July has been designated Utah Museum Month, which means that over 260 museums, gardens, zoos and historical sites in Utah have special events and exhibits telling the stories of communities across the state.
The Moab Museum will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and will host family-friendly fun all month, according to a news release sent to The Journal by Diego Velasquez. The People’s Tapestry: Weaving Tradition in Navajo Culture is on display at the Moab Museum, part of the exhibition from the Utah Division of Arts and Museums’ Weaving the Future, the news release said.
“The People’s Tapestry is designed to celebrate the local Navajo community by highlighting their weaving tradition, sharing the storytelling and spiritual roots of weaving, and nodding to the traditions that are still alive today,” the news release stated. Demonstrations and presentations will be held throughout the month at Moab Museum, open to the public.
On July 13 and 14, Anita Hathale will show her weaving techniques in the Moab Museum’s South Gallery from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hathale was born into the Water Flow Together clan and raised traditionally Navajo. She weaves up to 11 or 12 hours a day, and her style has evolved into her own original motifs.
On July 19, the museum will host “Rangers at the Museum,” which will feature Ranger Jessi Carver giving a presentation about Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter, “the first two nonnative botanists and the first two nonnative women to successfully raft the Green and Colorado Rivers in 1938,” the news release stated. The presentation will detail their work collecting botanical specimens on their voyage. This free event will be in the South Gallery at 2 p.m.
Museum staff will offer a walking tour of Moab’s historic business district every Saturday until the end of October. The walk is an hourlong and “highlights the economy and community built by the early ranchers of the area including founders and owners of the Indian Creek Cattle Company,” the news release said. The tour begins at 10 a.m. every Saturday at the Moab Museum, regardless of weather conditions.
The Moab Museum will host an ice cream social in celebration of Pioneer Day on July 24. There will be free ice cream, music, lawn games and more from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Red Cliffs Lodge will show the film “Wagon Master” beginning at 9 p.m.
Maxine Nez will be at the Moab Museum on Aug. 25 and 26 to demonstrate a new type of Navajo rug called the Churro Wool Tufted Navajo Rug. Nez is from the Chinle, Arizona area, and enjoys experimenting with methods of arts and crafts. She and her father, Joe Lee Benally, will be at the Moab Museum in the South Gallery from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. demonstrating their weaving techniques.
To participate in the many events, download the Utah Museum Passport here. Visit the Utah Museum Directory online to see all events available. Visit at least five museums to earn a special edition Utah Museum month sticker. Share experiences on social media using #utahmuseums to be eligible to earn prizes.
