Hopi House

Hopi House. .

For Mary Colter, [Hopi Housel was an opportunity to re-create the distinctive dwelling of an ancient culture and to acquaint the public with the richness and beauty of Native American art. – Virginia Grattan, Mary Colter: Builder Upon the Red Earth, 1992

Hopi House opened to the public in 1905. In an era when most architects were men, it was Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter's first building. The 36-year-old Colter enlisted the help of local Hopi craftsmen to build Hopi House, using locally quarried stone and wood harvested from the nearby forest. Hopi House was not just a curio store, it was also a place where American Indian artisans lived and worked. Under the watchful eyes of visitors, these artisans would create beautiful jewelry, pottery, blankets, and other items that would then be sold at Hopi House, forging a personal connection to the items visitors purchased there., [Captions (left to right)] , . Colter modeled Hopi House after centuries old villages on the Hopi Reservation. , . Hopi artisans and their families, in exchange for their artwork and demonstrations, received wages and lodging at Hopi House. Today, various tribes demonstrate traditional dance and art, but they are no longer housed here.