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westernartgirlVirginia Scharff on the New Visibility of Women . . . in the West and Elsewhere
When Virginia Scharff thinks about how women have figured in the history of the West and of this country, all she has to do is take a look at November’s elections. On the campaign trail and at the voting booth, women made themselves heard in a way they hadn’t for decades. “Women made a huge … Read more
“The Frybread Queen”: More Than a Handful of Recipes
In The Frybread Queen, playwright Carolyn Dunn, of Muskogee Creek and Cherokee descent, explores the competition that embeds itself in the relationships among women when there is a man in their midst — even when that man remains only a shared memory. A universal enough topic, but to Jane Lind and Kimberly Norris Guerrero, who … Read more
A New Year With New Art
If you venture to the Autry as Southern California dries out from all the recent rain and flooding, you might notice a brand new sculpture welcoming you as you head to the plaza. It’s The Conqueror, a monumental horse’s head cast in bronze in 2005 by the renowned Western artist George Carlson. The sculpture is … Read more
Shelley Morningsong Reclaims her Tribal Heritage
Shelley Morningsong, a Native American contemporary singer and flute player scheduled to perform at the Autry’s American Indian Arts Marketplace on Nov. 6 and 7, grew up in a musical family: her grandfather played the banjo, her grandmother taught piano, her mother played piano and accordion, and her uncle played the trumpet. But it took … Read more
So . . . Rug Mystery Solved!
Well, I took my mystery rug to trader Jackson Clark on Friday evening just before the Autry’s preview event for the Navajo rug silent auction, which by the way had an attendance of 165. Clark was nice enough, between hanging rugs and unfolding chairs, to take a look at my rug. His verdict, in a … Read more
The Many Brands of Today’s Country and Western Music
Before she went onstage for her WMA-sponsored show at the Autry last weekend, Juni Fisher, winner of the Western Music Association’s 2009 Female Performer of the Year award, chatted about how country and Western music has changed in recent years, even as the music business stayed the same. Fisher thinks of herself as both a … Read more
A Personal Navajo Rug Story
The Navajo/Diné rugs for Saturday’s auction are online, and they are breathtaking. You can take a look at them here. To bid on one or more of them, follow the link and the instructions. Meantime, I’ll tell you my rug story. Because doesn’t everybody have one? Several years ago, I lived in Arizona and was … Read more
Navajo Weaving: Celebrating a Disappearing Tradition
On Sunday, NPR featured a story about Lyle McNeal’s effort to save the Churro, a sheep breed sacred to the Navajo. McNeal, a professor of animal science at Utah State University, told how the work over 30 years expanded into an effort to save the weaving traditions and customs of the Navajo, who call themselves … Read more
Handle With Care: The Delicate Art and Science of Textile Conservation
Yadin Larochette shudders inside when she hears a client say an heirloom quilt needs a good washing. As a textile conservator, she knows that fragile antique fabrics, even silk and cotton, generally don’t fare well in the rinse cycle. “Sometimes, it may just need a vacuuming,” she said — noting that even vacuuming requires commercially … Read more
History of “Me” as Subject, Hobby and Obsession
In a three-part series that began Sunday in the Los Angeles Times, staff writer Joe Mozingo, a self-described “blue-eyed, surfing son of a dentist” from Dana Point, explores questions raised by possible evidence of black ancestry his own lineage. What initially raised his curiosity was his odd last name: Mozingo, which some interpreted as Italian, … Read more
