How Phoenix’s Heard Museum Is Increasing Appreciation for Native American Art with Diana Pardue, Curator of Collections at the Heard Museum

Episode 101

What you’ll learn in this episode:

  • How Charles Loloma changed contemporary Native American jewelry more than any other jeweler
  • Why Native American jewelry transformed dramatically in the mid-19th century
  • Which contemporary Native American jewelers you should be watching
  • How the Heard Museum got its start, and how it showcases Native American arts in the Southwest and beyond

About Diana Pardue:

Diana Pardue is Curator of Collections at the Heard Museum, a Phoenix-based museum dedicated to the advancement of American Indian art. She is the author of several books, including “Shared Images: The Innovative Jewelry of Yazzie Johnson and Gail Bird” and “Contemporary Southwestern Jewelry.”

Native American jewelry has a long history in the Southwest, but few people truly appreciate the significance of this art form. The Heard Museum, a Phoenix-based museum dedicated to advancing Native American jewelry and arts, has been trying to change that since 1929. Diana Pardue, chief curator at the Heard Museum, joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about how Native American jewelry has changed over the years, the innovative techniques that Native American jewelers have used, and which indigenous jewelers you should be paying attention to today. Read the episode transcript here:

Transcript
Photos:

Additional Resources:

Photos:

Front of The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.

Native American Ring:

 Native American Butterfly Pins:

Book: “Native American Bolo Ties”

Link to Book

Book: “Contemporary Southern Jewelry”

Link to Book

Book: “Shared Images”

Sharon Berman