Beyond Craft:  American Indian women artists

April 7, 2011 – November 13, 2011

Through the themes of nature, people, and tribal belief systems, this exhibition documents the significance of their work within the field of American Indian art. In the past, these objects would have been made of local materials and would usually be produced for personal and family use. Today, the basketry of Pat Courtney Gold (Wasco/Tlingit), the beadwork of Teri Greeves (Kiowa), the quilts of Margaret Wood (Diné [Navajo]/Seminole), and the ceramics of Anita Fields (Osage) have been transformed from functional uses into works of art while retaining tribal traditions.

Interestingly, each is also a self-acknowledged storyteller, and has chosen her particular media to document and express her stories. The artists have chosen a variety of their work for this special exhibition. Some of the 46 pieces have been borrowed from national museums including the National Museum of the American Indian, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, the Heard Museum, the Navajo Nation Museum, The Museum at Warm Springs, and the Historic Arkansas Museum. The Riverside Metropolitan Museum is also mounting a complementary exhibition which features objects from their collection reflecting traditional Native American craft basketry, beadwork, ceramic and textile objects to coincide with Beyond Craft.

For more information about the artists, view the exhibit gallery guide.

Related Events

Opening and Meet and Greet with the Artists
Thursday, April 7, 2011, 6 – 9 pm during Arts Walk, RMM

Meet the Artists and “Craft to Make Art” Panel Discussion
Saturday, April 9th 11 – 12 pm and 2 – 4 pm

Meet the Artists - 11 – 12 pm, RMM
Join us as we welcome the four American Indian Women Artists, Pat Courtney Gold, Teri Greeves, Margaret Wood, and Anita Fields, whose unique works are featured in the exhibition, as they take visitors on a brief tour of the gallery.

“Craft to Make Art” Panel Discussion - 2:00 – 4:00 pm Riverside City Hall – Mayor’s Ceremonial Room & Grier Pavilion
Pat Courtney Gold, Teri Greeves, Margaret Wood, and Anita Fields
Moderated by Carol Sauvion, Executive Director/Producer, Craft in America. Reception to follow.

About the Moderator
Carol Sauvion, Executive Director
Carol is the creator and Executive Producer of Craft in America, the documentary series celebrating American craft and the artists who bring it to life. She is also the Executive Director of the Craft in America non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and advance original handcrafted work through educational programs in all media. Craft is Sauvion’s lifelong passion. For the past thirty years she has been the director of Freehand, her Los Angeles gallery specializing in functional craft.