The Heard Museum is opening its new exhibit, “Georgia O’Keeffe in New Mexico: Architecture, Katsinam, and the Land,” on Sept. 28 to showcase the later works of O’Keeffe and the artifacts that inspired her paintings.
O’Keeffe (1887-1986) is an American modernist artist best known for her paintings of the landscapes and architecture in New Mexico.
This exhibit, located at the Heard Museum on 2301 N. Central Avenue, is focused on O’Keeffe’s depictions of katsina dolls and the landscapes of New Mexico that she painted later in her career.
Ann Marshall, the Heard Museum’s director of curation and education, said O’Keeffe’s depictions of katsina dolls are rarely displayed, giving the exhibit a unique glimpse into O’Keeffe’s works.
The Heard Museum added katsina dolls from its own collection and depictions of katsinas from Hopi artists into the exhibit.
Marshall said it was important and exciting to include Hopi works from the Heard’s collection in the exhibit.
“I like this exhibit because it gave me a chance to see some of O’Keeffe’s art that I was unfamiliar with and to bring out pieces from our own collection on the same topic,” Marshall said.
This presentation of O’Keeffe’s work was collected at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe and toured around the country before its final stop in Phoenix.
Cody Hartley, director of curatorial affairs at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, said this exhibit showcases pieces of O’Keeffe’s that are rarely displayed for public viewing.
“I hope people take advantage of these opportunities to see these works; many of them come from private collections and are not often seen,” Hartley said.
The Heard Museum is using katsina dolls from its own collection in the exhibit to show the type of pieces that inspired O’Keeffe.
Alph Secakuku, a Hopi art reviewer who writes for the publication “Following the Sun and Moon” for the Heard, worked as a consultant on the exhibit.
“I’m glad the museum chose me to help with this project because the Hopis have a strong katsina tradition, and I was able to give them correct information on the katsinas,” Secakuku said.
The Heard is using works and commentary by Hopi artist Ramona Sakiestewa and Tewa and Hopi artist Dan Namingha. Secakuku’s interpretations are also added.
Hartley said the Heard Museum is bringing a unique perspective to O’Keeffe’s work because they work so closely with the local Native American community.
“The Heard Museum is very uniquely equipped to house this exhibit; they bring a very interesting perspective and interpretation,” Hartley said. “Their collections of sacred Hopi objects bring an interesting perspective to O’Keeffe’s work.”
The exhibit is focused on O’Keeffe’s work dating from 1929 through 1953, when the majority of her work depicted architecture, landscapes and religious artifacts.
“By looking at her work, most people only see that she was fascinated with the landscape and not necessarily the people or the culture, but that’s not true,” Hartley said. “The show was a chance for us to gather pieces that showed her interest in the Spanish Catholicism, the Hispanic culture and the native populations as well.”
The exhibit will have a members-only opening reception on Sept. 27 from 6-8 p.m. and will open to the public on Sept. 28 during normal operating hours.
Throughout the exhibit’s run at Heard, the museum will host several different lectures and programs, including one with curator Carolyn Kastner of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
“I’m looking forward to hearing our visitors’ reactions to it. I hope they enjoy the exhibit as much as we’ve enjoyed working with it,” Marshall said.
Contact the reporter at cacoope6@asu.edu
