Twilight is a time of change; as day turns to night, there’s a fundemental shift that can’t be reversed. This October, the Heard Museum will open Twilight: Trading Posts and Creative Legacies, exploring a similar period of change that has reshaped the the Navajo artist community.

Michele Laughing-Reeves (Navajo (Diné)), Spider Rock, commercial wool, aniline dyes, 24 x 29 in.

 

The exhibition captures the complex relationship  that existed between trading posts and Native American artists for decades. The works, many coming from the museum’s permanent collection, show  how Navajo textiles evolved and relationships with traders slowly disolved.

The relationship between trading posts and Native American artists began in the early 20th century, and while it helped foster creativity among communities, the names and achievements of individual weavers and their families were often subsumed under the broader identity of the trading post.

Lola S. Cody (Navajo (Diné)), The Grand Falls, commercial wool, vegetal and aniline dye, 35 x 26 in.

 

In the latter half of the century, with greater access to techonolgy and transport off the reservations, the number of trading posts among Navajo and Hopi communities declined. Many closed or converted to convenience stores—it was a fundamental shift to the cash economy that increased job opportunities, brought better education and paved roads.

“People are coming back from World War II; they’ve been in the outside world, whether they were serving in the military or doing war work,” says Ann Marshall, lead curator. “There’s improved transportation to cover greater distances, and artists are expanding…and you have some traders who are making the jump to urban areas such as Santa Fe and Scottsdale. It’s a time of change, but you also see traditions that have been passed down through generations continuing.”

Barbara Teller Ornelas (Navajo (Diné)), Two Grey Hills, handspun wool, natural wool colors, 71 x 47¼ in. 

 

Amid the profound social and technological changes on the Navajo and Hopi reservations, artists took advantage of improved transportation methods to interact directly with buyers and sold to urban markets. During this time of change, collectors were able bypass the trading posts and access the artists directly. The outside world brought inspiration and weavers began to assert themselves and create textiles that reflect their own visions, reaching markets beyond both the reservation and the tourists who visited.

It’s during this period of change when artists are able to experiement and make names for themselves in the art world. Through interactions with other artists and the world outside the reservation, artists took the traditions and practices that were passed down from their families and shaped them to create  works that honored the past but were distinctly theirs. 

Marlowe Katoney (Navajo (Diné)), Eye of the Storm, commercial wool, aniline dye, 24 x 20½ in. 

 

“Twilight presents artists as creators who, with the passage of time, assumed control of the presentation of their artistic vision to an ever-growing audience,” says Marshall. “It is about artists surmounting the difficulties of isolation and travel through a beautiful land. It is about conquering anonymity. It is about finding a way to honor and continue important aspects of culture while creating a synthesis that incorporates contemporary times and a shifted economy.”

Twilight: Trading Posts and Creative Legacies primarily focuses on Navajo textiles, including the Heard Museum’s recent acquisition of a work by Calvin Toney (Diné) and a pictorial textile depicting the exterior of a trading post by Florence Riggs (Diné). The exhibition also features other examples of art related to trading posts such as pottery, jewelry and photography depicting the trading posts from Jerry Jacka.

The exhibition opens October 25 at the Heard Museum in Phoenix and will continue through July 25, 2027. —

October 25, 2026-July 25, 2027
Twilight: Trading Posts and Creative Legacies
Heard Museum 2301 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004, (602) 252-8840, www.heard.org

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