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Knoxville McClung Museum announces Pueblo pottery exhibition

Knoxville McClung Museum at the University of Tennessee presents PUEBLO TO PUEBLO: THE LEGACY OF SOUTHWEST INDIAN POTTERY an exhibition on view September 8, 2013–January 5, 2014.

Jar, Hopi Pueblo, 1890–1900 Nampeyo (1860–1942).
Jar, Hopi Pueblo, 1890–1900 Nampeyo (1860–1942).

Pueblo pottery of the Southwest is one of the most beautiful and enduring artistic traditions in all of Native North America. It is a tradition rich with history—not only as an expression of cultural identity, but also to serve as a reflection of the relationship between Pueblo peoples and the influences from outside their own community. Today, there are about twenty pueblos with a total population in excess of 50,000. It is a practice flexible enough to adapt as necessary over time, while still adhering to established social norms.

Pottery-making in the American Southwest is a tradition that first emerged about two thousand years ago. Historically, it was a functional art form, passed from generation to generation over the span of centuries by people living in permanent villages known as pueblos. The pottery of each pueblo was unique and distinguished by a variety of characteristics, such as the individual clay source and shape of the vessels and designs, or lack thereof, painted onto the surface. By the latter part of the nineteenth century, these traditions were well established; and as more and more people began to travel and move to the Southwest, pottery production was quickly transformed from a functional art form (used primarily within Pueblo communities) to a highly marketable cultural expression.

Curated by Bill Mercer, this exhibition consists of seventy-four Pueblo Indian pottery vessels and supporting materials, dating from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twenties centuries, illustrating the remarkable variety of pottery created during that very dynamic time of transformation. Some of the vessels in the exhibition are very conservative and adhere to the traditional style of a particular pueblo, while others incorporate innovations specifically designed for the retail market.

The McClung Museum at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, aims to advance the understanding of natural history and culture through our collections, exhibitions, research, and outreach programming. The McClung Museum, which was opened in 1963, has strong collections in anthropology, archaeology, decorative arts, local history, and natural history. http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu