UA News

A free public opening celebration will be held Saturday.

The Arizona State Museum will hold an opening celebration for its newest exhibition, "Circles of Life: Katsina Imagery and Hopi Basketry," on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The exhibition, which runs until July 3, is free and open to the public. The opening celebration will include demonstrations, presentations, weaving activities and items for sale.

Demonstrations will include Hopi basket weavers Ruby Chimerica and Annetta (Nita) Koruh from Third Mesa and Hopi katsina carver Sherald Hoguim from First Mesa.

At 1:30 p.m., exhibit curators Judith and Andrew Finger will give an illustrated talk about historical Hopi baskets and at 2:15 p.m. scholarly collectors John Selmer and Barbara Goldeen will give an illustrated talk about contemporary Hopi baskets.

The traveling exhibition is curated by Andrew and Judith Finger and is housed at the Grace Hudson Museum and Sun House in Ukiah, Calif. The exhibit includes historic pieces from the Finger collection as well as contemporary examples from the John Selmer and Barbara Goldeen collection. The Arizona State Museum's own collection of Hopi baskets, katsina dolls and pottery augment the already impressive collection.

Those taking in the exhibition also will be treated to an overview of Hopi basketmaking traditions and will learn how to read and identify katsina iconography and also have the opportunity to weave a basket plaque. Teachers will earn one to three hours of professional development hours and receive a resource packet.

The exhibit is dedicated to the memory of the Arizona State Museum's late director, Hartman H. Lomawaima, and is funded by the generosity of Patricia Lowery and contributions made by others to the museum in his honor.