In a virtual and screen-obsessed world, get hands-on and learn how to harvest and make clay, then create the beautiful ollas used by the Cahuilla people of Southern California to store food and water.
Learn the art of weaving from master Navajo weavers Barbara Teller Ornelas and Lynda Teller Pete, originally from Two Grey Hills and Newcomb, NM. While instructing and demonstrating, sisters Barbara and Lynda will share their family’s personal weaving stories and experiences, giving you a view into the world of Navajo weaving.
Porcupine quill embroidery is a true American art form. Long before glass beads from Europe were exported and traded in the Americas, many natural materials were used for the adornment of traditional regalia. In this workshop, you will engage in the entire process of quillwork. Join us as we experience the quill art process, from extracting quills from a pelt to cleaning to applying them as an embroidery fiber. You will create your own smoked, brain-tanned deerskin drawstring pouch with embroidered quill adornment.
Explore Indigenous ingenuity and learn how to cast jewelry utilizing compressed white volcanic ash called Tufa stone. Hopi jeweler and artist Roy Talahaftewa will lead you in a one-week session exploring and using a variety of Tufa stone found specifically in the southwest. Tufa casting is a labor-intensive process involving many steps, but the reward of creating a truly unique piece, never to be duplicated again, will leave you and your work with a lasting imprint and insight into a special technique in Hopi silversmithing.
