SPECIAL EXHIBIT
Spirit Beings in Wood: the Vibrant Tradition of Hopi Katsina Carvings,
1880 to Present
Curated by Barry Walsh, PhD.

This exhibit will range from focusing on late 19th Century putsqatihu (cradle katsinam) to the first Masters of the form (e.g. Tawaquaptewa, Otto Pentewa, Jimmie Kewanwytewa) to contemporary examples. Hopi katsinam have gone though many stylistic changes and developments over the past 150 years, yet the art form remains true to its spiritual foundations. Generally speaking, the forms can be referred to as Early and Late Traditional, Early and Late Action, Ultra-Realistic and Sculptural, and a return to Traditional. There have been many other subtle variations as well. All these styles are represented in this exhibition.

This showing will be accompanied by two talks by Barry Walsh. The first will be about notable carvers over time including Tawaquaptewa, Pentewa, Jimmie K., the Fredericks family, Jimmie Koots, the Honyouti family, Manfred Susunkewa, Walter Howato, Manuel Denet Chavarria, Makwesa Chimerica, and many others. The second talk will be about “Hopi Katsina Anomalies,” including very small and large katsinam, katsinam made from unusual materials such as corral wood, cloth, blown glass, and tufa carved silver. Also discussed will be women carvers, Route 66 carvings and unusual versions of cradle katsinam.

Note: This exhibit and related talks have been organized by a Pahaana (Anglo) specialist (Barry Walsh) who has consulted extensively over the years with Hopi friends and artist experts.