Jan. 14, 2007 - June 10, 2007

Heritage of Design:
American Indian and
First Nation Treasures
from the Maryhill Museum

Whatcom Museum, 1892 Old City Hall

American Indian tribes of the high Plateau region of the Pacific Northwest interior have historically created hand woven items of striking originality and vivid geometric designs. Although in many cases geographically distinct from one another, tribes of this vast region have produced art with amazingly similar design motifs. A partnership between museums brings a rare collection of these handmade beaded, woven and painted objects to Bellingham. The Whatcom Museum of History & Art is pleased to collaborate with the Maryhill Museum in Goldendale to present the exhibition Heritage of Design: American Indian and First Nation Treasures from the Maryhill Museum, opening Jan. 14, 2007.

Utilizing the Maryhill Museum’s extensive collection, as well as selections from the Whatcom Museum’s holdings, this cross-state museum collaboration brings together American Indian treasures from the Plateau region of the Northwest interior, which stretches from inland British Columbia to Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. Works are included from Nez Perce, Cayuse, Umatilla, and Yakima tribes, as well as affiliated First Nation tribes of the Shuswap, Lillooet, Okanagan and Thompson River (Nlaka’pamux) areas. Selected for their intricate patterning and skillful artistry, the woven, beaded and painted creations in the exhibition explore the designs and techniques that are distinctive to the Plateau region.

Twined bags are the most characteristic type of basketry made by American Indians of the Plateau, and the exhibition features a number of important examples. Although often called "cornhusk bags," these flat baskets are made from a variety of materials and woven by women from tribal groups throughout the region. The art form is found nowhere else in North America. Traditionally used by women for the daily tasks of gathering and storing food, cornhusk bags were nevertheless constructed with great care and decorated with sophisticated geometric designs. Over time, the function shifted away from sturdy utilitarian uses and women began using the bags to carry personal belongings. As a result, bags became smaller and finer in construction, and the simple geometric patterns became more complicated or were replaced by naturalistic flowers, animals and people. Although weaving twined bags is an ancient practice in the Plateau region, it continues to evolve today. Heritage of Design includes examples from the late nineteenth century to the 1950s, with contemporary artists participating in exhibition-related programming. This broad historical context gives viewers the opportunity to see how traditional materials and designs have changed over the years in relation to the bags’ functions.

While gathering together over 50 beautiful treasures from the past, Heritage of Design will also explore how time-honored geometric designs have influenced modern traditions of tribes within the region and contemporary American Indian artists from the Plateau region as well as from Northwest Washington and British Columbia. Workshops of weaving, painting, and beading techniques are also planned, which will be demonstrated by local and Plateau tribal members Heritage of Design: American Indian and First Nation Treasures from the Maryhill Museum opens Jan. 14, 2007 and runs until June 10, 2007. This exhibition is sponsored in part by the Tulalip Tribes and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.

Twined Storage Bag - side A Mary Underwood Lane Collection, Maryhill Museum of Art, 1940.1.91	Twined Storage Bag - side B Mary Underwood Lane Collection, Maryhill Museum of Art, 1940.1.91	Berry Basket Gift of Melville & Elizabeth Jacobs, Whatcom Museum of History & Art, 1971.98.32
Beaded Leather Bag Mary Underwood Lane Collection, Maryhill Museum of Art, 1940.1.69	Beaded Leather Bag Gift of Mr. William R. Howell, Maryhill Museum of Art, 1965.6.29	Corn Husk Bag Gift of Melville & Elizabeth Jacobs, Whatcom Museum of History & Art, 1971.98.54

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