Galleries & Exhibitions
Hisatsinom - "The Ancient Ones"
The mural wall was created by Hopi artist Filmer Keyanyama.
Hopi people use the term Hisatsinom, meaning "ancient people“, to describe their ancestors who lived within the Sedona and Verde Valley areas. Archaeologists have used the term “Sinagua” – coined in 1939 by archaeologist Harold S. Colton, founder of the Museum of Northern Arizona, from the Spanish words sin meaning "without" and agua meaning "water", referring to the name originally given by Spanish explorers to the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, the "Sierra Sin Agua".
This exhibit traces the origins of the people who came to this area and their subsequent departure.
Displays feature the development of the Katsina Dolls as well as the artistry of Hopi basketry.
ARTIST FILMER KEWANYAMA STATEMENT
My lineage is descended from the Hopi Tribe of the Southwest. Majority of my work depicts and chronicles the Hopi way of life, what I feel and know is very important, and sacred to me. We Hopi are of the few Native American people that cling to our old way of life and its ceremonies. As a child growing up on Hopi, I too learned through our initiations the ceremonies that our ancestors passed on to us. The usage of symbols and what I call Katsina colors is crucial to my work. My influences come from what I know of Hopi history and what are my own interpretations of Hopi history fueled by own personal feelings. I am constantly striving to learn and develop new techniques and ideas to use in my paintings, digital art, sculpture, and much more. Some of my other works have to do with my personal experiences of growing up between American culture and my Native culture. I focus on trying to depict the spirituality of what Hopi means to me The People of Peace. My goal is to educate Non-Hopi on who we are, and to continue to grow spirituality and professionally as an artist.