Hopi Cultural Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Hopi Cultural Center |
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General information | |
Address | AZ-264, Second Mesa, Arizona 86043 |
Coordinates | 35°47′36″N 110°38′43″W / 35.79323°N 110.64523°W |
Opened | 1971 |
The Hopi Cultural Center is a special place on the Hopi Reservation in Second Mesa, Arizona. It's where people can discover the amazing culture, history, and art of the Hopi people. The center also has a place to stay and a restaurant that serves tasty Hopi food. There's even a museum to explore. Some Hopi ceremonies happen here too, but many are private.
Discover the Hopi Cultural Center
The Hopi Cultural Center is found in Second Mesa, Arizona. This center offers a place to stay, a gift shop with art made by local Hopi artisans, and a restaurant serving traditional Hopi dishes. It also has a museum filled with interesting items.
The motel part of the center looks like traditional Hopi buildings. It has a unique design with outdoor walkways and balconies. There are 33 guest rooms available. The motel also has rooms for meetings and events.
The center hosts many cultural programs. Some of these are "hands-on" activities. For example, on Planting Day, visitors can learn about Hopi farming. The Hopi Cultural Center also holds Hopi snake dances. These dances are not open to the public. Some Katsina dances are open for everyone to see. However, you cannot record these ceremonies with cameras or audio devices.
Explore the Hopi Museum
The Hopi Cultural Center Museum displays beautiful Hopi art and crafts. You can see kachina dolls, woven items, and pottery. The museum also has old documents and photographs. These items help tell the story of the Hopi people.
When the museum first opened, it borrowed many items. These came from the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Famous artists like Michael Kabotie and Priscilla Namingha have had their work shown here. Some of their pieces are part of the museum's collection.
History of the Hopi Cultural Center
A Hopi artist named Fred Kabotie had a dream. He wanted to bring Hopi culture and art back to the Hopi Reservation. In 1965, he started planning the cultural center. He worked with several supporters. Together, they created the Hopi Cultural Center, Inc. This was set up as a nonprofit group.
The Hopi tribe then asked for money from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) in 1968. The new building was officially opened on June 26, 1971. Governor Jack Williams spoke at the opening event.
In 1973, Hopi artists Michael Kabotie, Terrance Talasawaima, and Neil David Sr. formed a group called the Artist Hopid. Later, Delbridge Honanie and Milland Lomakema joined them. They opened a shop and studio inside the Hopi Cultural Center mall. This group wanted to study and record Hopi history through art. They also aimed to teach both Hopi and non-Hopi people about Hopi cultural values. Their work was very popular. Because of this, the Artist Hopid received a grant. This grant came from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Arizona Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
The museum at the cultural center received a $10,000 grant. This money from the Weatherhead Foundation was for display cabinets. These cabinets were designed like ones used at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Terrance Talaswaima was the first person to manage the museum's collection. Anna Silas was the director of the museum in the 1990s. She worked as a curator for almost forty years.
The restaurant at the center was updated in the early 1980s.