Exhibition of Navajo weavings from 1860 to 1890 September 7, 2009

Navajo Innovation: The Story of Germantown Weaving
Navajo Innovation: The Story of Germantown Weaving, an exhibition of Navajo weavings from 1860 to 1890, will be on view at the Byers-Evans House Gallery, Friday September 4, through Saturday, October 31. The ten weavings included in the show are from the collection of Gil Mull and the collection of the Native American Trading Company. An opening reception will be held during the Golden Triangle Museum District’s First Friday Art Walk, Friday, September 4, from 5 to 9 p.m.

Curated by Jack Lima, owner of the Native American Trading Company in Denver, Navajo Innovation showcases the famed and rare Germantown weavings that date from the 1860s to 1890s. During this limited timeframe, the already expert Navajo weavers of the American Southwest first used and became enchanted with the colorful, commercially made yarns from Germantown, Pennsylvania.

Germantown yarns were introduced to the Navajo following their four year imprisonment and subjugation at Fort Sumner in Bosque Redondo, New Mexico. Upon return to a reservation on the ancient homelands in 1868, the Navajo needed yarns to jumpstart their traditional textile economy. Since government forces had decimated the Navajo’s prized and wooly churro sheep, US officials imported commercially made wool yarns from Germantown. This was one of our nation’s earliest economic stimulus packages.

Navajo weavers appreciated the Germantown yarns, which had consistent colors and textures unlike their traditional handspun yarns. Instead of investing their labor in rearing sheep and sheering and dyeing the wool for yarn, the Navajo concentrated on the art of weaving. The impact of Germantown yarn was innovation for the Navajo weavers

For a limited time at the end of the 19th century, the Navajo had the opportunity to work with the Germantown yarns. These weavings are colorful with intricate and innovative designs. Selections of the inspired results on exhibition include the largest Germantown ever made (14’ x 14’), a rare, historic Navajo weaving made at Bosque Redondo, along with fine examples of traditional Navajo weaving types.

A Curator’s Talk with Jack Lima, owner of the Native American Trading Company, will take place during the October First Friday Art Walk, Friday, October 2, from 5 to 9 p.m.

The Byers-Evans House Museum is located at 1310 Bannock Street, Denver, Colorado 80204. Byers-Evans House Gallery hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Guided tours of the house are available from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and a fee is charged. Admission to the Byers-Evans House Gallery is free. For further information, visit www.coloradohistory.org/be or call (303) 620-4933. Navajo Eye Dazzler from the collection of Gil Mull and the collection of the Native American Trading Company.