"I've shopped here over twenty years - got my favorite Navajo rug here- had a friend hold my hand to buy it - I treasure it - thank you!" Heather
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THROWBACK THURSDAY:
A Page From The Past
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Todd Westika and the late Tony Eriacho, Jr. -- Zuni Fetish Carvers Show 2007. We miss you Tony and we thank you for all you have done for so many people as the "Zuni Traveler."
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STORE HOURS
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Open on Saturday,
July 16, 2016
10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
The Indian Craft Shop is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30p.m., and the third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Shop is closed on federal holidays.
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VISITING US
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A photo ID is needed for entrance to the building. During weekdays, visitors may use either the
C Street or E Street entrances (E Street is closer for Metro riders). Handicap access ramps are available at both entrances. During Saturday hours, visitors must use the C Street entrance.
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Public Transportation
Farragut West (Blue, Orange, and Silver Line) and Farragut North (Red Line) are the closest metro stops. It is a six-block walk, or you can ride an 80 or S1 bus to 19th and C streets. There is metered parking on the street and several parking lots within a few blocks.
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CONTACT US
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(202) 208-4056
E-mail
Website
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JOIN OUR LIST |  |
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From July 13 - 22 you can enjoy Summer Savings on American Indian art with 20% off most pottery, jewelry, fetish carvings, weavings, sandpaintings, beadwork, basketry, fabric arts and more! While some items are not included, most items will be 20% off and certain items will be 30%, 40% or 50% off!
Our Summer Sale will be programmed on our online store with all items clearly marked. You can also call the Shop to make a deposit or purchase over the phone. While we are not able to place items on hold during the Summer Sale, we CAN help arrange a Layaway plan - simply give us a call at (202) 208-4056 and let us know!
Layaways are a great way to afford what you really want! Place a deposit of commitment, continue with regular payments, and before you know it you have your treasure(s)! Contact the Shop for your personalized plan.
We open at 8:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday, July 13. At this time the sale will begin and will continue through Friday, July 22.
Enjoy the SUMMER SALE!
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE SHOP AND ONLINE
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It's really so amazing and gratifying that we are able to have new items coming in just about all the time here. We owe this to you, all of our customers and patrons who help keep the circle of arts alive and to artists who are continually producing and creating. We thank you! Despite humidity, hectic lives, crazy politics, good news, bad news, ups and downs... we know the arts can help heal and lift up our spirits - we hope this is true for you too!
Our most recent arrivals have been a myriad of fetish carvings from a host of Zuni fetish carvers; new mosaic inlay earrings and necklaces from Charlene and Frank Reano of San Felipe and Santo Domingo Pueblos; new textured and raised inlay jewelry from Navajo artist, Vernon Begaye; fantastic, classic stamped silver cuff bracelets by lifetime Navajo jeweler, Bruce Morgan and charming cottonwood root carvings by Alan, Winter and Loy Lewis of Zuni, NM.
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|  | | New Bracelets, many sizes and designs, by Bruce Morgan - see a few examples online | |
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SPOTLIGHT ON: SANDPAINTINGS
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We have always had a selection of sandpaintings at the Shop in various sizes, from small magnet sizes to larger framed and matted sizes. We also carry wooden boxes with decorative sandpainted lids. Sandpaintings have become a recognizable art form and are almost like a 'staple' here at the Shop that we sometimes forget to mention them. It's not unusual for people to enter the Shop and get 'targeted toward the sandpaintings' as they've become a great gift for locals and also for overseas travel since they are uniquely American/Native American/Navajo. We have yet to have them on our online store since the images and styles are always different, so if you are interested, please come in to visit or let us know if you would like images - we'll be happy to assist via email!
One reason we so appreciate this active sandpainting art industry, predominantly located in the four corners area of New Mexico (think Shiprock and Farmington), is that this beautiful art form represents an important part of the Navajo culture. Historically and through current times, sandpainting ceremonies have been/are conducted by Navajo Medicine men. Medicine Men are sought to conduct ceremonies in order to, e.g., heal from sickness and/or restore balance. These ceremonies can last for hours or days depending on the needs of the patient and situation. These ceremonial services are typically conducted in the home of the patient and the sandpaintings are wiped away afterwards.
Despite their use for centuries, the images themselves were not reproduced outside of the ceremonies until the early 1900s when sandpainting designs were occasionally being depicted in art forms such as rugs, and had begun to be catalogued by ethnographers. Great lengths of protection were sought from Medicine Men in order for an artist to be able to produce any of the images in permanent form, even with slight variation, that would be seen in the ceremonies.
Over time, the acceptance of the art form has broadened and there is an understanding that the images are only "similar" and are not reproduced in any exact format, as they would be in a ceremony. Over these decades, the technique was developed for making permanent sandpaintings as an art form on particle board. By applying the sand onto thin layers of glue, allowing one color at a time to dry, and coating the finished piece with a clear coat of acrylic, a degree of permanence has been achieved. This technique has enabled sand paintings to become commercially available, and many Navajo artists excel at this uniquely Navajo form of expression and, indeed, it has created a wonderful livelihood for many.
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| NEW ADDITIONS |
We still have select past issues of American Indian Art Magazine (no longer publishing after forty years) and have them available in the Shop for 'Buy ONE and get ONE free'. If you would like any issues over the past couple of years, give us a call and see if we might have what you're looking for - If you'd like to see issues and content listings, visit American Indian Art Magazine.
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| REMINDER - OPEN SATURDAY, JULY 16, 2016 |
The Indian Craft Shop is open the third Saturday of each month. We hope that you will be able to join us Saturday, July 16 from
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. during our Summer Sale!
Thank you for your continued support of the arts -
we look forward to seeing and hearing from you!
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| THE INTERIOR MUSEUM AND MUSEUM MURALS TOURS |
Discover the art and architecture that made the Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building a "symbol of a new day" during the Great Depression. The Interior Museum Murals Tour lasts an hour and visits 26 photographic murals by Ansel Adams and many of the over forty mural panels painted by artists including Maynard Dixon, Allan Houser, Gifford Beal, and John Steuart Curry.
The Murals Tour is offered at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The tour is limited to 20 visitors and a reservation is required.
For groups over eight, custom tours can be scheduled from
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Please call the Museum in advance of your visit at (202) 208-4743 to make a reservation. All adults must present a photo ID to enter the Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building. All visitors will be subject to security screenings, including bag and parcel checks.
Check out the Interior Museum site to see mission statement, collection information, videos and selected Online Tours. For more information contact the Interior Museum at (202) 208-4743.
Building Access - All adults must present a photo ID to enter the building. All visitors will be subject to security screenings, including bag and parcel checks.
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