Native American Museum Essays - 1584 Words

George Gustav Heye Center - The Smithsonians National Museum of the American Indian is a fascinating building at the Bowling Green area of Lower Manhattan. It’s close to Battery Park that displays an elegant view of the water. You can see ferries floating by headed towards Staten Island, since South Ferry Terminal is nearby. It allows you to appreciate the hidden gems of the city located in the outskirts Manhattan. One of those very treasures is the museum mentioned previously. The Museum of the American Indian is directly in front of the Bowling Green Park with a water fountain at the center. From the park view you can see the front of the museum. It has stone steps with statues on the sides. Walking in to the museum up the grand†¦show more content†¦Time Exposures: Picturing a History of Isleta Pueblo in the 19th Century exhibit was reflected everything that was covered in anthropology class, such as the influence of imperialism taking over Native American culture and society. â€Å"This exhibition, organized by the Pueblo of Isleta, tells the story of life on the Isleta Indian Reservation in the 19th century and its lasting effects on life today.† The Smithsonian press release explain that â€Å"In 1881, the railroad companies forcibly took land in the center of Isleta Pueblo in the Rio Grande Valley and the rail lines built there brought scores of tourists.† Overall, the Time Exposures portray the Isleta Pueblo Native American l ives before the arrival of other visitors. Furthermore, the changes imposed on the Natives in the subsequent years, along with the ways in which the people of Isleta Pueblo attempted to preserve their way of life. â€Å"’Time Exposures’ is divided into three parts. In the first section, the cycle of the Isleta traditional year as it was observed in the mid-19th century is detailed. The second section describes the arrival of the Americans and the how this disrupted the Isleta way of living. In the third section, the exhibit examines the photos themselves as products of an outside culture. While exploring the underlying ideas and values of the photos, the exhibition questions their portrayal of Isleta people and ways.† In this exhibition,Show MoreRelated Symbols of the Hopi Pottery Essay1995 Words   |  8 Pagespreserving and developing traditional symbols and innovating designs in response to changes in and challenges to their culture. In the beginning, symbolism was used for a means of communication. The reason for this was because during this time most Native American’s were Illiterate. Instead of using letter’s in the alphabet, as we do today , they used pictures (Douglas 42). This came to become what we call symbolism. With a piece of pottery to paint, the Hopi potter uses his/hers artistic abilityRead MoreThe Denver Art Museum Architecture1690 Words   |  7 Pages The Denver art Museum, a very strange looking building at first sight. Well I guess the question to ask is strange to what? Because everything is relative. So the Denver art museum architecture is very different relative to the buildings around it. To me it looks like an explosion of shapes, Boxes and triangles and wedge shaped objects flying from the center of creativity. As said earlier the architecture is strange or vastly different relative to the buildings around it, but when you push yourRead MoreSeminar On Art Theory Themes Throughout Contemporary Art1221 Words   |  5 PagesArt Dr. Laura Myers Native Artists, Identity Defined and Redefined. Luiseno Native artist James Luna’s performance of, The Artifact Piece (1987) confronts anthropological museums in their post-colonial precepts of the Indian â€Å"other†. In the performance of The Artifact Piece, Luna shares with the viewer that he himself is a living human artifact. Bringing into question why institutions as such continue to perpetuate and objectify Native Indigenous people as extinct artifacts,Read MoreEssay on Northwest Coast Tribal Art1361 Words   |  6 Pagesculture, specific to the Kwakiutl tribe. A transformation mask is a large mask with hinged shutters that, when open, reveal another mask. Audrey and Alan Bleviss gave this mask to the Montclair Art Museum in 2005. The medium consists of red cedar, cedar bark, copper, pigment, and string. In the Montclair Art Museum, the mask is displayed in its open form. The inside of the mask shows a man sitting with his legs bent in front of him while his arms are open and stretched to his sides. His facial featuresRead MoreNative Americans Talk Back And Looking Towards The Future923 Words   |  4 PagesNative Americans Talk Back and Looking Towards the Future The interpretation and appropriation of culture within museums came under attack starting in the 1960’s. Native American groups raised questions about the biases and agendas of curators and museums and demanded that their voices be heard in the political arena. Many Native American organizations argued that if Whites are the ones interpreting and appropriating other cultures, then it is actually their culture on exhibition.(King 1998: 96,Read MoreThe Museum Of The American Indian897 Words   |  4 Pages Museums serve as a way to connect with the public on a large scale, and the knowledge held within exhibits can be a fruitful experience for those who choose to visit these institutions. Experiencing all that a museum has to offer, no matter how well intentioned, can at times be confusing and overwhelming to the individuals visiting the site. The Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian dedicates itself to Native Americans in North and South America, and worked tir elessly with varying tribesRead MoreA country, a region, a belief, people will proud of the truth will always stand the test of time.1400 Words   |  6 PagesNational Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) opened to the public. The foundation which was established in 1916, in New York City, The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian located on a symbolically significant site on the National Mall, next to the U.S. Capitol, and it is in a very grand building. I went to this museum twice, and I think this museum is a very special museum, I think it is not a typical history or anthropology museum, but it is a developing mature museum close toRead MoreNative American Art And The American Culture1252 Words   |  6 PagesNative american culture is packed with many different things. In this paper I will be writing about what I researched and found about Native American art. Native American art is made up of many different forms and techniques. It plays an important role in what makes up native American culture and tradition, some of which is still around today,. In Native American’s daily life was simply not possible without the arts, there are many different types and forms, some common types include painting, basketRead MoreOriginal Writing : The 250000 Square1738 Words   |  7 Pageseastern lowland landscape amid numerous water features. Special design elements of the museum, such as an east-facing entrance, a prism window, and the 120-foot high Potomac Atrium dome and skylight devoted to contemporary Native performances, reflect distinctly Native perspectives and are a direct result of extensive consultations with Native communities. The theme of organic flow is reflected by the interior of the museum, whose walls are mostly curving surfaces, with almost no sharp corners. The buildingRead MoreThe Mitchell Museum Of The American Indian Essay1514 Words   |  7 PagesThe Mitchell Museum of the American Indian is located at 3001 Central Street in Evanston, Illinois. The museum’s main purpose is not only to educate the public about American Indians, but also to â€Å"deconstruct stereotypes† and give tribal members something along the lines of a safe place where they are welcome to embrace their ethnicity. One factor that showcases the information I previously stated is the fact that tribal members have free admission into the museum. Another way the museum salutes the