What constitutes tradition among the Navajo people? How does culture change? When does innovation become an authentic part of a culture? The exhibition Walking in Beauty features 23 rarely seen examples of Navajo weavings from the public and private collections in Kansas: Bank of America--Newton, Kansas State University Historic Costume and Textiles Museum, Kauffman Museum, McPherson College, Mid-America All-Indian Center--Wichita, John Torline, University of Kansas Museum of Anthropology, and Nola Pauline Vering.

The blankets and rugs have been selected to show a chronology of Navajo weaving:
• Classic Period, before 1865: First Phase and Second Phase Chief’s Blankets, Woman’s Two-Piece Blanket Dress
• Transition Period, 1865-1890: Transitional Chief’s Blanket, Eye-Dazzler, Germantown, Ganado
• Rug Period, 1890-1950: J.B. Moore Early Crystal, Two Grey Hills, Storm, Pictorial, Yei, Yeibichai Dancer, Regional, Saddle Blankets, Germantown Samplers
• Recent Period, 1950-present: Two Grey Hills

Navajo Night Chant

Exhibit related events at the Museum
Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum, 3:30 pm, free
• November 4: Grand opening with guest curator John Torline
• November 11: “Spider Woman’s Legacy: The Changing Traditions of Navajo Weaving,” Ron McCoy, Emporia State University
• November 25: “Woven by the Grandmothers,” Rachel Pannabecker, Kauffman Museum
• January 13: “Why Care About Cloth? Reflections of a Collector and an Art Historian,” John Torline, North Newton, and Reinhild K. Janzen, Washburn University
• January 20: “Textile Tales and Traditions from Around the World,” Celia Daniels, University of Kansas


The exhibition and programs are funded in part by the Kansas Humanities Council, a nonprofit organization promoting understanding of the history, traditions, and ideas that shape our lives and the communities in which we live.