About Us
Welcome to our Hopi arts and crafts website, where we showcase the rich cultural heritage of our people through traditional art forms. Our aim is to promote and preserve Hopi arts and crafts, which have been passed down through generations of Hopi artisans.
Our History
This website was created to give our Hopi artists an additional source of customers and to showcase the beautiful art to potential customers. One goal is to
remmove the middle person(s) and get potential customers into direct contact with our artists. Something we feel is needed as many of our Hopi artists do not have
their own e-commerce websites.
With the tourist restrictions caused by the pandemic, we saw the need to offer this service at no cost to our artists along with serving as a one stop shop for collectors. The site is dynamic and we welcome your suggestions for improvement as we continue to add more artists with a multitude of art forms.
Historically, the Hopi people have produced beautiful art, as with world famous Nampeyo pottery to the most recent forms of digital media. Another world famousform of art is the Kachina doll. Kachina dolls have been a way for the Hopi people to express their artistic skills for many years. Initially, Hopi kachina dolls were not carved as a source of revenue but as gifts. It wasn’t until after World War II that Kachina dolls were specifically carved as a source of revenue (Wright, 2008).
How To Use This Site
This site has a separate page for the various forms of art and within each page, art samples are listed for visitors to click on and learn more about the artist who created the piece(s). Each artist profile showcases their work, clan, village, along with their direct contact information. If artists have a website, that link will also be included.
Please note, some of the art work showcased by each artist may not be available due to market demands. However, many of the artists welcome custom orders and would like to be able to reach a wider audience. Please feel free to explore the artists and provide useful feedback in order to enhance the experience for all. Moreover, new artists are encouraged to complete the form on the New Artist page in order to begin the onboarding process. Thank you for visiting the #buyHopi website.
References: Ridgeway, K. M. (1910). Basketry and Weaving in the Home. Wright, B. (2008). Hopi Kachinas: A Life Force. HOPI NATION: Essays on Indigenous Art, Culture, History, and Law, 12.