The Heard Museum: Native American History on Display

In 1929, Dwight and Maie Bartlett Heard had a vision to create an internationally recognized institution for learning about the arts, heritage, and culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, including the American Indian tribes of the Southwest.

Since that time, the Heard museum has grown to incorporate two locations, one in downtown Phoenix and the other in North Scottsdale. “Even longtime Phoenicians will find something new to discover at both Heard locations,” says Alan di Perna, public relations manager for the museum. “And newcomers to town are in for a fun and fascinating experience that embodies the true spirit of the Southwest.”

The 35,000-square-foot Spanish colonial museum in downtown Phoenix features galleries that are not only beautiful and educational but also interactive and hands-on for visitors of all ages. The collection displays some 40,000 objects of both ancient and contemporary American Indian jewelry, pottery, textiles, ancestral artifacts, sculptures, and paintings within eleven spacious indoor and outdoor galleries. The Billie Jane Baguley Library and Archives offers a wide selection of books, photographs, and other materials for anyone interested in Native American culture.

Among the current signature, changing, and ongoing exhibits at the Heard Phoenix is the Native American Bolo Ties: Vintage and Contemporary exhibit, which features 170 ties. The exhibit will run until September 2012. Opening on February 11 is Geronimo: The Apache Experience, which explores this legendary figure and the American West as part of the Arizona Centennial Project, commemorating the 100^th Anniversary of Arizona Statehood. The exhibit coincides with the Heard Museum 21st Annual
World Championship Hoop Dance Competition

The Heard North, located at The Summit in Scottsdale, offers two galleries, an interpretive garden, a café, and a museum shop. Worth a mention is the current All That Glitters: American Indian Jewelry exhibit, which will run through August. It chronicles American Indian gold jewelry in traditional and contemporary designs from the 1960s through the present.

Aside from the fantastic artwork, both the Heard and the Heard North also host a variety of festivals and events that draw over 40,000 visitors annually, including the Heard Guild Indian Market and Fair, held in March. The fair is an inexpensive weekend of culture, food, and entertainment. Both museums also offer lectures by guest speakers as well as exclusive sneak previews and receptions for museum members. They boast shops where you can purchase high-quality authentic American jewelry, carpets, art, and other handmade items. While you’re busy checking out what’s new on display, make sure to stop by one of either museum’s restaurants. The Courtyard Café at the Heard offers Native-inspired contemporary fare, and Coffee Cantina, adjacent to the museum’s bookstore, serves up fresh cups of joe.

“With a brisk ongoing schedule of new exhibitions, a full calendar of special events and programs, a vast museum shop, and popular café, the Heard and Heard North are both multifaceted cultural destinations that amply reward repeated visits,” di Perna says. “There’s always something new to discover. There’s always something happening at the Heard.”

The Heard and Heard North are open Monday through Sunday. Admission prices and hours vary and are available on the Web site at heard.org and heard.org/north. American Indians and Heard Museum members enjoy free admission. The Heard is located at 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004, and the Heard North is at 32633 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85262. Phone numbers are (602) 252-8848 and (480) 488-9817, respectively.