ANNUAL YANAGUANA: INDIAN ARTS CELEBRATION ANCHORS
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH AT THE BRISCOE
Honor Native American Heritage at the Briscoe and Virtually Throughout November
Join Yanaguana: VIRTUAL Indian Arts Celebration Online Nov. 21-22
San Antonio, TX – The Briscoe Western Art Museum is honoring the role that Native Americans played in shaping the American West, marking Native American Heritage Month with special events, exhibitions and family activities. The celebration spans both in-person events at the museum and activities to enjoy at home, as well as the museum’s annual Yanaguana: Indian Arts Celebration, which will be held virtually for everyone to enjoy Nov. 21 - 22.
Named in honor of the Payaya people who were indigenous to the San Antonio area, “Yanaguana” was the word they used to describe what is now known as San Antonio River. Yanaguana: Virtual Indian Arts Celebration is free to enjoy online and can be accessed via the Briscoe’s website.
This year’s virtual event offers a glimpse into traditional and contemporary Native American culture, with musical performances and dancing, as well as storytelling and artist demonstrations. The celebration pairs perfectly with a visit to the Briscoe, where everyone can enjoy VISUAL VOICES: Contemporary Chickasaw Art. Providing a modern view of Native American heritage from 15 contemporary Chickasaw artists, the traveling exhibition includes more than 55 artworks on display through Jan. 18, 2021. The exhibition will be featured during Yanaguana, with both a virtual artists panel and the debut of the VISUAL VOICES virtual tour. Admission to VISUAL VOICES at the Briscoe is included with museum admission.
Fun for All Ages: Native American Heritage Family Activities
A traditional part of the Briscoe’s Yanaguana: Indian Arts Celebration is an array of children’s activities focused on Native American heritage. With the event going virtual this year, the Briscoe invites everyone to “Bring Home the Briscoe” throughout the month of November. Part of the museum’s popular Lil Partners children’s programming, “Bring Home the Briscoe” features Western Art activities and hands-on art, letting children join in the celebration. The activity boxes are available for purchase both online and from the Museum Store.
Families who visit the Briscoe will also enjoy the family guide that accompanies VISUAL VOICES, providing a fun exploration of the exhibit, as well as Chickasaw art and culture. The guide is available for free within the VISUAL VOICES exhibition.
Bring Home the Briscoe: Native American Heritage Box
The Native American Heritage “Bring Home the Briscoe” activity box includes many beautiful and diverse native groups of the West. Available for purchase through Dec. 31, the box contains supplies to complete six different activities, plus a book and links to additional video content for added context. Activities include storytelling medallions, The Three Sisters, ledger art, mini canoe carving, basket weaving and pinch pots. The kits are ideal for children ages 6–12, making them perfect for keeping hands busy over Thanksgiving break. The kits are $20 for museum members and $25 for non-members. Available in the Museum Store, “Bring Home the Briscoe” can be ordered online with curbside pickup or shipping available.
Beyond “Cowboys and Indians”: Native American Heritage in the Briscoe Collection
So often, people picture the West as “Cowboys and Indians”, but that fails to recognize the breadth and depth of Native American heritage and the key role Native Americans play in Western history. The Briscoe’s permanent collection features a wide range of works that illustrate the pillar of Native American heritage, including the newly installed “Song of Mountain Chief”, batik with buckskin pouch with digital recording, by artist Echo Ukrainetz, and “Dreamers Dance” by Dave LaMure Jr., inspired by indigenous rock art from the Lower Pecos River.
The stunning bronzes “Dance of the Eagle” and “Buffalo Dance Relief” by sculptor Allan Houser, a member of the Chiricahua Apache tribe, hunter-gatherers who roamed from New Mexico to northern Mexico, greet visitors to the Briscoe’s McNutt Sculpture Garden. Inside, works range from “Girl Who Walks in the Sun” by sculptor Orland Joe, Sr., born of the Navajo and Southern Ute, to artifacts including a Blackfeet war shirt that shows the incredible trade network that existed between Native people and Europeans in North America. Through the incorporation of materials that span the continent, this Montana-based shirt includes shells from the Pacific Coast as well as wool and colored glass beads.
Bringing the West to Life on the River Walk
The Briscoe’s collection of Western art and artifacts showcases the stories of the West through visual art. Collection highlights include Santa Anna’s sword, works by Frederic Remington, Pancho Villa’s last known saddle, a fantastic Alamo diorama and artifacts, contemporary and historic paintings, sculptures, an impressive spur collection, and other cowboy and Native American relics, weapons and photography. The museum encourages social distancing through its acre and a half campus on the banks of the River Walk, with a collection spans 14 galleries in its restored 1930s building that features high ceilings and spacious areas for guests to stay safely socially distanced as well as 32 sculptures extending from the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden, a lush public space featuring a beautiful courtyard surrounded by bronze sculptures depicting iconic figures of the American West.
The Briscoe is open Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Briscoe is located on the south end of the River Walk, near the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online. The museum is operating at 75 percent capacity, with health and safety protocols that require both staff and guests to wear masks. Temperature checks are also conducted upon entry.
About The Briscoe Western Art Museum: Preserving and presenting the art, history and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is located on the San Antonio River Walk at 210 W. Market Street in the beautifully restored 1930s former San Antonio Public Library building. Named in honor of the late Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife, Janey Slaughter Briscoe, the museum includes the three-story Jack Guenther Pavilion, used for event rentals and programs, and the outdoor McNutt Sculpture Garden. Follow the Briscoe on social media, @BriscoeMuseum.
