Scientific illustration: What's the point? Reflections on the craft's ongoing value

By Nora Sherwood

More than 400 years ago, European explorers were traveling to distant corners of the globe and discovering unfamiliar landscapes, people, animals and plants. In a time when travel was prohibitively expensive for all but the most wealthy and too difficult for all but the most adventurous or desperate, scientific illustrators created images of these far-off places to show the people at home what those explorers found. A mostly European audience with an appetite for learning about all things exotic eagerly beheld images of South American flowers and bugs, African large mammals and birds of the Far East. Scientific illustration brought the distant world nearer, providing visuals to further trigger the imagination.

“Sable (Martes zibellina)” from The Cruise of the Marchesa with maps and woodcuts drawn by J. Keulemans, C. Whymper and others, Second edition, 1889, The British Library

Northwest Connections to Empowering Women

To accompany our new Empowering Women: Artisan Cooperatives that Transform Communities exhibit, the Burke Museum created a special display featuring local entrepreneurs, organizations, and committed global citizens who are supporting artisans and transforming communities around the world.

From Wallingford to Mongolia, from the Skagit Valley to the Valley of Oaxaca, each of these efforts uses traditional arts and crafts to address contemporary social issues.

Here's a peek at the stories behind the Burke’s Northwest Connections display.

B-U-R-K-E now on campus!

If you’re at Red Square on the UW campus anytime soon, you’ll notice a new installation of panels between Kane Hall and Odegaard Library.

These panels are part of a larger on-campus visual campaign for the Burke Museum that has been developed by the UW’s Visual Communication Design program. A senior in the design program, Jessica, proposed an exciting concept and developed a whole suite of materials to help promote the museum to UW students.

Here's a view of the panels from Red Square, spelling out B-U-R-K-E:

Here's a view of the panels from Memorial Way:


More pieces are being developed, including a brochure, buttons, t-shirts, and banners. Keep your eye out for these exciting new materials!

"What is that?" A series on the outdoor artwork at the Burke, Part 2

This post is the second in a series about the artwork surrounding the outside of the Burke Museum (read the first post, about Mark Calderon’s Pluma sculpture here). In this post, we explore the answer to the commonly asked question: What is that tall female figure just outside the front doors of the Burke?

This Dzunuk'wa figure stands in front of the Burke Museum. Photo by Steve Whiston.

This is a carving of a Dzunuk'wa figure, a supernatural creature with importance to the Kwakwaka’wakw people. This replica was carved for the Burke Museum in 1970 by Curator Emeritus, Bill Holm.

Some people equate Dzunuk'wa, (pronounced D’ZOO-no-kwa) with Sasquatch, sometimes called Bigfoot, the shy hairy giant of the forest. Others view her as a fearsome creature that can be the source of great wealth. The privilege of representing Dzunuk'wa in carving and performance is a prized heritage of some Kwakwaka'wakw chiefs (the Kwakwaka'wakw people live on northern Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland of British Columbia).

The pole outside the museum is a replica of the original (pictured at right in a 1914 photo by Edward Curtis), which was erected in Gwa'yasdam's village on Gilford Island, B.C in the early 19th century. This kind of pole is sometimes called a "ridicule pole" and these poles were raised to shame someone who owed a debt to a chief. For three years, this original Dzunuk'wa figure faced down the beach toward the owner's in-laws, who had not paid a marriage debt. When the in-laws honored the debt, the pole was pivoted to face the water. To acknowledge the payment of the debt, the owner had carvings of shield-shaped coppers added to her head and hands, to represent wealth.

Bill Holm initially painted the Dzunuk'wa figure’s entire body black, based on the black and white historical photos that he was using for reference. But based on later analysis of Emily Carr's colored image, Holm has come to believe the body of the original sculpture was painted red. The replica was changed from black to red in 2002, when it was placed outside the Burke. The head of the original sculpture is also in the Burke Museum's ethnology collections.

Posted by: MaryAnn Barron Wagner, Communications

"What is that?" A series on the outdoor artwork at the Burke, Part 1

One frequently asked question at the Burke Museum is: “What is that large leaf-like sculpture outside on the east lawn of the museum?” Well, it’s a cast bronze sculpture called Pluma by Seattle artist Mark Calderon.

What is it doing in front of the Burke Museum? In 1999, Pluma was gifted to the Burke Museum by The Committee of 33, a civic group dedicated to the enhancement and beautification of the City of Seattle. The Committee of 33 commissioned Calderon, whose sculptures often find influence in nature, to create a piece for the front lawn of the museum.


Calderon wanted to create a sculpture that reflected the Burke’s role as a museum of natural and anthropological history. Before sketching designs, he studied the museum’s collections as well as books on shells, plants, and fossils. “I inundated myself with images to expand my knowledge of natural history, the Burke Museum, and its mission,” he explained. The result was Pluma, a half-ton bronze sculpture that resembles an undulating leaf.

Pluma has welcomed visitors to the museum for the past decade and is among many beautiful outdoor art installations on the UW campus. Keep reading the Burke Blog to learn more about the outdoor artwork at the Burke Museum!

Posted by: MaryAnn Barron Wagner, Communications

Paleontology meets art

A couple of weeks ago, we posted this video showcasing Ray Troll’s artistic process as he prepared for the new Burke exhibit, Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway, which opens this Saturday. Ray collaborated with Kirk Johnson, curator of paleontology at the Denver National History Museum, and the staff at the Burke, to organize this exhibit about evolution, extinction, and early life on Earth. In the video about Ray, he discusses how science influences his art, so it seemed fitting to get Kirk’s perspective, as a scientist, on why art and science are complementary. He has some interesting points about how this collaboration helps us all understand the past. Take a look:



The video was filmed this summer during a road trip Ray and Kirk took around Washington, exploring the fossilized prehistory of this state. To view other videos of their trip as well as Ray Troll’s discussion of science and art, click here.

See for yourself how science and art influence each other at the opening day of Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway this Saturday. Tours of the exhibit will start at 10:30 and happen on the hour throughout the day.

Posted by: Andrea Barber, Communications

The Science of Art

If you read our blog regularly or follow the Burke Museum in the news, you most likely have heard about our upcoming exhibit, Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway. The exhibit, opening on December 19th, features the collaboration of paleontology and art and includes fossils from the Burke’s collections that will be on public view for the first time. Intriguingly familiar, artist Ray Troll and paleontologist Kirk Johnson see the past as a continuous process that shapes the world today.

For a sneak peek at some of Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway’s artwork, and to hear Ray Troll’s comments about his artistic process throughout the exhibit’s development, watch the video below.



There are also several other videos of Kirk Johnson and Ray Troll as they explore the prehistoric past of Washington State. To view them, click here.

Stay tuned to our blog for more previews and information on our newest exhibit, and don’t forget to come see it for yourself!

Posted By: Andrea Barber, Communications

Behind the scenes with Ray Troll

Ever painted a giant T-Rex onto a wall? I have! With expert instruction from celebrated Alaskan artist Ray Troll, a group of volunteers came together this week in a make-shift studio down in Magnuson Park to paint five large wall murals for the upcoming Burke exhibit Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway, featuring Troll’s latest work.

Troll has hunkered down in Seattle for the past two weeks to create these murals showcasing some of his favorite subjects: dinosaurs, killer pigs, hamburgers, and giant ammonites. The fantastical murals will ultimately hang in the gallery alongside dozens of actual fossils from the Burke’s own paleontology collections beginning December 19th --when the exhibit opens.

The Burke Museum is partnering with Ray Troll and Seattle-born paleontologist Kirk Johnson (who together wrote a book called Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway) to present this new exhibit exploring the abundance of fossils in our midst - and specifically in Washington State - and how fossils shed light on Earth’s past.

As you can see, Ray Troll’s recent “art happening” was both fun and productive:

Ray's team of friends and volunteers worked tirelessly to produce large mural reproductions, such as "Sleeping with the Ichthyosaurs"

Ray Troll grabs a paintbrush for some detail work on "Night of the Ammonites"

Once finished, these murals will hang in the Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway gallery alongside real fossils

I'm not the only one who learned to paint with Ray. Burke Museum director Julie Stein also jumped at the chance to pick up a paint brush. When I asked her how it went, she told me, "My friend Edie and I were afraid we would paint outside the lines. Ray showed us how he adds highlights and we discussed how he comes up with these ideas (he dreams about them!). This was very fun!"

P.S. - Mark your calendars for opening day of Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway Saturday, December 19, when Ray will be on hand to give tours of the exhibit.

Posted by: MaryAnn Barron Wagner, Communications

Story of a pole raising

On the afternoon of September 23, a crowd of at least 100 people crammed into the lobby of the UW Tower for a very special celebration. The festivities were surrounding the Burke Museum’s recently acquired totem pole, carved by well-known Tsimshian artist David Boxley, and we were proud and excited to raise the pole in the University of Washington Tower for those who pass through that building to enjoy.

There is a nice story behind how the Burke acquired this pole: in the late 1990s, Warren and Ellie Guntheroth (Warren is a physician at the UW) commissioned David Boxley to carve a pole for their home, partially in memorial to their Siberian Husky, Sasha. The pole was dedicated at the Guntheroth home in 1999. When Ellie passed away a few years ago, Warren decided the pole needed to be moved to a place where future generations could enjoy it, as he and his wife had, and generously donated the pole to the Burke Museum.

The pole, as it stood outside the Guntheroth's home:

As the pole had been standing outdoors for ten years, it required some touchup work by David before it could be reinstalled at the university:

Then, a rededication ceremony helped introduce the pole to its new home: the UW Tower lobby. The unveiling of the pole itself was very exciting and dramatic!

Following the unveiling, David and his friends in the Git-hoan (People of the Salmon) Dance Group treated the crowd to several dance numbers, many written by David himself.

Their performance was a great reminder of the living culture that thrives in Native communities, like the Tsimshian, today. In the words of David, “The traditions are ours, but there needs to be a witness.” Now, for as long as the pole remains in the UW Tower, all people who pass by it will be the witnesses to a beautiful work of art, and to one piece of the Tsimshian tradition.

The artist, David Boxley, speaks about his culture and his craft.

The Enduring Power of Totem Poles

About a year ago, we launched a special Web site called The Enduring Power of Totem Poles. It has since won the 2009 CASE award for best Web site. Anyone who is interested in learning more about the history of totem poles ought to explore the site a bit. You might learn something about totem poles that you did not know, such as:

• Totem poles, which are defined as free-standing columns with many figures, are not actually indigenous to Washington State. Even though totem pole imagery can be found all over the place in Seattle, it was the northern Northwest Coast groups (Nuu-Chah-Nulth, Kwakwaka’wakw, Tlingit, etc.) that carved totem poles, not the Coast Salish people surrounding the Puget Sound. It’s a common misconception that totem pole carving was practiced near present-day Seattle, but it is not historically or culturally accurate. The totem poles standing outside the Burke Museum are all replicas of poles from Canadian or Alaskan-based tribes.



• Totem poles are not only historical objects; up and down the Northwest Coast, poles are being raised again in a spirit of cultural survival and revival.



• The Burke Museum has been very active in the repatriation of poles and other clan treasures that were taken from communities along the Northwest Coast in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Enduring Power of Totem Poles tells the story of two of the Teikweidi clan’s houseposts, taken from the Tlingit village of Gaash (Cape Fox, AK) by an American railroad magnate in 1899 and donated to a young Burke Museum. In July 2001, along with four other North American museums, the Burke returned the posts and other clan treasures to the Tlingit people of Cape Fox and acknowledged the wrong that had been done. Two new houseposts were created for the Burke Museum by father and son, Nathan and Stephen Jackson, to replace the two posts that were repatriated and are now on display in the Pacific Voices exhibit.

For more fascinating stories about totem poles and the people who make them, visit the Enduring Power of Totem Poles site:

Posted by: Julia Swan, Communications

Photo: Replica of Tsimshian Memorial Pole, carved by Bill Holm in 1969, now standing in front of the Burke Museum

This weekend: Northwest Native Arts Market and Festival in Tacoma

Our friends at the Washington State History Museum have organized a Northwest Native Arts Market and Festival and it's happening this Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 8-9) in Tacoma at the History Museum.

The Market & Festival will feature a variety of Native American artisans selling their wares and offering live art demonstrations. Visitors can also take in Native American culture by watching live performances by local Native dancers, musicians and storytellers, and sampling Native American foods from Whitefoot Fish Company. Cool off inside the Museum and catch Mark Celletti’s documentary “Canoe Way: The Sacred Journey,” a 54-minute documentary on the resurgence of cedar canoe societies. Artists will be providing “Gallery Talks”, an opportunity for guests to learn more about their favorite artwork from In the Spirit: Contemporary Northwest Native Arts Exhibit. Every 15 minutes starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, artists will take turns talking about their artwork. Gallery Talks schedule will be provided to patrons of the Festival upon arrival.

Go check it out!

Video of Preston Singletary creating glass sculpture for Burke collection

Back in November, glass artist Preston Singletary created a very beautiful killer whale sculpture for the Burke Museum's permanent collection. One of our curator's recorded some video footage at the Museum of Glass, where Preston worked on the piece. Take a look to get a sense of his process, then come see the final piece on view now in the Pacific Voices gallery.



Read more about the story behind the sculpture here.

Local artists invited to submit to Puget Sound, I Love You contest

As a natural history and culture museum, the Burke values art as much as we value our local environment. So I was pleased to hear about this contest, which helps connect the two. From the folks at People For Puget Sound and the La Conner Seaside Gallery:

People For Puget Sound and the La Conner Seaside Gallery invite local artists to enter the Puget Sound—I Love You art contest and to have their entries exhibited at Seaside Gallery June 6-15.
The contest welcomes entries in photography, painting and sculpture depicting activities related to actions protecting and restoring Puget Sound.

Entries will be judged by a regional panel and entries will be exhibited during a two-week Puget Sound—I Love You celebration at the La Conner Seaside Gallery. Entries can be submitted through May at locations in Olympia, Seattle and Mount Vernon.

“It’s exciting for People For Puget Sound to be organizing a regional art contest for citizens to share what they love about Puget Sound and individual actions they are taking to restore Puget Sound,” said Britta Eschete of People For Puget Sound.

“The months of April and May are filled with community opportunities—but you don’t even have to travel out of your own backyard to participate. Everywhere in Puget Sound is connected to Puget Sound, so share what you are doing—along the water’s edge or in your garden— to ‘Save Our Sound.’”

According to Jana Turner, volunteer art contest organizer, “This art contest is an opportunity to showcase this beautiful area we live in, while helping people understand how we as a conscious community can make a difference to help the Orca whales and the Sound.”

"The dynamics of the Puget Sound ecosystem has played an important role in my life,” said Mark Conley of the La Conner Seaside Gallery. “I have enjoyed scuba diving and many wonderful family activities in and around the Sound. I am pleased to be a sponsor of this year's benefit art exhibit and to help further the efforts of People For Puget Sound."

Complete entry rules and event information are at www.pugetsound.org/events/iloveps

Thoughts on a recent Burke Museum commission

As Washington state's museum of natural history and culture, the Burke Museum works with numerous cultural communities. Our museum staff works very hard to respect the perspectives, traditions, and desires of all community groups with which we collaborate.

We recently posted about a trip to the Museum of Glass to watch Tlingit artist Preston Singletary create an original work of glass art for the Burke's ethnology collection. A few years ago, while at the special opening of Fusing Traditions: Transformations in Glass by Native American Artists, Preston created a small glass killer whale while working in front of the museum entrance, near a replica of the Haida "Howkan Whale Monument." This year, when the Burke commissioned Preston to create a glass piece for the museum’s collection, he chose to create a killer whale. Recognizing and understanding the distinctions between Haida and Tlingit culture, the Burke never viewed the commission as a recreation of the Howkan Whale Monument, but as a celebration of Preston’s body of work, which often includes imagery of killer whales. The following is a statement from the Burke Museum and the Museum of Glass about the commission.
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Joint Position Statement: Burke Museum and Museum of Glass

The Burke Museum and the Museum of Glass respect Native peoples and acknowledge their cultural perspective. The Burke Museum acquired the dorsal fin of the Howkan Whale Monument known as “Single Fin” in 1953 (cat. no. 1-1682), purchased as part of the Walter Waters collection. Moses Koohl-keet commissioned this monumental whale sculpture from Haida carver John Wallace around 1880 as a memorial to his uncle, head of the Brown Bear House, a branch of the Quetas Ravens. Curator Bill Holm began carving a replica of the monument (cat. no. 1988-75/1) in the 1970s, and completed it in 1985, when it was installed in front of the Museum during the Museum’s centennial year. On that occasion, several elders and members of the Hydaburg community, who trace their ancestry to Moses Koohl-keet, attended the centennial ceremony when the replica whale was unveiled, and they were acknowledged as the hereditary owners of this clan symbol.

In 2005 the Burke Museum hosted the traveling exhibit, “Fusing Traditions: Transformations in Glass by Native American Artists.” Preston Singletary and several other artists demonstrated glassblowing techniques using a mobile hot shop. At that time, Singletary created a small killer whale sculpture in glass, while working outdoors in front of the Howkan whale replica. In 2006, the Museum contacted Mr. Singletary, hoping to acquire that glass whale for an exhibit being planned featuring its contemporary Northwest Coast art collection. Since it was never completed and had been destroyed by Singletary, they discussed the possibility of acquiring another glass sculpture from him.

The Burke Museum is looking forward to acquiring an original work of glass art by Tlingit artist Preston Singletary, who has been commissioned by a generous donor to create a piece that will be donated to the Museum upon its completion. The work will be made during Preston Singletary’s Visiting Artist Residency in the Museum of Glass Hot Shop on November 22 and 23, 2008.

An invitation to watch the creation of this new work of art included a killer whale design created by Bill Holm in 1986 that was inspired by the Howkan whale sculpture, and has been used as the logo of the Bill Holm Center for the Study of Northwest Coast Art at the Burke Museum. This invitation said that the artist will interpret the monumental Howkan whale in glass. More accurately, the commission itself was inspired by Singletary’s body of work, which includes imagery of killer whales. The intentions of the donor who has commissioned the work, the Burke Museum who hopes to receive the work, and Preston Singletary who will create the work, were not to replicate the Howkan whale monument in any way. Singletary is Kagwaantan Tlingit, and the killer whale and brown bear are his family crest symbols. The artist will complete the commission with an original killer whale in glass.

The 411 on Burke 101

Guest writer: Laura Crisp

For those of you who don’t know, the museum’s Burke 101 program is back after a summer hiatus! My name is Laura Crisp and I am a second-year student in the Museology graduate program at the UW. This quarter I am thrilled to be taking “Native Art of the Pacific Northwest” from Professor (and Burke Curator) Dr. Robin Wright, and I am participating in the Burke 101 course teaching visitors about Northwest native art.

Burke 101 provides UW students with a unique opportunity to develop and present informal education programs for visitors in the Burke galleries. If you come see us in the galleries, you will be able to touch authentic Native objects, do hands-on activities, or even just have a conversation about Native art and culture. The students in Burke 101 really enjoy talking with visitors and we love being able to teach and learn from you! If this sounds like something you are interested in, please see our Web site for the schedule and for more information about the Burke 101 program, http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/events/burke.php.

As the quarter progresses, I will be posting on the Burke blog again to report back about our gallery sessions… I hope you come check us out in the galleries! Here’s a fun fact to entice you: Native peoples used to make their diapers out of cedar bark… can you imagine the labor that must have gone into that? Think about that the next time you pass the diaper aisle at the grocery store!

Photo by Storms PhotoGraphic

How do you create an ofrenda for Day of the Dead?

Posted by: Julia Swan

Artist Isaac Hernàndez Ruiz was in the Pacific Voices gallery at the Burke Museum all last Friday installing an altar or ofrenda (offering), in honor of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrating and remembering loved ones who have passed away. As Ruiz puts it, "For Mexican people, Día de los Muertos is the union of our past with our present and is a vital part of our identity as a culture."

The ofrenda is designed to offer food, drink, flowers, sweets, candles, and other everyday objects to the deceased and is based on the belief that these objects will help the departed continue their life after death.

So, how does one go about assembling this altar? Isaac was kind enough to let me snap some photos of him as he worked throughout the day.

Step One: Arrange the flowers. Flowers symbolize the brevity of life. The traditional type of flower found on the ofrenda is the marigold, known as the “flower of the dead.” The flowers’ scent helps the souls find their way home.
Step Two: Decorate the altar with candles, foods, toys, and other items. Candy skulls are a popular offering, especially to children.
Step Three: Begin the sand painting. Sand painting is a common practice during Día de los Muertos. These paintings decorate the street during the celebration but are later swept away, symbolizing the fleeting nature of life.
Step Four: Add color to the sand painting.

Done!

Isaac’s altar will be on view at the Burke through November 30.

My Favorite Things

Posted by: Nicole Robert

Hello! I am the newest member of the Communications team here at the Burke Museum and a student in the Museology Graduate Program at the UW. I thought I would tell you about my favorite object on display at the Burke right now. Like me, this object is a new addition. In June, the Burke sponsored a showing of the 1914 vintage film In the Land of the Head Hunters—a restored and re-evaluated version of Edward Curtis’s landmark melodramatic silent film. Head Hunters documents a unique moment of cultural encounter between Curtis and the Kwakwaka’wakw actors, depicting Kwakwaka'wakw artwork, technology, and earlier cultural practices that had been long abandoned.

Several of the objects created for use in this film are Duntsik or “power boards” and are my favorite things on display at the Burke right now. They are constructed so they can appear to grow taller, swaying as they grow, and then to disappear slowly, apparently into the ground. They are said to represent the 3-headed serpent, sisiotl, and were used in the ceremonial performance called hyikhatsayoo (“means of harm”). In 1914, the creation and use of many Kwakwaka’wakw ceremonial objects had been banned, so participating in the making of a movie presented a sanctioned way for Kwakwaka’wakw people of the time to create and use these traditional objects.

The Burke was fortunate to receive these Duntsik, along with several other objects used in the film. These are all on display now, a new addition to the Pacific Voices exhibit. I love that these objects tell a story within a story, and symbolize both a sacred tradition and the unique way that Kwakwaka’wakw people found to preserve a symbol of that tradition, even when it was banned.

- Nicole

Photos: (Left) Duntsik or “power boards.” (Right) Display of objects used in In the Land of the Headhunters, now on view at the Burke Museum.

Wildlife photography: Is it art?

Posted by: Julia Swan

The Burke loves wildlife photographers. We love them so much, in fact, that we frequently dedicate our temporary exhibit spaces to their work. In the past few years we’ve shown the work of Subhankar Banerjee, Florian Schulz, Keith Lazelle and the Wildlife Photographers of the Year. Next week, we premiere an exhibit featuring the work of Steven Kazlowski, who photographs polar bears in the Arctic. Later this year, we open Arctic Wings and Irreplaceable, which both use wildlife photography to look at the critical issue of climate change.

Photography is a form of art. It is traditionally displayed in museums as artwork, and is often celebrated for its aesthetic qualities. However, photography is a rich medium and has the power to deliver not only aesthetic satisfaction, but content. Photography captures real moments in time and preserves them. When photographs are placed in a museum, they have the ability to transport a visitor to a different time or place.

The Burke Museum is not an art museum, yet we constantly display works of art. From cultural artifacts to stunning wildlife photography, we take art work and place it in an entirely different context. Our exhibits are typically driven by content and message, and place less emphasis on pure aestheticism, yet I really believe that much of the work we bring into this museum of natural history and culture is just as beautiful and aesthetically engaging as the classic Impressionist paintings currently on view at the Seattle Art Museum.

So I urge visitors to the Burke Museum to take in the messages of conservation and environmental awareness that we promote through exhibits like The Last Polar Bear, but to also consider the brilliant, vibrant wildlife photographs that adorn our gallery walls as objects of art, worthy of recognition as much for their artistry as for their powerful message.

- Julia

Photo left: An artistic shot of a beech tree by Luca Fantoni & Danilo Porta. Featured in Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Burke in 2006.

Photo right: Two visitors enjoy the beautiful photography of Florian Schulz in Yellowstone to Yukon in 2007.

Let us feed your stomachs and minds

Posted by: Julia Swan

UW Students: Come to the Burke for free food, films, and new exhibits!

Calling all UW students! Have you been to the Burke this quarter to see Peoples of the Plateau and This Place Called Home—two new exhibits about the arts and culture of the Columbia River Plateau region? If the answer is yes, then you’ll definitely want to come back to meet the curator (coincidently, he’s a UW student!) and talk to him about his experiences putting together the exhibit. If the answer is no, then you really need to come see the beautiful, hand-crafted objects we have on display, like rawhide saddle bags, intricately beaded cradle boards, elkskin clothing, and a lot more.

I bet you are wondering, “when might I do all this?” Of course as a student, you can come to the Burke for free any day, but why not come on Wednesday, March 5, from 7 -9 pm, when the museum will be open late just for students? On top of that, we will be serving a delicious buffet of rich hor d’oeuvres with Mighty-O Donuts and coffee for dessert.

Finally, when you’re done checking out the exhibits and munching on yummy treats, you should stay for two screenings of films from the UW’s own Native Voices documentary film program. White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men and American Red and Black: Stories of Afro-Native Identity (pictured left) will be playing at the Burke with special appearances by filmmaker Alicia Woods and Native Voices rep Jonathan Tomhave.

So take a break from studying and mosey on up to the Burke Museum to meet new people, indulge in tasty (free!) food, and learn something new about the Native cultures of Eastern Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

See you there!

- Julia

Plateau News

Posted by: Rebecca Durkin

University Week is out now with a wonderful piece on our upcoming Plateau exhibits (opening Jan. 26). Co-curators Miles R. Miller and Jim Nason talk about the significance of these exhibits in promoting cultural awareness across broad audiences. They offer great insight into the work of the museum: telling the real stories of real people using their real voices and authentic materials. It’s no easy job, but it is one they are both passionate about.

- Rebecca.

Photo: Baby moccasins and adult moccasins (Yakama), photo by Mary Levin. On view in This Place Called Home, Jan. 26 – June 8, 2008.