work from Native American women.
Photo Credit: *Courtesy The Stamford Museum & Nature Center*

by Nathan Bruttell

09/18/2013 4:30 a.m.

The Art of Native American women and the photographs of Edward S. Curtis will be available for viewing beginning with an opening reception Friday at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center. The exhibit runs from Sept. 21 to Dec. 1.

"See how natural resources were combined with trade goods to produce extraordinary works of art during the dramatic cultural and economic changes at the turn of the last century," museum representatives said in a press release. "Their works, all from the Stamford Museum & Nature Center's permanent collection, are being paired in this unprecedented exhibition with the iconic photographs of Edward S. Curtis, who captured the last vestiges of traditional Native American culture in the western United States."

The exhibition offers a "palpable connection between object and artist and provides a powerful opportunity to experience the Native American message of beauty, heart, and spirit," according to the release.

Noted Native American artists from Alaska to Arizona whose works are on display include Sally, a Wasco basket maker whose corn-husk creations were copied, but never duplicated; Maria Martinez, a Tewa/Tano potter who revived and protected the ancient secret of creating jet-black pottery; Scees Bryant Possock, a Washoe basket artist and sister-in-law of Louisa Keyser (Dat-so-la-lee), and Joseppa, master of the Pomo miniature basket, according to the release.

Residents viewing the exhibit can learn why there are no photographs from Connecticut, how the environment can shape art, and how Native people utilized and respected their environment, according to the release.

This exhibition is being co-curated by Christopher Cardozo, of Cardozo Fine Art, author of Edward S. Curtis: The Women and editor of Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian.

The Members' Preview & Opening Reception is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday. Residents are asked to RSVP by Sept. 18 at rsvp@stamfordmuseum.org or 203-977-6521. The exhibit opens to the public on Saturday.

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