International Jazz Day at PGM

Celebrate International Jazz Day at Pueblo Grande Museum with a weekend of events dedicated to Native American jazz!

April 27 - noon to 1 p.m.

Did you know that Arizona produced one of the most celebrated and talented jazz musicians of the twentieth century? Celebrate International Jazz Day at Pueblo Grande Museum with a special presentation on Pima Jazz– The Life and Musical Legacy of Russell ‘Big Chief’ Moore by J. Andrew Darling.

Discover the fascinating career of the late Russell ‘Big Chief’ Moore, an influential jazz trombonist and Gila River Indian Community member. Moore’s career includes performances with Lionel Hampton, Papa Celestin, Frank Sinatra, and Billie Holiday. Andrew Darling traces Moore’s journey from Gila Crossing to playing with Territorial bands in the Jim Crow South, Big Band's in Los Angeles, New York, and Kansas City and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars throughout the USA,Europe, and Asia. Darling will share unpublished images, videos, and sound clips of this important O’odham jazz musician and activist for Native Americans in the popular arts.

In November 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics,and jazz enthusiasts all over the world to celebrate and learn about jazz and its roots, future and impact; raise awareness of the need for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding; and reinforce international cooperation and communication.

This presentation is free and open to the public.

April 29 - 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy a special presentation by R. Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman on Sunday, April 29 at

6:30 p.m. at Pueblo Grande Museum. In a special one-hour event, Nakai and Clipman will perform music from their Grammy-nominated album, Awakening the Fire.

The soothing tones of the Native American flute and the rhythms of pan-global drums and percussion will create a sonic odyssey that awakens energy and inspires harmony. Experience the magic of traditional flute and ethnic drums as their sound reverberates off a thousand-year old Hohokam platform mound in an outdoor, twilight concert on the patio of the Museum.

After the presentation, guests can meet the artists, take pictures with them, and purchase merchandise. Guests can also enjoy light refreshments provided by Julie's Catering. Advanced tickets are $15 plus fees available online only, or $20 the day of, available in the Museum Store only. NO REFUNDS

This "Meet the Artist" presentation, part of a Fall and Spring concert series, was made possible by the collaborative efforts of Canyon Records, a local independent record label, and the Pueblo Grande Museum Auxiliary. This partnership is a continuation of the recent One World, Many Voices: The Artistry of Canyon Records exhibition of photography, music and concerts from the artists of Canyon Records.

Proceeds from this fundraising event benefit the Pueblo Grande Museum Auxiliary, a 501(c)3 charitable organization which supports the education, preservation, and interpretive mission of the Museum.

PGM Artifact of the Month: March 2018

This week Pueblo Grande Museum Curator of Collections, Lindsey Vogel-Teeter will be doing a special Behind the Scenes Tour focused on the "The Stories Pots Tell", in honor of our current changing exhibit, Fragments: Broken Bowls Tell More Tales.

During this tour, guests will have a chance to see a variety of pottery pieces, whole vessels and fragments! To give everyone a taste of some of the wonderful kinds of pieces that will be on this upcoming tour, here is a "prize" piece from our collection that is not often seen and has a great story to tell!

Meet 2016.11-E7479-2 & 2016.11-E7479-3

This wedding vase, by well known Maricopa potter Ida Redbird from the Gila River Indian Community, is over 18 inches tall! It also has two  prize ribbons. One from the 1950 Arizona State Fair, and one from the 1963 Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup, New Mexico.

A true piece of Arizona History.

A Visit from the Henan Museum!

On February 7, 2018, Pueblo Grande Museum Curator of Collections, Lindsey Vogel-Teeter and City Archaeologist, Laurene Montero provided a tour for some very special guests from the Henan Museum in China.

These special guests were in town visiting their collection which is currently on display at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in northern Phoenix. The exhibit, Ancient Musical Treasures from Central China: Harmony of the Ancients from the Henan Museum features "9,000 years of Chinese musical history with a spectacular collection of ancient musical and archaeological treasures on display for the first time in the United States." This exhibit will be at the MIM  until May 6, 2018.

While here visiting their collection, the Henan Museum representatives wanted to explore some of the areas local cultural and archaeological history. Lindsey and Laurene provided them with tours of the Pueblo Grande archaeological site, sharing the archaeological significance of the Hohokam and how the Museum cares for these artifacts.

Our special guests remarked on what a wonderful time they had and how much they enjoyed learning about the remarkable achievements of the Hohokam and importance of their role in settling the Southwest. 

PGM Artifact of the Month

Meet PGM Artifact of the Month

2015-05-1-1

In honor of our Arizona Scitech Festival lectures series theme this month of Findings from Fragments, we've chosen to share this adorable, small, Red-on-buff jar which was found in a midden (trash pile) during a testing project in central Phoenix.

Findings From Fragments

Arizona Scitech Festival Lecture SeriesFindings from Fragments:
Archaeological Discoveries Through Pottery

As part of the 7th Annual Arizona Scitech Festival, Pueblo Grande Museum will be hosting Findings from Fragments: Archaeological Discoveries Through Pottery, a free lecture series presented each Friday in February at noon. These 45-minute lunch time lectures are open to the public and compliment PGM's newest exhibit, Fragments: Broken Bowls Tell More Tales. Explore the science of pottery production and archaeological research done on pottery sherds to reconstruct history and form new ideas on prehistoric cultures and traditions during these presentations. 

This lecture series is sponsored in part by the Phoenix Chapter of the Arizona Archaeology Society, the Arizona Archaeological Council, and the Pueblo Grande Museum Auxiliary.

February 2, 2018
Artificial Intelligence and the Classification of Ancient Southwestern Pottery
Speakers: Chris Downum, Professor of Anthropology at Northern Arizona & Leszek Pawlowicz, Associate Practitioner in the Department of Anthropology at Northern Arizona 
University

Are machines (computers that can analyze digital images of pottery) potentially more reliable than humans when it comes to identifying ceramic types? Explore the answer with Downum and Pawlowicz as they present results of recent experiments evaluating the utility of deep learning / artificial intelligence to the classification of ancient decorated pottery fragments from Northern Arizona.  

February 9, 2018
Sherds and Social Boundaries in Central Arizona
Speaker: Chris Watkins, Senior Archaeologist, North Wind Resource Consulting

How did people accustomed to living in small communities get along in larger populations? Were settlements friendly with one another? How did they avoid conflicts? People who think of themselves as part of the same social groups, that also know each other well, tend to cooperate and form long-lasting peaceful alliances. Sherds can help determine which people maintained close social relationships, and whether groups shared common identities such as a religion.  Watkins addresses these question by specifically discussing sherds and social boundaries from 14th century central Arizona, including Perry Mesa and the Verde Valley.

February 16, 2018
Paddle and Anvil Pottery Production
Speakers: Ron Carlos, Maricopa Potter and Jacob Butler, Onk Akimel O’Odham Artist

In this presentation, Jacob Butler will discuss the different tools and methods used in the production of paddle and anvil pottery. From sourcing and processing the clay, to forming, painting, and firing the pottery This style of pottery making is unique and indicative of the southern Arizona tribes; i.e. Maricopa, Pima, Tohono O'Odham. Ron Carlos will demonstrate the use of the pottery tools while he creates a small clay pot during the presentation. All of Jacob and Ron's pottery is constructed from all natural materials. The clays and pigments are hand dug and hand processed into a workable paste. They will also talk about how the vessels are wood fired in an open pit using mesquite and/or cottonwood bark.

February 23, 2018
The Origins of Pottery in Arizona
Speaker: Chris Garraty, Assistant Director of Cultural Resources at Logan Simpson  

The archaeological study of ceramic fragments provides a wealth of information about the lives of ancient people in Arizona. From customs, technologies, and food preferences, to artisan crafting practices, gender roles, and patterns of exchange, to views of religion, cosmologies, and many other important topics. Garraty discusses the results from recent archaeological studies of ceramic fragments that highlight the origins of pottery and ceramic technology in Arizona.

January Artifact of the Month

In celebration of 2018 being the Year of the Dog...

Meet PGM January Artifact of the Month 2015-33-023!

This shell coyote effigy is in the late stages of being carved and may have been intended to be a pendant. 

Even though the Hohokam lived in the desert, they were very well known for their beautifully carved shell jewelry. 

You can see more examples of their artistry on display in the galleries at PGM.

Fourth Grade Fans

"Miraculous" "Special" "Awesome" "Knowledgeable" "Grateful"

We love hearing about people's experiences here at Pueblo Grande Museum. Especially when they come with crayon illustrations!

Thank you to the 4th grade class from Mesa Academy who sent their Docents some super fun and very complimentary letters about what they liked most during their visit. We love our volunteer Docents too, and it's because of them that we can offer such great experiences to the thousands of school children that visit Pueblo Grande annually.