In conjuction with the publication of Dr. Joe Ben Wheat's Blanket Weaving in the Southwest, we are proud to present a new exhibition entitled "Three Cultures of Master Weaving: Southwestern Textiles from the UCM Collection." This exhibit features a selection of important and beautiful southwestern textiles from the Museum's famous textile collection. The display will be rotated after three months when the first selection of textiles will be replaced with a second selection. This rotation will occur on June 30th. Make plans to visit this exhibition at least twice!

Dr. Wheat's book is the definitive treatment of southwestern textiles and importantly, the people who made them. When Dr. Wheat became the Museum’s first curator of anthropology in 1953, there were seven textiles in the UCM southwestern collection. Today, the southwestern textile collection numbers more than 800 pieces.

Dr. Wheat began his research on southwestern textiles by asking two questions. How are Pueblo, Navajo, and Spanish American textiles different? What features enable us to determine when a textile was made? He found the answers in the use of dyes, wools and weaving techniques as these varied among cultures and changed over time.