Mary-Russell's Art Career 11 Harold's Museum Career 12 the Colton House
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THE MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA New Series Number 2; 1997 l l ~F-ORl1 M AR\!\A( K' KAfHAR!Nr BARfl r rT' DAN IF L HOWAR ) ' ~UE bT l(f: ' D. BUY[) ' l.F "MAJOR" BRADY · WALTER MCDOUGALL · SALLlE PIERCE BREWER , ROBERT BREUNIG ' GLENN tv\IIC:!fll CARUl Bl:rtKI · AlffU[) F. WHl.ING · ELAl"-E HUC!lib. P,JL BURKE· [)fAN '\;APlrf BAR.BARA THURBER· MARTHA CALLAHAN · KATHY CHASE · LOREN KOOTSWATEWA · HALKA PATTISON l HRU'\;I<. · \,\IC~tl Lt MADR L · Rl<.'HAR~) CIO' l k UR~[ UO · HA•ZOL [) S. COL TUN · MAR'r RU\\~ l L FERRELL COLTON · WATSON SMITH · LAURA GRAVES ALLEN · CYNTHIA PECK · ROBERT COODY· JAt\.El OREY LHA'\J · CfJtq RF DEAVER· ,\,\ARY A ,MIUl · ')L TY LOU DECKrR · [)OROf!IV l!()L~E · PATRICK NEARY· PETER PILLES, JR.· TRACY MURPHY· ANNA MATTSON ·ELIZABETH DOBRINSKI · 111\iA DO~)[)' EL)\NARD"NE[)" ,)A,~l)'\; 'Ml~l-IA.:L MAGARIA\J-~MlfH' fRUDYT {()MAS' . 1 1-ll~ll'C. WEIGAND· STEVE DOSH· BODIE WEST· PAUL DRUMMOND· JEFFREY EATON · KELLY HAYES GILPIN '~HIRL:Y Ml.LLl;'\l ',E•U,\1Y AL)AlR S<.'A"-fLEBlJtW' BARfO"l WRlliHf' KIMLHRLY LAKUIOMtR' RACHEL EDELSTEIN ·NANCY ERGER· EDWIN "NED" COLBERT· STACI ESKEETS· ROBERT C. EULER· CAJlOl BLA~N ' ,)l),lUdl\ rvu,~ ',\1ALCOLM r-A.Ztv\LR . JLH h uus tv\I(. :AH I rux .\\AR\HA GALLAGHER· GWENN GALLENSTEIN · PETER BLYSTONE · DAVID GREENWALD · CAROL CON Y · DAWN l1RUNWAL{), !<)[)! lnUFFITfl '~HIJU:Y (jTZUE~l-J()lJf' i{[ILA li~,IDA' 'J/ (.j(J,\\r l\,1AN' ALMA MAY HALL· LYNDON HARGRAVE· HORACE HASKELL· LAURA HEACOCK· WILLIAM J. BREED· CH) Hill. HER.\!\A' '\.. BltlP.IRELJ' )ARBARA ~:EFHN\EN' [[,L(l\J E rr:~. l\1ARK ty',J[)[)._,[ ()[\.' VIRGIL HUBERT· ARTHUR M. PHILLIPS. 111 ·LESLIE HUTCHINSON· GRACE lRIW ·RANDOLPH JENKS · RUld R q l Y AUE \J HD ZUW · J. Rll HAR.) AMHI E { · \ TEVE"'- W. l AR<.HHE R~ · f YN f HIA !<'~OX ·ADRIAN TANAKEYOWMA · BARBARA KRAMER· EDMUND NEQl.JATEWA ·NANCY KRIEBEL· JAMES E. BAB~l11 ·~."EWART AlfCllI~O~ · C.EURC1E lill.\\ERMAN · NnRA KlllllMA~ · A:)A WUOlLARD · MARSHA TOMPKIN · MARTHA BLUE · JOHN LANCE · MARTELLA SINGER· BIRGITTE URMAN · KEN '"Hlf\q[\. · K.AH 1 ERlt\.f IARl.iUN · lHA!R OJ1A,\AAHU'\;<.iNE.WA · Jll[)Y I EARY· RIC:-1Atl.D CIFE~ll · LAURENCE GISHEY ·CHARLES Q!JAINTANCE ·WILLIAM D. LIPE· CLAlBORNE LOCKETT· PAUL LONG '~ARA q~ B31\J~' LOU AN'- LOlJC1EI · l:'.\.I>A RUBERT SON :Aro'.:. {)'A'\;A LL:JICK' REVFRLY L. lvULLEI · DAVID BRETERNITZ ·ANDREW J. LUCKEY· PAM LUNGE · GENE FlELD FOSTER· PATTY LUTTRELL· , !'ARK R HAM I I . O~ · MARYi IN l YOt\. IOH ~ U. HAYS · t. I LAK.Y \!\( C AfU HY · Al IH Rl A HA a · SCOTT CUTLER'· JOHN C. MCGREGOR · DANA HARTMAN · DOLBER "DOLLY" SPALDING · JIMMY ICWJ\'\l\tVYfFWA \(l)f'~ l\'1AU~Et\. 'NOlA\J[) WI<.i<.110.~ 'CARL!r MALL El. JANt r LAMNE r r MASO\J ·CHARLES STEEN ·TERRY MERKEL· MATTHEW FOX· MARCELLA SLIM MESCAL· BILLIE A. GENTRY. I )[AN l MI LL ER · DAV I D SI r VE ([ t\. C · ; AM h R M 11 LS · <.:HAR I L W. CU~ \J t ~ L · MART HA tvl I LL~ ' ROBERT STEELE · MICHAEL MORALES · J.C. FISHER MOTZ· MARY-JANE MOWRY· BETH ROSENTHAL · SI IL I LA tv\l_; RRAY · LAU RA J\JAGARA~ · f:. CHARU:~ ADAMS · NORMA NAPH R · LI ~A '.\!AU · LUIS \J ft l I New Series Number 2; 1997 Telling the Story THEMusEuM OF NORTHERN ARI ZONA BY SUSAN DEAVER OLBERDING MNA Research Associate This PLATEAU issue is dedicated to Katharine Bartlett. Without her, neither MNA nor this monograph would exist. 1' COVER PHOTO CREDITS: FRONT COVER: LEFT: MNA COFOUNDER MARY-RUSSELL FERRELL COLTON AND UY!, YOUNGER SON OF JIMMY KEWANWYTEWA, NEAR THE HOPI VILLAGES IN 1933. (MNA COLLECTIONS Cl00(1933).6); CENTER: MOVING MAJOR BRADY'S GROUND SLOTH FROM THE FLAGSTAFF WOMAN'S CLUB TO ITS NEW HOME IN THE MNA EXHIBITS BUILDING ON FORT VALLEY ROAD IN 1936. (MNA COLLECTIONS N25.89); RIGHT: HOPI SILVERSMITH PIERCE KEWANWYTEWA AT THE 1936 HOPI CRAFTSMAN SHOW. (MNA COLLECTIONS Cl00.2) BACK COVER: NAVAJO MEN AT A POTATO HARVEST IN 1933. PHOTO BY J.C. CLARKE. (MNA COLLECTIONS M5254 NEG#l0503) PLATEAU New Series Number 2; 1997 Telling the Story THE MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA 5 INTRODUCTION: SOMEONE OUGHT TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT IT 7 THE FOUNDERS 9 Mary-Russell's Art Career 11 Harold's Museum Career 12 The Colton House 15 FLAGSTAFF AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MNA 17 "HUMIOVI"- THE LITTLE SEED THAT GERMINATES 21 THE PUBLIC PROGRAMS 21 Early Staff and Exhibits 23 Craftsman Exhibitions 27 MOVING TO A NEW EXHIBITS BUILDING 29 EDUCATION DIVISION 31 THE RESEARCH PROGRAMS 33 Research Divisions 39 Library 40 Publications 41 TODAY AND TOMORROW 45 AUTHOR'S NOTE 46 SUGGESTED READING 47 BOARD LISTING 48 EDITORIAL POLICY ,. THE MNA EXHIBITS BUILDING IN 1948 WITH THE RIO DE FLAG IN THE FOREGROUND AND THE SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS IN THE BACKGROUND. PHOTO BY WILLIAM LIPPINCOTT. (MNA COLLECTIONS NISB.89) SOMEONE OUGHT TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT IT ,. e "Someone ought to tell the ever-changing palette of world about it," wrote the Painted Desert, the Harold Sellers Colton and unequaled Grand Canyon, Frank E. Baxter in a 1932 beautiful Lake Powell, curi- guide for the northern ous Petrified Forest, lush Arizona traveler. They elo HAROLD AND MARY-R USSELL FERRELL COLTON Oak Creek Canyon, bounti quently described the won WITH THEIR SON, FERRELL, ABOUT THE TIME OF ful Verde Valley, and the THEIR MOVE TO FLAGSTAFF IN 1926. (MNA ders of the vast region-col verdant White Mountains, COLLECTIONS MS 207-211-3(51-5) ors to delight the artist, just to name a few high Native American peoples to engage the anthropolo- lights. Living amongst these physical marvels are the gist, traces of human occupation to occupy the native peoples who, in the course of maintaining archaeologist, an open textbook for the geologist, their cultural traditions, acknowledge and celebrate plants and wildlife to intrigue the biologist and the natural wonders surrounding them. Elevations botanist-in short, an area abundant with treasures extend three miles vertically- from the 12,000-foot to delight both scientist and visitor. The authors high Mt. Humphreys of the San Francisco Peaks to were reiterating what had already been stated the one-mile-deep Grand Canyon. In between are northern Arizona was definitely worth exploring. nearly limitless examples of the Earth's natural his Northern Arizona sits on part of the Colorado tory, brought close together in an area that provides Plateau which extends over parts of four western an unending laboratory for the inquisitive. states: Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Into this land came Harold Sellers and Mary The section in northern Arizona features the tower Russell Ferrell Colton and their family. Dr. Colton ing volcano known as the San Francisco Peaks, the was a zoology professor at the University of 5 I INTRODUCTION I Pennsylvania whose zest for knowledge went far their respective interests in science and art, and beyond that field and who would be forever excit making MNA the spirited, multifaceted institution ed by the many research opportunities in northern we enjoy today. With its unique blend of science Arizona. Mrs. Colton was equally intrigued by the and art, MNA stands alone. At MNA, research and native peoples and scenic grandeur of the region, public exhibits intertwine with collections to pre and she spent many hours sketching and painting sent a rich, composite view of northern Arizona them. After numerous visits to the region, they and the Colorado Plateau. moved to Flagstaff in 1926 to pursue their mutual The Museum of Northern Arizona offers its and individual interests. visitors many opportunities to become familiar The Coltons became involved in efforts to cre with the area through public exhibits and pro ate a local museum that would display the natural grams. At the same time, its staff and researchers and human wonders of the area. Combining their continue their studies, because science, like life, is skills and benevolence, and in response to the urg not static-it is ever-evolving. MNA continually ing of prominent citizens of both Flagstaff and explores ways to preserve this distinctive region Tucson, they helped the community found the and ensure that its uniqueness endures. Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) in 1928. MNA's three components-public programs, The Museum is a regionally based institution that research, and collections-complement one anoth researches, collects, and exhibits all that represents er in a continual circle. Scientists study the data, the Colorado Plateau. Dr. Colton became MNA utilize the collections, and develop public exhibits Director and Mrs. Colton the Curator of Art and designed to introduce the Colorado Plateau. Ethnology, allowing them to follow and explore Museum visitors, after this introduction, often seek further knowledge, stimulating the scientists to reconsider the data and to reexamine the col lections. This ongoing cycle is considered optimal for a muse um, as each component is dependent upon the other. MNA is a private, nonprofit organization supported by its members and by supplemental funding. Its exhibit areas have grown from two rooms in the Flagstaff Woman's Club in 1928 to today's 24,700-square foot Exhibits building that hosted over 91,000 visitors in MEN OF THE RAINBOW BRIDGE/MONUMENT 1996. On an adjacent part of the campus are its VALLEY EXPEDITION MARVEL AT THE VIEW OF research and collections facilities. TsEGI CANYON ON THE NAVAJO REsERVATION. NAVAJO MOUNTAJN IS SEEN IN TilE BACKGROUND. PHOTO BY ROBERT B.