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Baskets
- 1. Baskets
  2. Miniature Baskets
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- Basketry is probably the oldest and most wide-spread craft and art developed by the American Indians. Baskets can be made from many kinds of materials, but generally plant stems, either whole or split, are used. In some cases the stems or stalks are peeled for the bark or interior fibers, or root fibers and leaves and grass stems are used. Baskets can be woven out of almost anything, but it requires great skill and much knowledge. The roots, stems, bark, leaves and flowers of different plants produce the broad range of colors in most baskets. Identical plant materials gathered in different seasons may produce different colors. Some basketmakers used commercial dyes to obtain colors not available from plants or to alter or intensify the effects produced by vegetal material. But most basketmakers today prefer to produce their colors in traditional ways or experiment with plants near their homes. Basketmakers must be knowledgeable about which plants in their area are suitable for the kind of baskets the maker intends to create and the colors desired: where they grow, their special properties, the best season to gather them, and how they must be processed and stored. This kind of knowledge is passed down from one generation to the next.
Books & More
Fine Art
Jewelry
Kachina Dolls
- 1. Traditional Dolls
  2. Contemporary Dolls
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- Katsina dolls, or kachina dolls as many people know them, are representations of the Katsina spirits. The carved figures are given as ceremonial gifts to young girls by the Katsinam. Each gift represents a prayer wish for good health, growth and fertility. The figures are carved from cottonwood roots with knife and rasp. Carvers fashion simpler dolls from several pieces fit together with tiny wooden pegs. Each doll is painted and decorated to accurately depict important features of a specific Katsina.
  
  Since the mid-20th century, these carvings have developed as an impressive art form, with known carvers working in several general styles. Some carvings exhibit traditional, stylized forms, while others reflect a modern trend toward more active, lifelike figures. Innovative sculptural forms and multiple-figure tableaus are the most recent trends. Few American Indian arts appeal so powerfully to both the eye and the imagination as these unique creations by Hopi carvers.
Membership
Misc
Navajo Folk Art
Navajo Textiles
- Navajo textiles have been a popular collectible item for more than 200 years, when other Indian people, as well as the Spanish, sought them as prized possessions. In the early 1900s, traders encouraged weavers to create regional designs with distinctive patterns and colors, including using commercially dyed wool and other materials. Many of these styles, or variations on them, continue today.
Pottery
- Linked to an agricultural lifestyle, pottery is an art form most utilized by tribes of the American Southwest. Pueblo cultures adapted the soils of their environments, creating beautiful vessels meant to serve utilitarian purposes. Despite the everyday intention of their creations, American Indian potters took great pride in their work. Pottery artists today combine traditional and contemporary techniques, methods and designs, often creating stunning pieces of artwork.
Zuni Fetish Carvings
Yosemite Exhibition
New Collections
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Membership

Membership

Heard Museum members are a vital part of our vision for the future. Members provide the financial support and strength in upholding our mission to educate the public about the heritage and living cultures and art of Native peoples. The Heard is a living museum - giving voice to a uniquely American people.

All Members Receive These Basic Benefits for One Full Year:

Unlimited free admission to the museum
10% discount in the Heard Museum Shops and in the Cafe @ the Heard
20% discount at the museum shops during our member sales
New Member tour (offered to first-year members)
Invitations to members-only exhibition previews and receptions
Advance ticket purchase for the annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest
Advance ticket purchase and discount to the annual Guild Indian Fair & Market and other museum festivals
Early entry to the Guild Indian Fair and Market
Eligibility to join museum volunteer organizations
Tax deduction (Based on gift amount and monetary value of benefits received. Option to decline benefits for full tax deduction.)

American Indians receive a 50% discount on memberships starting at $60 up to $500.
(To qualify, the primary membership cardholder must provide proof of enrollment with a recognized Native community)

Click on the options below to learn more about our member levels and benefits.

Individual Membership

Item #MEM01

$60.00
Dual Membership

Item #251123088

$75.00
Family Membership

Item #MEM02

$100.00
Supporter Membership

Item #MEM50

$250.00
Patron Membership

Item #MEM03

$500.00

Membership

Individual Membership

Dual Membership

Family Membership

Supporter Membership

Patron Membership