November Issue 1999
College Of Charleston's Halsey Gallery Hosts With Beauty Before Us: The Navajo Of Chil-Chin-Beto
The William Halsey Gallery at the College of Charleston's School of the Arts in Charleston, SC, presents With Beauty Before Us: The Navajo of Chil-chin-beto, featuring photography by folklorist/photographer Roger Manley. The exhibition will be on display through Dec. 4, 1999.
Navajo daily life, cultural attitudes and spiritual beliefs will be presented through weavings, baskets, pottery and other implements from the tiny community of Chil-chin-beto, Arizona. While function is a central concern to the Navajo, the design of objects made for use is strongly influenced by concepts of circularity, landscape orientation, protection, and religious belief. Wall texts, including selected quotations from Navajo chant-ways, and the exhibition catalogue enrich the context of the textiles and tools.
Manley's involvement with the Navajo of Chil-chin-beto dates to 1980, including living with them for seven summers through the years to follow. A nationally recognized folklorist as well as photographer, he also contributes an overview of their culture to the exhibition catalogue.
Co-curator Mark Sloan, director of the Halsey Gallery at the College of Charleston, visited Chil-chin-beto with Manley and felt a similar draw to the region and its people. He, too, has spent time there and has formed long-lasting friendships with residents. Sloan provides the introductory essay for the catalogue.
Navajo culture is matrilineal, and Maxine Touchine, curator of the Red Rock State Museum, provides the important perspective of a Navajo woman in her catalogue essay. She also provided guidance on the accuracy and fairness of the other essays and wall text.
In conjunction with the exhibition, the Halsey Gallery will offer a video entitled Seasons of the Navajo, available on request during gallery hours. Special funding for this project has been made possible by the Ethel-Jane Westfeldt Bunting Foundation.
For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings or call Mark Sloan, Halsey Gallery Director, at 843/953-5680.
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