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| - Before you read my review, read David B's. It's much better and more informative. After you finish his, then read mine. Ok? It's because I'm going by memory from 4 years ago and David B. lives in Phoenix and has just been there.
I was born in Scottsdale, went to school in Phoenix and go to Giant's/A's/Angel's/Padre's/Brewer's/Mariner's and now the Dodger's for Spring Training. The desert is in my blood with all of the red sandstone rocks, cactus, roadrunners, and bluebelly lizards. As a child, I would go out and collect boys things... like snakes, crawdads, eggs, aquamarines, agates, spiders, then bring them home to an unhappy Mother. But I also went to school with actual Native-American kids who would wear their cool native clothes and so I got hooked on everything-Indian. Plus, we would go on amazing school field-trips to the local museums. Yea, for getting out of school...
The Heard is known as the other major Phoenix destination besides the Phoenix Arts Museum but I personally feel it is much better. It is world-class in its exhibits of Native American artifacts, such as pottery, katsina dolls, sand paintings, rugs, baskets, textiles, jewelry, blankets, it's all here. If you love American history, especially Indian, you have to come here and soak it all in.
The founders, Dwight and Maie Bartlett, loved their Southwest and therefore collected as much as they could afford, then fulfilled their ultimate dream to share it all with the public in 1929.
Most people don't realize it because not much is taught about them, but our native Indians were so creative and amazing people who had such an artist's heart and desire to express themselves and the Heard really shows their work off to the highest degree. There are 39,000 items of cultural and fine art, including drawings, painting and sculpture. Of all of the possibilities to see when you visit, the core of the collection includes 500 simply incredible Hopi katsini dolls that were on loan from the exclusive Goldwater and Harvey Companies. Ritualistic, religious, complex and often hidden meanings are withheld in each individual katsini and I love them for their mystery. Another exhibit that I love because I am just a big kid is the full-sized Navajo Hogan, the Hopi piki room, the Yaqui ramada and the Pueblo oven. Maybe someday I can sneak in and stay over night.
So, in summary, if you ever visit Phoenix, you have to go to both the Heard and the PAM plus the Taliesin West (I always spell that wrong) building by Frank Lloyd Wright. It isn't all pools, spas, baseball and golf after all.
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