At the end of the first day of the Navajo Festival, my sister and I were approached by an artist with a unique handmade car mirror dangler, and of course we each had to buy one! The miniature moccasins reminded us so much of the shoes our Father use to make for us. Sadly, the art of making the footwear is slowly leaving our people.
I recently attended the Navajo Festival at the invitation of the Museum of Northern Arizona. They asked that I help judge pieces from other artists and present two 30-minute talks on Saturday and Sunday on my finished rug that was recently acquired by the museum. The rug is now on display at the museum. Below is a picture of the rug series I completed recently.
It was a real treat to see old friends in the Navajo art world and to meet new artists. There is real talent among our people and I am glad that the Museum provides a yearly venue for people to learn about our culture and art. Highlights from the show included listening to the humor and music of James Bilagody, who served as Master of Ceremonies for the pavilion events. A personal favorite is watching the Pollen Trail Dancers, what a great group! To find out more information about the show, please go to www.musnaz.org
Once the sheep have been sheared and the wool has been cleaned, one of the first steps taken to prepare the wool for spinning is carding the wool fibers. Most Navajo children are introduced to this activity to help them get familiar with the rug making process. The traditional cards, like all the other tools, may look similar but every weaver usually has a favorite.
There are times when leftover yarn become enough in quantity to produce a special piece that is made from the colors used in other tapestries and rugs. I call this piece “The Past Revisited”.
The Past Revisited
A close-up of The Past Revisited
Where it all begins.
It's a clean slate, ready and waiting.
Weaving combs come in a variety of styles.
Smaller combs are used for finishing.
Wider combs are used for larger tapestries.
They are typically handmade from hard wood.
Hello,
My name is Kalley Keams and I am a Navajo Weaver. This site is dedicated to providing educational and fun information about Navajo Weaving and Arts, as well as to share pictures of my personal work.
As a Native American business woman, I regard the work of weavers and other artists as an important link between the Native American people and the general public. I use my knowledge of Native American life, history, art and my personal work experience to help promote and maintain unique relationships between artists, collectors and students of Navajo history.
As you can see, this is a new site, but I plan to update it as often as I can. Please feel free to check out the different pages on this site to get more familiar with my weaving background.
Thank you.
