“Squash Blossom”
by Loretta Saraficio, Tohono O’odham
Alternate Views
Description: Tohono O’odham basket made of junca, devil’s claw, and beargrass.
About this Award: This special acquisition award is open to all works on display at the Fair; they need not be entered in the Friday competition to win. Art works winning acquisition awards become part of the museum’s permanent collections. They are chosen for their technique and artistry as well as for the way in which they compare and contrast with other items in our collections. Any medium is eligible.
Juror’s Comments:
Pat Messier, Don Morehart, and Linda Van Straaten: We purchased this basket at the SWIAF Tohono O’odham Community Action booth. It is a well woven rendering of a traditional O’odham basketry design. Choosing a contemporary Tohono O’odham basket for our top 2011 SWIAF award is particularly appropriate as the Museum launches the project, Woven Wonders, to care for and showcase our peerless basketry collection. Hartman had a particular fondness for the basketry arts, as many of his family and clan relatives were weavers.