The National Mall in Southwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Nora Naranjo-Morse
Santa Clara Pueblo, b. 1953
Always Becoming
Mud mixture (soil, sand, straw, and water), clay, stone, black locust wood, bamboo, yam vines, and pigment.
26/5840
Naranjo-Morse and her family return annually to explore how this family of contemporary clay sculptures, hand-built on site in the summer of 2007, is morphing over time. To the artist, these living art pieces together represent growth, transformation, and Native people's relationships with the land: "Each sculpture speaks to the idea that a sense of self and of place are important."
Moon Woman, on the left, and Mountain Bird, on the right, are now elders. This intergenerational sculptural family speaks to stewardship and the passing of knowledge and traditions. According to the artist, "They represent a past from which we continue to learn. The question becomes, what do we do with this knowledge from the past, and how do we take care of what we have with conscious grace and purpose?"
Erected by Smithsonian Institution.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Environment • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 2007.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby.
this page online
Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It was also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A different marker also named Nora Naranjo-Morse (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Nora Naranjo-Morse (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Cardinal Direction Marker: South (within shouting
Other markers no longer nearby. Lunar Calendars (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named Nora Naranjo-Morse (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Cardinal Direction Marker: South (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Traditional Croplands (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Meadow (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Wingapo (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Broomsedge (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Sunflower Wαdxaweew (wah-ha-way-oh) (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Eastern Redcedar Murαhk (mah-dok) (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Sassafras Winαhk (Wee-nock) (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced with the linked marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 14, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 393 times since then and 7 times this year. Last updated on February 10, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 13, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
