In collaboration with the National Museum of Ethnology in Minpaku, Japan, Located in the American Indian Student Center (April 2019-February 2019). Living in Sacred Continuum presented the works of five contemporary Hopi artists alongside and in conversation with Mimbres pottery created over 1000 years ago. The collaborative research between artists, the New Mexico State University (NMSU) Museum and the National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku, Japan) centered on listening to and sharing stories inspired by creations embedded within Mimbres pottery designs. Recognition of the complexities of sharing knowledge and culture remains a consideration and has informed the creation of this exhibition.
The important work that supported this exhibition reflects significant conversation surrounding the understanding of meanings embedded within Mimbres vessels, and their contemporary placement. The time period between 1000 and 1150 CE is considered to be the peak of the Mimbres culture; the Indigenous people from this land created spectacular pottery and constructed cobble-adobe above ground architectural features located in what is now the Gila Forest in southwest area of New Mexico.
Living in Sacred Continuum and planned workshops with each of the artists represents a wider museum effort, the Info-Forum Museum, focused on the promotion and documentation of Native American culture in the American Southwest. The resulting database of archaeological and anthropological will be shared globally through Minpaku, Japan.
Five artists from Hopi pueblo have participated in the Mimbres Pottery Design Workshop coordinated by Drs. Ito Atsunori at Minpaku, and Fumiyasu Arakawa at the University Museum of NMSU. The resulting research contributes to the Descendent Community methodology that Minpaku began using in recent years, Through this methodological approach the represented artists participated in the review of over 20 Mimbres vessels at the NMSU University Museum and the Geronimo Spring Museum located in Truth or Consequences, NM.
Native artistic creations and voices presented this exhibition – participating in the continuum and preservation of cultural heritage within museum collections and exhibitions.
The exhibition consisted of five original Mimbres vessels from both our collection and a loan from Geronimo Springs Museum collection, as well as eight commissioned artworks from our Hopi artists collaborators. Since there are currently ethical dilemmas when considering traditional Mimbres pottery for display, our mission to reconsider contemporary Mimbres inspired artworks, which gives living Indigenous artists a voice and recognition, for display makes for new decolonizing methodologies within museums and curation of exhibitions. The contemporary inspired Mimbres artworks that are now a part of the NMSU University Museum collection, will soon be traveling for an exhibition in 2021 at the Amarind Museum in Dragoon, Arizona.