Week one experience: Art

Taking a look at art is important in understanding any culture. I took the North American Indian Art course in the spring, and while it was a good class, I feel I did not truly learn everything I needed. This past week I have felt those jumbled bits and pieces of information I had been given—sometimes out of context—begin to come together. What I learned in that class started to have relevance.
Tuesday night we visited the home of Doug and Sharilyn Young, who hosted us for dinner. Upon walking into the house, I was in awe. The Youngs’ collection of Native American Art is remarkable. Just looking around, I saw some pieces that seemed familiar from slides in class and photos from readings. With Doug and Sharilyn’s tour around their home, the art was given a more meaningful context. The entire visit made the art class I took in the spring way less abstract. It was truly an experience like no other.