(WEST BEND, WISCONSIN) – Museum of Wisconsin Art is honored to welcome Patricia Marroquin Norby, Ph.D. (Purépecha), inaugural Curator of Native American Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for a special presentation, Reflecting on Ho-Chunk Craft. Dr. Norby will discuss MOWA’s groundbreaking exhibition, Weaving a Legacy: Ho-Chunk Black Ash Basketry, and the significance of Wisconsin-based Ho-Chunk basketmaking. Reflecting on Ho-Chunk Craft will take place on Saturday, October 26 at 11:00.
Drawing from her extensive work at The Met, Dr. Norby will provide valuable context by exploring how she has incorporated Ho-Chunk artists into major exhibitions at The Met in order to elevate their work to a global stage.
“MOWA is proud to partner with the Ho-Chunk Nation and serve as a platform for honoring the Ho-Chunk people and their rich artistic tradition,” said Laurie Winters, James and Karen Hyde Executive Director. “This exhibition—and voices like Dr. Norby’s—are profoundly important as we consider historical and gender-based injustices. Weaving a Legacy is an act of cultural preservation and represents MOWA’s commitment to Indigenous-driven research and the work being done to reset the art-historical canon.”
In her curatorial debut at The Met, Dr. Norby explored the significance of water for Indigenous peoples in an exhibition titled Water Memories. The New York Times selected Water Memories as a top exhibition of 2022. Prior to her work at The Met, Dr. Norby served as Senior Executive and Assistant Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian-New York and as the Director of the D’Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies at The Newberry in Chicago.
Join MOWA for this unique opportunity to hear from an industry expert in Native American and Indigenous art, while gaining insights into the growing recognition of Ho-Chunk basketmaking and its impact on the art-historical canon.
Related Programming at MOWA
MOWA’s programming for Weaving a Legacy has been extremely robust. In addition to Dr. Norby’s lecture, MOWA has originated a wide variety of programs that include basketmaking classes, panel discussions, and an informative exhibition tour led by visiting curator, Tom Jones. One of the highlights of the exhibition programming includes a three-day Makers Faire at the museum featuring Ho-Chunk artists. Visitors will shop unique, handmade baskets, meet the artists, and have the opportunity to witness baskets being made from start to finish. The Ho-Chunk Makers Faire takes place November 1–3.
Weaving a Legacy: Ho-Chunk Black Ash Basketry and its related programming is sponsored by Travel Wisconsin and Wisconsin Humanities.
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