|
| INDEX Berkeley was a Blast! Pablita Velarde Award J.J. Brody Honour Award Board Elections NAASA Online into 1999 Letter from the President '99 Topic Proposals 1997-99 Board Member |
Newsletter
Volume XII, No.1 February 1998 J.J. Brody Honour Award Recipient Academic Training, Cooper Union graduation, 1950. Like true art historians, we must have visuals to substantiate history. Since Jerryâs family has no photos of him as a baby, we can only conclude that he began life as a student at The Cooper Union Art Students League in Manhattan where he graduated in 1950 with a Certificate in Fine Arts. Three Cooper Union students. He took his studies very seriously, as you can see. Three Musketeers. He even dressed the part of a budding art historian, although he didnât know it at the time. He wanted to be an artist in New York. Brooklyn Dodgers t-shirt and hat. Jerry returned from the Korean War to attend college in New York. But he found himself in the garment district during rush hour. He couldnât handle it. He just turned around, left, and headed for New Mexico (1954). Shortly after that, his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers, seeing that their biggest fan had gone west, also moved west, to Los Angeles (1957). University of New Mexico Hodgin Hall. Jerry selected University of New Mexico for two reasons: 1) could get an early discharge from Korea if he went to college and university of New Mexico had the earliest available opening, 2) best ratio of men to women. That seemed to be true because the next summer he met Jean, his wife of 41 years. Shortly after he arrived in New Mexico he got hooked on American Indian Art when he went on a dig at Pottery Mound and that was the season that they uncovered the kiva murals. He got a BA with a double major in art and anthropology in 1956. Everhart Museum, Scranton, PA. It was time to get a job. He got his first museum job in Scranton, PA (1957) as the Curator of Art at the Everhart Museum. It was the last time he ever wore a white shirt and tie, but I can see he didnât wear white gloves when handling the artifacts! Jerry at Maxwell Museum gift shop. Jerry wound his way back to New Mexico where he received an MA and a Ph.D. (1970) in art history at University of New Mexico. He was the second Ph.D with a specialty in Native American art history in the U.S. Only Joan Vastokas (1966) with a degree from Columbia preceded him. He began his long and distinguished tow-fold career. 1) He was first Curator and then Director of the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology for 23 years. 2) At the same time he was a professor in both art history and anthropology departments. Native American art was the only art history course cross referenced in the two departments. In the early 70âs he developed a Ph.D. Program in Native American art history, maybe a first in the country. Jerry is now Professor Emeritus, but heâs teaching again this semester (retired 1989). All his books. Never let it be said the man is lazy! These are just some of the books that heâs written, while he held down two jobs. In total, so far, heâs authored or co-authored 12 books. Two painting books. Pueblo painting has been his specialty. He turned his dissertation, which won the prize for the best dissertation at the University of New Mexico, into Indian Painters and White Patrons in 1971. Just this year he published his book Pueblo Indian Painting. He says heâs the only person he knows foolish enough to write the same book twice! Mimbres and Anasazi Painting books. Jerry has broadened the definition of the painted canvas to include painting on rock and on pottery. American Federation of the Arts Mimbres Travelling Show (1983-85). Heâs curated several exhibits on Mimbres pottery, which has been a particular area of research. Mimbres baseball bowl. Jerry admits that this Mimbres bowl had him puzzled for awhile, but he painstakingly studied the motifs on the figure, and he thinks heâs had a major breakthrough. He can now date this pot, which therefore gives one of the few firm dates for the Mimbres culture. Thereâs a faint "B" on the cap. Dodgers caps. Jerry knows that the Dodgers left Brooklyn in AD 1957. Rock Art. Jerry has done a lot of work for the preservation of rock art in the southwest. He continues to record the petroglyphs, especially at Petroglyph National Monument outside Albuquerque. Heâs been very active in rock art awareness education throughout the state. Jean and Jerry on river trip. Jerry and his wife Jean work together. They travel all over recording rock art. China. Jerry has even gone to the far reaches of the earth, looking for Indian art, even where there is no American Indian art. Two exhibit catalogues (guest curated). Jerry has curated in his own museum or guest curated at other museums a total of 21 exhibits. I thought Iâd give you a look at a few of them. University of Pennsylvania show. Pottery show "Beauty from the Earth" at University Museum at Penn in 1991. Hereâs Jean while theyâre selecting pottery. University of Minnesota, Weisman Art Museum, 1996. "To Touch the Past: The Painted Pottery of the Mimbres People" Three Maxwell exhibit catalogues. At home heâs best known for his exhibitions at Maxwell Museum. Jerry in front of Chaco Wall. While director at Maxwell, Jerry oversaw an outstanding exhibit program, but also stimulated the development of important community education programs - an exceptional school program. He instilled the highest standards and ethics in his staff and programs. We all learned and benefitted a lot from his leadership. Chaco Phenomenon exhibit, Maxwell, AMNH. "Chaco Phenomenon" was culmination of 10 years of NPS research exhibit that travelled to a number of venues, including AMNH, New York. Chaco catalogue. I should tell you that tonightâs award is not the first award that Jerry has received. One notable special award came from his staff for his work on "The Chaco Phenomenon". However when I asked his wife, Jean to make a slide of this award, she was puzzled. It seemed that the award somehow never made it home. But I did a bit of sleuthing, and Iâve been able to uncover it. Here it is. "Chaco Phenomenon " Underwear. And so, J.J. Brody, we are pleased to honour you tonight with this award for your lifetime achievement as a scholar of Native American Art History. |