The Heard Museum presents The Art of Ceremony. American Indian Painting of the 20th Century, an exhibition on view through September 3, 2012.

Drawn from the paintings and prints of the Heard Museum and of the Albion P. and Lynne G. Fenderson collection, The Art of Ceremony: American Indian Painting of the 20th Century offers insight into Native artists’ visions of ceremonial life within their respective communities. Whether depicting richly detailed single figures or a complex gathering, artists from many different regions have attempted to convey the power and beauty of ceremonies that are central to their lives.

Delmar Boni (San Carlos Apache), b. 1948, “Ceremonial Cave,” 1984, oil on canvas, 24 x 36. Collection of Lynne and Albion Fenderson, IL2155.46.

“Many of the works were created by people who know the ceremonies intimately,” says Dr. Ann Marshall, vice president of curation and education at the Heard. “For example, looking at the regalia depicted by Tonita Peña in her work ‘Animal Dancers,’ it is clear that she knew exactly and in detail how each figure should be clothed. She was a remarkable artist, and the only Pueblo woman painting ceremonial subjects in the early decades of the 1900s.” Art historian Dr. Jerry Brodie noted that Peña maintained this documentary and realistic style throughout her career.

Apache artist Delmar Boni captures the essence of the Ga’an, who are the spiritual ancestors of the Western Apache people. In his 1984 work “Ceremonial Cave,” Boni richly delineates the story related by Apache elders about the Ga’an’s role of watching over the Apache. Each group of Ga’an or Crown Dancers is composed of five dancers: four dancers who represent the four sacred directions, and a messenger who communicates with them. Each group is based in a particular area and has its own cave. The dog also plays a central role in the tale of how a young boy became one of the Spirit People, the Ga’an.

Although many pieces in the exhibit are from the Southwest and Plains, the exhibit will include artworks from other regions of the United States and Canada as well as work by Nicolás Reanda Quieju, a Tzutujil-Maya artist from Guatemala, whose work the Fendersons collected. – www.heard.org/

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