MKIM seeks to promote and present Native artwork in its myriad manifestations. To this end, the museum presents special exhibits ranging from genre shows (Southwestern pottery, 2-dimensional art etc) to one-person shows and exhibits showcasing collections that provide a depth of access to a particular type or style (Paiute beaded baskets, split ash fancy baskets, etc.) Call MKIM at (603) 456-2600 to see what exhibits are scheduled for the near future.

May 1, 2008

"Made of Thunder Made of Glass: American Indian Beadwork of the Northeast" Selections from the collection of Gerry Biron and Joanne Russo

Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (MKIM) will host a major traveling exhibition Made of Thunder, Made of Glass: American Indian Beadwork of the Northeast May 1 through December 10, 2008. The collection, one of the finest groups of tourist or “souvenir” purses and hats made during the 19th century, is comprised of stunningly intricate works created by Wabanaki (Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Mi’kmaq) from Maine and the Maritime Provinces of Canada; and the Iroquois or Haudenosaunee (Tuscarora, Seneca, and Mohawk) from New York and Canada. The exhibition also includes twelve contemporary paintings of native people by Gerry Biron, a Vermont artist of Mi’kmaq descent, and is included in the price of admission to the museum. In his book by the same title, available in the Dreamcatcher Museum Store, Biron focuses on the influences that led to the development of these beautiful items.

Biron has spent over two decades amassing the collection and researching this art form. His original painted portraits of Native Americans, based on historic photos, with the inclusion of pieces from the collection merges history and art in a way that promises to give greater meaning to the traditional skill of bead working. While glass beads were a European import, Native American tribes have long and varied traditions of ornamentation using beads made from natural materials such as stone, shell, and bone. Traditions that were influenced by new materials and design ideas introduced by the Europeans.

The exhibition is coming to New Hampshire for the first time after showing at the Abbe Museum in Maine and the Memorial Hall Museum in Massachusetts. It includes over 100 exquisitely beaded bags and hats created between 1800 and 1915, the work of artistic Native American women responding to changes wrought by style conscious tourists.

September 19, 2008

New Hampshire Firsts: The Native American Archaeology of Howard Sargent

This permanent exhibition will focus on the depth of New Hampshire prehistory excavated at 66 sites by Howard Sargent, our first professional State Archaeologist, over his 50 year career.