Museum of Northern Arizona update for July 12 — Buy a rug, “cut a rug” or come see a rug this month at MNA

Buy a rug, “cut a rug” or come see a rug this month at MNA. The annual Navajo Rug Auction on July 20 provides an opportunity to buy works of woven art while directly supporting the artists, MNA and the Flagstaff Arts Council. The lineup of dance bands at Thirsty Thursdays will get everyone moving. And rugs are always on display, though even more will be on view in the Easton Collection Center during the Navajo Festival August 3 & 4. If you’re not a member, it’s time to become one!

Thirsty Thursdays: The Knockabouts

July 18, 5 pm -8 pm

Free for members/$6 nonmembers

The weather’s perfect and the music’s live on Thursday evenings in MNA’s Golightly Courtyard, so bring friends and family out for a fine evening. Remember to bring cash for dinner and drinks and check out the full summer schedule here.

Behind the Scenes Tour: Ethnology

July 19, 4 pm

Join the Anthropology Collections Manager, Tony Thibobeau, in a whirlwind tour of the Ethnology Collections where you will have a chance to view MNA’s extensive holdings of Hopi and Navajo textiles, jewelry, pottery, baskets, etc. Limited to 10 people. Advance tickets required. 

Navajo Rug Auction

July 20, 9 am – 6 pm

Consignment drop off – July 18 & 19, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Purchase high quality rugs at a wide range of prices and collect one of the world’s classic art forms. Native art and Navajo weaving specialists will be onsite to ensure quality and prices. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Museum of Northern Arizona and the Flagstaff Arts Council.

My Career as a Native Filmmaker

July 27, 11 am

Dustinn Craig (White Mountain Apache/Navajo) will share insights from his career as a Native Filmmaker. He’ll discuss the complicated relationship Indigenous peoples have to the visual image in both the negative oppressive ways and the positive liberating healing ways. This is part of the Red Screen Film Festival taking place in Flagstaff July 24-28. See the full schedule of free events at redscreenfilmfestival.org

70th Navajo Festival of Arts and Culture

August 3 & 4, 9 am – 5 pm

Free for members/$12 nonmembers

More than 80 Navajo artists will be demonstrating and selling their works at this award-winning festival. Enjoy performances by the Jones Benally Family, JJ Ortero, and Radmilla Cody. Kids can make crafts and watch a puppet show. The Easton Collection Center will be open with special exhibits of Navajo items.

Horticulture Tour: Colton House

August 10, 10 am -11 am

Well-established flowers and plantings grace these historic homes. See how perennials and native plants create a harmonious setting beneath the pines; learn about plants deer won’t eat, and see Mary Colton’s greenhouse. Feel free to bring lunch for a picnic. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch. Tickets required.

STEAM Second Saturday

The Ant Empire – July 13 at 2:00 pm

Digging Dinosaurs – August 10 at 2 pm

Free for members and kids age 9 and under

Join MNA on the second Saturday of the month for exciting kids’ programs, hands-on activities, and creative crafts. and enjoy fun crafts and activities included. See the schedule of upcoming STEAM Second Saturdays.

Summer Camps continue

10% off for MNA Members

Camps run weekly through Aug. 2

Ages: 4-14

This summer, kids can come to MNA to play with clay, camp out in National Parks, learn to cook Hopi foods, perform Shakespeare, and much, much more. Select from 40 art and science (STEAM) camps, all led by professional educators. Extended care and scholarships available. Download theDiscovery Camp schedule and Sign up now

Eat Your Greens

August 17 at 9:00 am -noon

In this hands-on plant walk, wild food expert Mike Masek shares principles of foraging and points out wild greens commonly found in the Flagstaff area. Information shared includes the botanical name, plant ID tips, where to find the plant on your own, nutritional content, recipes and safety issues. Sign up by calling 928-774-5211 ext. 222 or Online.

DesertArtLAB: Ecologies of Resistance

Now open; headphones recommended

The DesertArtLAB interdisciplinary art collaborative transformed a tract of blighted land into a thriving dryland ecosystem with native plants and Native voices. This exhibition illustrates the process through the use of artifacts, archival materials, botanical samples, and a cell phone audio component. Bring your own headphones for the best experience.

Keep the lights on

Have you noticed dark corners at MNA? The dimmable LED tracklights used in the galleries are a specialty item that is no longer available, and the fixtures we have are breaking one-by-one. Updating the lighting system in one gallery will cost about $5,500. Help by making a donation and specifying “lighting” in the notes.

MNA is more than a museum

Find out how much more there is to MNA than the exhibits with this new Guide book. In a slim, easy-to-carry and read volume you’ll learn about the history, collections and research of MNA, as well as tips on trips to take in the area.The bookstore is open during regular museum hours and during Thirsty Thursday, so come in to browse, or you can always Browse & Buy online.

Rugs for all reasons

Rugs are lovely on a wall, a sofa, an ottoman… almost anywhere. Even if you can’t make the Navajo Rug Auction, you can browse some of the quality rugs found in the MNA giftshop, like this resplendent Chief Blanket by Shirley Burke. Even if you can’t visit in person, you can alwaysBuy online. Remember, MNA members get a discount on most giftshop items.