An Exhibition of Works from The Art Center's Permanent Collection Augmented by Works from Glenn Leighton's Old Friends Trading Company and Julie and Bill Milius's Private Collection

Sponsored by Julie and Bill Milius
September 6-November 9
Opening Reception October 4, 6:30 pm-9:00 pm

According to Navajo (Dinè) beliefs, "Spider Woman" instructed the People on how to build the first loom from the sky, earth, sunrays, and lightning. Spider Woman then taught the Dinè how to use the loom to weave beautiful, fine works of art. Originally, the weavers used cotton but later adopted wool from sheep introduced by the Spanish. They initially made blankets and later began creating rugs.

Long before the creation of the United States, Dinè textiles were highly sought after as trade items. This demand continued after the Navajo Reservation’s establishment, further promoted by trading posts that became the conduit between the Dinè and the outside world. Traders discovered the commercial value of Dinè weavings among tourists and Eastern buyers, and they encouraged distinctive patterns associated with their particular trading posts. The first trader credited with starting this practice was J.D. Moore. In 1896, he established the Crystal Trading Post in the Chuska Mountains and persuaded the weavers to use a specific pattern that he could more easily market. The famed and highly influential trader Lorenzo Hubbell at the Ganado Trading Post adopted and expanded this idea of creating distinctive patterns. This practice spread, and by the mid-20th century, there were dozens of different regional patterns, each oriented around a certain trading post or area of the reservation. This period became known as the Era of Regional Weaving Styles.

Today, with improved transportation on the reservation, weavers have moved beyond strict adherence to regional patterns, becoming highly creative in mixing styles and creating new designs. However, some consider the trading post-inspired Regional Weaving Styles to be among the finest examples of Dinè blankets and rugs.

The exhibition Spider Woman and Trading Posts: Dinè Regional Weaving Patterns will use weavings from The Art Center's permanent collection, augmented by works from Glenn Leighton’s Old Friends Trading Company as well as Julie and Bill Milius’ private collection, to illustrate the rich Dinè artistry of TAC’s Trading Post Regional Weaving Styles.