Photo: Heard Museum's former entrance

Having more fun with our relatively new camera with a 42 times zoom lens, here is a photo taken from my office of what used to be the main entrance of the Heard Museum of Native American Art and Culture.

Several years ago the Heard built a large addition that created a grand entrance right on Central Avenue.  This old entrance was on a little side street and it was easy for visitors to miss the little sign on Central that directed people to the entrance.  This is now the back of the museum.

I like the classic Santa Barbara style architecture that is popular in the Southwest, of which the Heard Museum is an excellent example.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our  Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing some photos from Tanzania that feature some of the scenes other than wildlife.

Photo: Heard Museum and Federal Immigration Building

Continuing with a series of photos from my office, this view shows one of Phoenix's gems and a building that  is at the center of a controversial issue, but most people do not even know what it is.

The red tiled building is the Heard Museum, one of the leading museums of Native American art and culture in the country.  I think its collection is far superior to the National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall in Washington, D.C.

The white building in the foreground is a federal government building housing immigration offices and facilities.  Immigration is a crucial part of Arizona culture, and, of course, Arizona was home to Native Americans and Latinos much earlier and for far longer than Arizona has been part of the USA.

There is a bit if irony that the federal government's immigration facility is across the street from a museum that showcases the culture of the peoples who land was taken the expansion of the USA.

This week we have photos showing what a Grand Canyon rafting trip is like, focusing on the camping experience, posted on our  Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: People Are the Festival

Enlarge this photo to see some great people shots in the crowd.

Can you see the guy in black and white?

There are many interesting and engaged people attending this Native American Hoop Dance Festival at the Heard Museum and there are lots of great things being sold at this market.

And then look at the person competing who is rolling his hoop. All spectator eyes are on him.

Today is theme day and the theme is Festivals and Outdoor markets.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Check out magnificent underwater photos of Aitutaki at Viva la Voyage!

The Heard Museum

Here is a photo of a part of the Heard Museum.

You can see the Spanish architectural style of the buildings.

The Heard Museum is a large complex. It has interactive museum exhibits, has numerous exhibits of Native American art and cultures, outdoor courtyards, the Berlin Gallery of contemporary art, and the outdoor amphitheater where many Indian competitions occur including the famous Hoop Dances.

Check out photos of the Kids and Animals of Tanzania, Africa at Viva la Voyage!

Archways at the Heard Museum

This photo shows the archways of the veranda on the southside of the Heard Museum.

I like this style of Spanish architecture.

We call this covering a veranda in Arizona, but actually the Spanish word is baranda. The Spanish word actually derives from the Hindi word of baranda. The Hindi word was imported from Portugal, which meant long balcony or terrace. The Spanish word baranda means railing.

Check out photos of the Kids and Animals of Tanzania, Africa at Viva la Voyage!

Dragon Sconce

This is a photo of a dragon sconce, which is located on the outside balcony area of the second floor of the historic building at the Heard Museum.

I like the detail of the ironwork.

The Heard Museum is a world-renowned museum of Native American arts and cultures. Anyone coming to Arizona should not miss this fabulous museum.

Check out photos of the Kids and Animals of Tanzania, Africa at Viva la Voyage!

Bronze Native American Statue

This image cried out to be photographed. I like the minimalist look of the Agave and gorgeous bronze Native American statue in front of the museum wall. She looks alive, as though she is actively communicating with someone.

This statue is in front of the Berlin Gallery at the Heard Museum.  It is one of my favorite statues at the Heard Museum. The statue looks like a Navajo or Dine woman to me. 

Growing up, I used to love the colorful, velvety full skirts the Navajo women wore, along with their beautiful turquoise squash blossom necklaces and silver and turquoise conch belts, bracelets, and other jewelry.

El Pedegral

El Pedegral is a distinctive Scottsdale shopping area.  It is located near the Boulders Resort & Spa, the Heard Museum North, and Carefree.  

El Pedegral has a unique southwestern and Moroccan-inspired architectural style.  It is situated among 12 million year old boulders.

Live music is regularly played at the Courtyard stage.  There are restaurants and interesting shops.

For more information, click El Pedegral.

Kosharis and Kachinas

Today is the 8th Annual Katsina Doll Marketplace at the Heard Museum, where more than 100 Hopi katsina wood doll carvers will gather to show and sell their Native American art.  

The photo is of a Koshari or clown kachina doll.  I love kosharis and I am lucky to have several in my home to enjoy. Kosharis are the playful clowns who are always getting into mischief, but they have such personality.  

We sometimes go to the Hopi tribal lands and visit the wood carvers in their homes and buy from them directly.  We love to go to Indian country.  Oraibi is the oldest place of continuous human habitation in the United States.  It is a very special place. Visitors to Hopi lands are welcome at Walpi, where they will give you a walking tour and introduction to the Hopi Culture.    

The event will take place from 10 am to 4 pm today.  

For more information, click Katsina Wood Doll Carvers.

The Judge and Hoop Dancers

Well, this is the last in the series for the 19th Annual World Championship Hoop Dancers at the Heard Museum. 

I hope you have enjoyed the energy, creativity, colors, and culture of the Native American Hoop Festival.   Tomorrow,  I am moving on to a photo series on Scottsdale's Arabian Horse Show held last weekend at Westworld.  

As you can see from the first photo, this young dancer is concentrating and practicing for his competition.  It is great to see young people have goals, skills, and determination to participate in this traditional event.

The second photo reflects the complexity of the manipulation of the hoops around the dancer's body to create the image of an eagle or other type of animal.  You can see the number of hoops this dancer is using for this one image.  Dancers create numerous images for the judges and audience to experience.   

        
Now, let's talk about the judges in these competitions.

Just look at the third photo and you can clearly see who the judge is. Look at his stern, intent character. The judge in this photo clearly stands out in any crowd as a strong person.  You can also see him sitting at the edge of the second photo.

Tension Mounts for Hoop Dancer

You can feel the tension from this competitor as she prepares to compete in the ring at the 19th Annual World Championship Hoop Dance at the Heard Museum.  She is even biting her lip in anticipation.

This close-up provides details of the type of make-up, the style of jewelry and hair accessories, the hair style with tight, perfect braids, the brightly colored dance costume, and hoops.   

She unfortunately did not win.  Most of the dancers were experienced competitors and have practiced long and hard to reach this moment to compete. Some also have a lot of fun competing though.  

Often times I try to go to the back where the dancers are talking, practicing, and trying to relax before the competition.  I sometimes find I can get photos that show the character and personality of the person.

The second photo provides more detail regarding the costume and includes the highly stylized native belt.

Hoop Dance Festival

The 19th Annual Heard Museum World Championship Hoop Dance Contest at the Heard Museum was overflowing with people, culture, and energy from the contestants who have worked so hard to be at this major event. Contestants must have poise, athleticism, agility, extreme coordination, rhythm, and be excellent dancers. 

In the first photo, I was able to capture a relaxed moment of this handsome dancer who has a captivating smile. He just has that look. His jewelry, native designs and symbols, long dark braids, overall contentment, and in-control demeanor really stood out.

The second photo shows hoops stacked against a tree. The dancers use many hoops in their dances, from 1 to 50 hoops. Contestants use the hoops to create images of being a butterfly, riding a horse, and they make boxes and images of the world out of these magical hoops-- all while dancing to the drums and chants.

Contestants also have vibrant costumes with native bling. These were not the outfits I used to see at Indian Festivals when I was growing up in rural Arizona.

The outfits today are captivating and really complement the hoop dances being performed at the festival. Hoop dancing has truly evolved and it is great to see so many young men and women competing.

If you want to see some excellent modern interpretations of native fashion, check out Virgil Ortiz, who is a truly creative native designer from Cochiti Pueblo. click here for a video of Virgil Ortiz's fusion of native and modern fashions at last year's Scottsdale Fashion Week
I was able to attend Scottsdale Fashion Week at the Waterfront last year and actually saw Virgil Ortiz's debut of native fashion and it was awesome. I especially liked the native violinist model who you can see in the video. Ortiz's use of feathers, blindfolds, and masks on his models is a very unique way to highlight his designs. The men's jean designs were very cool. Dancing and fashion ties right into the Hoop Dancers.

The third photo shows one of the dancers performing for the audience and judges. You can see one of the poses made during a hoop dance. Next year I will have to try to make a video and upload it onto my website so you can really feel and see a hoop dance.

Waiting to Compete

Here is a dancer holding his hoops and waiting to compete in the Heard Museum's 19th Annual World Championship Hoop Contest.   The photo below shows him competing.

The competition involves athleticism, agility, speed, creativity, and lots of practice to use the hoops and dance in a large dirt circle arena with hundreds of people sitting around watching the performances.  

The competition is divided into Tiny Tots, Youth, Teen, Adult, and Senior.  Contestants dance with hoops (1 to 50), and they create various images from riding a horse to being a butterfly. The hoop or circle is symbolic to Native people and represents the Circle of Life.  

The drummers and singers are excellent. The adult dancers perform for seven minutes and never stop moving or manipulating the hoops. Dancers come from all over the United States and Canada.

The photo below shows one of the Duncan brothers (Tony Duncan?) Arizona in action. You can see him off the ground with three hoops displayed behind his back while dancing to the rhythms of the drums and the chanting of the elders.

Hip Hoop Dancer

The Heard Museum's 19th Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest was held this past weekend.  As you can see in this photo, the contestants are athletic, determined, and just plain cool.  Too cool to photograph really as I had to quickly take this photo as he got off the phone and had very limited time before he disappeared into the crowd.  

The costumes are vibrant, and if you look closely, this dancer is holding a Pittsburgh Steelers cord in his right hand so he is definitely a football fan.  Don't you just love those shaggy moccasin boots?  Gorgeous! And moccasins are so comfortable to wear. 

I love the sound of rattles that are sewn on some Native American clothing and used in other items.  The types of rattles worn by dancers consist of goat hoofs, silver bells, and more.  I have several varieties of these rattles in my house and find the sound very calming and familiar having grown up hearing these rattles at many Indian pow wows, rodeos, and Native American festivals.

I will show a few photos of this special Native American event over the next few days and include information about the event and activities.