The Women's Museum Premieres 'Daughters of the Earth: Icons of Native American Women'

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DALLAS, May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women's Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, today announced the opening of "Daughters of the Earth: Icons of Native American Women." The exhibit offers a historic and cultural tour through the day-to-day lives of Native American women via a collection of hand-crafted artifacts that are now showing together for the first time. The exhibit runs May 9 through July 14 at the museum inDallas.

The exhibit includes 54 artifacts made by Native American women throughout history, focused on five iconic categories: beadwork, pottery, basketry, weaving and clothing. A few artifacts to note include:

    * Vase, Maria Martinez: This black-toned vase was created by one of the
      most famous American Indian artists of the 20th century, potter Maria
      Martinez. She spent all of her 99 years in the place where she was born:
      San Ildefonso Pueblo in northern New Mexico. By the mid-1920s, her
      blackware was extremely popular outside the pueblo.
    * Lattice cradle, ca. 1920: Exquisitely beaded and lovingly prepared to
      receive an infant, the lattice cradle served as a "house for the
      beginning of life." Infants on the Southern Plains spent much of their
      first two years in cradles, which were the only specialized equipment
      made for them. Cradles served as a crib, playpen, carriage, and
      highchair.
    * Lakota dress, ca. 1860: With its delicate drape and beadwork, this
      Native American wedding dress was actually worn by the wife of Chief
      Long Dog, a famous Lakota chief. It was collected in the late 1800s by a
      missionary couple, Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Macon on the Rosebud Reservation in
      South Dakota.

"We embrace the opportunity to celebrate these Native American women by showing their arts and crafts," said Wanda Brice, CEO of The Women's Museum. "With everyday objects such as shoes and water containers, these craftswomen show their artistry and immense skill -- and they prove that sometimes the tools for daily life can also become the artwork we hold dear in future generations."

Works featured in the exhibit are from the Museum of the Red River in Idabel, Okla., and the Dallas Historical Society in Fair Park. New museum programs complementing the new exhibit include:

    * Gallery Talk, June 14: Maury Ford, exhibits manager, The Women's Museum,
      will lead a guided tour of the special exhibit, focusing on the cultural
      and historical impact of the pieces.
    * Native American Workshops, July 12: Visitors can engage with the culture
      of Native American artisans in two sessions,  "Preserving My History"
      and "Oral History Story Circles."

A Smithsonian affiliate, The Women's Museum is the nation's only comprehensive women's history museum that chronicles the lives of American women through interactive exhibits. The Women's Museum is supported, in part, by theCity of Dallas and theTexas Commission on the Arts. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 5:00 p.m. (closed Mondays). For more information, please visit http://www.thewomensmuseum.org.

SOURCE The Women's Museum

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The Women's Museum Premieres 'Daughters of the Earth: Icons of Native American Women'