Lightning in a Bottle

The groundbreaking Artist Hopid collective brought ancient imagery to modern audiences.

In the early 1970s, Hopi artists Michael Kabotie, Delbridge Honanie, Terrance Talaswaima, Neil David Sr. and Milland Lomakema came together to form a collective called Artist Hopid. Their aim was to bring Hopi culture into the modern era, blending traditional imagery with contemporary styles.

Artist Hopid in 1976. From left: Honvantewa (Terrance Talaswaima), Dawakema (Milland Lomakema), Coochsiwukioma (Delbridge Honanie), Neil David Sr. and Lomawywesa (Michael Kabotie). Photo credit: Jessica Welton.

Their work is the subject of a groundbreaking new exhibition, Artist Hopid Unveiled, opening May 16 at the Museum of Northern Arizona. The collective’s history with the museum goes back to when they were all just starting out as artists. “Almost since the museum’s founding, we’ve produced annual summer festivals for Native American arts and craft. As young artists, they participated in what were then called the Junior Indian Show as well as the annual summer festival exhibitions,” explains Alan Petersen, curator of fine art.

The formation of the collective was like lightning in a bottle. The artists had been to school and were immersing themselves in the contemporary art movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and each had a yearning to make their mark. “It was this fortuitous meeting of time and place,” Petersen says. “These five guys came together with a shared vision based on their emerging interests in contemporary art, but also coming from a culture with thousands of years of history.”

Milland Lomakema (Hopi), Ah-hola Priest, acrylic on canvas, 21 x 23½ in. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Northern Arizona.

Delbridge Honanie (Hopi), Awatovi Woman Ceremony, 1975, acrylic paint on canvas board, 18 x 14 in. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Northern Arizona

In 2006, Kabotie and Honanie reflected on their goal to create a “new visual language” by putting a new spin on ancient designs. “We wanted Hopi and non-Hopi to know that our worldview is about seeing that everything is connected and no part is unimportant,” they wrote in an article for the Museum of Northern Arizona’s journal, Plateau.

The artists frequently played with the ancient visuals found on kiva murals. They would have been exposed to contemporary kiva painting through ceremonial practices, but also the murals uncovered through excavations of kivas from the 14th and 15th century. “These artists took that original imagery and reinterpreted it, putting a contemporary spin on it and relating those old stories to modern life,” Petersen says. “That’s one of the coolest aspects of the show, to me. The work feels very much of the 1970s, but at the same time, very much of the 1300s and 1400s.”

The exhibition draws from the museum’s extensive collection of Artist Hopid works, which includes recent acquisitions from two collectors. Running for nearly a year, artworks will rotate through the gallery following three cultural themes. The first theme to be shown is “Tending the Source,” which highlights farming images, followed by “Ancestral Echoes” and “Enduring Images.”

Terrance Talaswaima (Hopi), Bean Dancers, 1975, acrylic paint, 16 x 20 in. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Northern Arizona

“One of the collective’s goals was to reinterpret Hopi traditions and stories for a contemporary audience. I hope visitors gain an appreciation for traditional Hopi design elements and stories brought to life in a modern way,” says Petersen. “But also, I hope people simply enjoy the paintings for their own merit. In terms of color and design, they’re just stunning.” —

May 16, 2026-April 30, 2027
Artist Hopid Unveiled
Museum of Northern Arizona 3101 N. Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff AZ 86001, (928) 774-5213, www.musnaz.org