Museum of Indian Arts and Culture

Sun Mountain Gathering returns to Santa Fe for eighth year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 05, 2009

MEDIA CONTACT


 

Native American Music, Dance, Spear Throwing, Pottery Making, and Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Santa Fe, NM(May 1, 2009)—Sun Mountain Gathering, a unique cultural celebration for all ages, returns to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture on Saturday, October 3, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.. Geared to families and free to the public, this annual favorite is filled with activities such as pump drills, arrow making, spear throwing, and pottery making.

Sun Mountain Gathering has been held annually since 2002, is an exploration of Southwestern archaeology and celebrates over 12,000 years of cultural heritage in New Mexico. Native American dancers and musicians will perform throughout the day on spectacular Milner Plaza.

Sun Mountain Gathering has activities for every age and interest. Visitors can learn about archaeology and the ancient technology and traditional arts of Native peoples in the Southwest. Exhibits on archaeology and native foods are planned, along with demonstrations of Native crafts, including pottery making, flint-knapping, friction fire-starting, stone axe use, traditional gardening, and a mock archaeology dig, to name just a few. Visitors will also have an opportunity to learn about traditional arts by trying their hand at forming a coiled pot, making rope from yucca, making and painting a replica of a parfleche, using a traditional pump drill, or making a gourd rattle.

Representatives of Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary will be returning to the Sun Mountain Gathering again this year, affording participants with an opportunity to see and pet a real wolf. In addition, Hawks Aloft will be on hand to present raptor education.

Another main attraction is the Atlatl Range. The atlatl and dart were the first true and natural weapons system of the human race, invented thousands of years before the bow and arrow and used longer by humans than any other weapon system yet developed. Festival visitors may stop by the Atlatl Range to try their hand at spear throwing using replicas of prehistoric atlatls.

Admission to Sun Mountain is Free. There is an admission fee to enter the museum.

For more information about Sun Mountain Gathering the public may call 505-476-1250.

For images from past Gatherings on this site, go to museum info/Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/images and media. 

Media Contacts:

Steve Cantrell, PR Manager

505-476-1144

505-310-3539 - cell

steve.cantrell@state.nm.us

 

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Located on Museum Hill™, the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture shares the beautiful Milner Plaza with the Museum of International Folk Art. Here, Now and Always, a major permanent exhibition at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, combines the voices of living Native Americans with ancient and contemporary artifacts and interactive multimedia to tell the complex stories of the Southwest. The Buchsbaum Gallery displays works from the region’s pueblos. Five changing galleries present exhibits on subjects ranging from archaeological excavations to contemporary art. In addition, an outdoor sculpture garden offers rotating exhibits of works by Native American sculptors.

 

The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

 

Information for the Public

Location: The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is located on Museum Hill™, Camino Lejo off Old Santa Fe Trail.

Information: 505-476-1250 or visit www.indianartsandculture.org

Days/Times: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day the Museum is also open on Monday.

Admission:

Sundays: New Mexico residents with ID are admitted FREE. Students with ID receive a one-dollar discount. Wednesdays: New Mexico resident seniors (60+) with ID are free. Adult single-museum admission is $6 for New Mexico residents, $9 for nonresidents; OR $15 one- day, two museums of your choice (Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Museum of International Folk Art, New Mexico Museum of Art, and Palace of the Governors/New Mexico History Museum) OR $20 four-day pass to five museums (includes all 4 listed above and the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art) Youth 16 and under, New Mexico Veterans with 50% or more disability, and Foundation Members always free. Field Trips: There is no charge for educational groups attending the museum with their instructor and/or adult chaperones. Contact the Tours office by phone at (505) 476-1140 or (505) 476-1211 to arrange class/group visits to the Museum.

Direct flights between Santa Fe and Dallas/Fort Worth are now available on American Eagle.



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