Breakfast with the Curators Turquoise, Water, Sky

Breakfast with Maxine McBrinn, MIAC Curator of Archaeology, followed by a behind the scenes preview of our upcoming blockbuster exhibit Turquoise, Water, Sky opening in April of 2014

Turquoise, Water, Sky opens in April, 2014. The exhibit showcases the museum’s large collection of southwestern jewelry and addresses all aspects of the stone. Turquoise, which forms primarily in arid regions, is valued around the world. Formed by the action of water in lands where that resource is scarce, its color means water and sky, safety, health, and plenty. Turquoise is mined today in many places, including China, Iran, and Cerrillos, New Mexico. The stone was traded widely in the past, too. Its name means “Turkey Stone” because the French believed the beautiful blue stones originating in Persia came from Turkey.

In the Southwest, people have used turquoise to make jewelry and for ceremonial purposes for over a thousand years and may have traded it to the great population centers of Mexico. The Navajo (Diné), Zuni, Hopi, and Santo Domingo developed distinctive jewelry-making traditions over the past couple of centuries, producing world-renowned and highly desired objects. Turquoise, Water, Sky presents hundreds of necklaces, bracelets, belts, rings, earrings, silver boxes, and other objects illustrating how the stone was used and its deep significance to the people of the region. 

This popular series provides an opportunity to meet and learn about Native American artists and arts through talks, tours of our exhibits, or behind the scenes with MIAC curators, scholars and artists. 

Reservations are required for each event, and seating is limited. Call the MIAC shop for tickets at 505-982-5057 or purchase in person at the MIAC shop. Full breakfast at the Museum Hill Café, followed by programs at the Museum. Cost is $35 per person, or $30 per person for MNMF members. (MNMF members attend all four breakfasts for $100). Museum admission included.