Some 20,000 Southwest Indian whole-vessel ceramics combine to form the focus of ASM's POTTERY PROJECT. Spanning 2000 years of life in the unique environments of the American desert Southwest and northern Mexico, the collection reflects almost every cultural group in the region.

This collection—the largest and most comprehensive of its kind—is one of the nation's most significant cultural resources. It has been designated an Official Project of  the Save America's Treasures program, a public private partnership between the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to celebrate and preserve our nation's cultural legacy.

Thanks to the incredible effort and generosity of the ASM Advisory Board, museum members, friends, the ASM family, American Indian communities, Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society members and Arizona Archaeological Society members, the museum reached and surpassed its $2.5M fundraising goal and renovation is complete! The hard work and dedication of many individuals made it possible for the museum, in its very first capital campaign, to achieve a series of benchmark successes. Among them are

• ASM’s first $1M gift in its 110 year history given by Agnese N. Haury, widow of former director and scholar Emil Haury,
• a landmark partnership between three American Indian communities, the museum and the City of Tucson,
• a rare full-amount request Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and
• a $400,000 grant from the Save America’s Treasures program.

The museum expresses its deepest gratitude to the many individuals, American Indian communities, companies, organizations and agencies whose support will ensure the future well-being of the pottery.

The Pottery Project is a critical step in the museum's efforts to secure its collections, and to make them more accessible to the public and to scholars. The project includes a viewable storage vault.  Here, the collection has been gathered from 5 storage areas in 2 buildings, into one location—and placed into state-of-the-art shelving. The project also includes a new conservation laboratory and an exhibition gallery.

Visit the New Exhibition at the Museum

When the project was first started, our curators created an exhibition to bring the collection and its needs to the attention of the public. The pieces included were chosen because they demonstrate the collection's breadth and depth. That exhibition was on display at the museum from 2000 to 2002. The online version of the old exhibition highlights many significant pieces in the collection.

Please see the Online Tour Help page to learn more about your online tour options.