LOOK CLOSE SEE FAR A Cultural Portrait of the Maya
The ancient Maya left behind evidence of their great prowess in
mathematics, astronomy, and architecture, as well as enduring written and
oral histories revealing intricate political and social hierarchies and a rich
spiritual system. The Maya never truly disappeared and contemporary Mayan
people strive to maintain their cohesiveness and protect their local traditions
and languages. Their cultural and spiritual identities are fundamentally
intertwined with the land from which they and their ancestors have coaxed
their livelihood. A new exhibit at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology
presents a story of the Maya through the eyes of photographer Bruce T.
Martin. Martin’s compelling images delve into the heart of the forests and
villages in which the Maya have been rooted for generations.
Bruce T. Martin is an American fine art photographer who uses photography to
document the world, explore perceptions, and question our viewpoints. Look
Close See Far, A Cultural Portrait Of The Maya, published by George Braziller,
Inc., NYC, is a collection of images and ideas gathered while traveling throughout
the Maya region of Central America. Since 1987, Martin has taken more than
10,000 photographs over a range of landscapes and attitudes in an attempt to
make a distinctive portrait of this singular culture.
Exhibition closes Spring, 2012
Weaving Generations Together:
Evolving Creativity in the Maya of Chiapas, Mexico
An exhibition co-curated by Patricia Greenfield (author), Kathryn Klein, Ortiz Center Associate Director, and Amy Grochowski, Curator of Education, with photographs by Lauren Greenfield.
The exhibition includes built-in educational family activities to enhance visitor experience by learning about the process of learning and contemporary Maya family life in Chiapas, Mexico. Article (PDF) from Maxwell Museum newsletter about the making of the Maya exhbition. The exhibition is available to travel. For information please contact Dr. Patricia Greenfield at greenfield@psych.ucla.edu or call 310-500-8640. Exhibition closes May, 2012.
Chaco Uncovered: The Field Schools 1929 to the Present
Chaco Uncovered: The Field Schools 1929 to the Present is a visual history of the collaboration between the University of New Mexico and the National Park Service at what is now Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Photos from the 1930s through the 1940s give a rare glimpse into the world of the early field schools. These photographs, taken by field school students, document both the excavations and camp life.
The partnership between these two institutions dates back to the designation of Chaco Canyon as national monument in 1906. While the National Park Service has been responsible for managing Chaco Culture National Historical Park, much of the early archaeological research in Chaco Canyon was done under the auspices of University of New Mexico Department of Anthropology and archived in the collections at the
Maxwell Museum of Anthropology. UNM ran advanced archaeological field schools from 1929 to 1942, with one final post-war session in 1947. Several UNM students went on to careers in the National Park Service, continuing to work in Chaco Canyon, and resulting in the joint 1970-1985 Chaco Project. In 2006, UNM Professors W. H. Wills and Patricia L. Crown began a new phase in the evolving UNM-Chaco relationship. Over a series of summer and fall field seasons, Wills and Crown re-excavated trenches dug in the 1920s during the National Geographic Society’s Pueblo Bonito Expedition. Like the early field school sessions, the recent field schools have involved students from UNM and universities across the country. Hibben Center
Exhibition closes end of February, 2012
