Archive of Past Programs

Note: This program is no longer available. Please see Domestic Trips and International Trips for currently available programs.

Hopi Silver Workshop with Michael Kabotie
The Artist's Journey

Printable Itinerary (PDF)

A Learning Vacation Focused on Hopi Culture and Silversmithing

Michael Kabotie, silversmith, painter, and poet, is an innovator in creating contemporary art that reflects traditional Hopi life. He was introduced to silverwork in the late 1950s; today, he continues to produce jewelry using the Hopi overlay technique, but his own distinctive style is apparent in all his work.

Take your own personal artistic journey in this jewelry workshop with Michael Kabotie. Create jewelry using the Hopi overlay technique, and enjoy fascinating conversations about Hopi culture and connections to the landscape.

One-on-one instruction in a small group encourages thought-provoking discussions on art and life and allows you to explore your own creative avenues. Celebrate the artist's journey in this personal and instructive workshop offered at Crow Canyon's campus in the Four Corners, part of ancestral Hopi homelands.

Cultural Travel with an Educational Focus

Learn the techniques and designs of Hopi overlay silversmithing

Explore different Hopi artistic traditions, individual expressions within the Hopi cultural style, and artistic cross-cultural influences

Discover the complex and individualistic nature of art and delve into the connections that art can provide to human spirituality and philosophy

Artist Michael Kabotie Leads Your Artistic Adventure

Michael Kabotie is renowned as a painter and as a silversmith in the Hopi overlay style, a technique developed by his father, Fred Kabotie, and other Hopi artisans in the 1940s and 1950s. Michael works individually and in collaboration. His work is rooted in ancient iconography, but also embraces other artistic and intellectual traditions from around the globe. Michael's work can be found throughout the world, from the Heard Museum in Phoenix, to the British Museum of Mankind in London, and the Galorie Calumet Heidelberg in Germany. With his knowledge of Hopi life and ancestry and his passion for the works of Buddha and Carl Jung, Michael expresses our shared human experience.

Trip Dates and Cost

Sunday, July 27–Saturday, August 2, 2008
Tuition: $1,653; Nonmember tuition: $1,753
Deposit: $400
Balance due: May 27, 2008

Trip Itinerary

Sunday, July 27: Arrival Cortez

Arrive in Cortez and transfer to Crow Canyon campus. Enjoy a welcome dinner and introductions. (D)

Monday, July 28: Techniques • Project Design • Evening Discussion

Mike introduces the techniques of Hopi overlay jewelry. Begin to design your project: a ring, bracelet, or pendant. Inspiration for the design may come from Hopi motifs, ancestral Pueblo motifs, or personal symbols. Enjoy an evening discussion with Scott Ortman, Crow Canyon's research director, on Pueblo designs and linguistics. (B, L, D)

Tuesday, July 29: Sheet Silver Cutting • Field Trip to Goodman Point Community • Introduction to Research and Excavation

Work with delicate saw blades and cut designs from sheet silver. Enjoy working with the group and discussing efforts at artistic expression. Take an afternoon field trip to the Goodman Point Community at the Hovenweep National Monument, where Crow Canyon is currently conducting excavations. Listen to an introduction to Crow Canyon's research and excavation. (B, L, D)

Wednesday, July 30: Soldering • Finishing Process • Free Evening

Learn to solder the cutout design layer to a base layer of silver. Allow Mike to guide the finishing process of filing, sanding, and meticulous buffing. Enjoy a walk on Crow Canyon's campus trails and a free evening. (B, L, D)

Thursday, July 31: New Project • Stone Setting • Field Trip to Notah Dineh

Begin a new project! Learn how to set a stone in a bezel. After lunch, enjoy a field trip to Notah Dineh, a local gallery and trading post that features rugs, pottery, baskets, and jewelry representing many American Indian styles. (B, L, D)

Friday, August 1: Finish Project • Farewell Picnic

Focus on completing projects and reflect on the creative process. Savor a farewell picnic dinner on a dramatic overlook as the sun sets on the distant spires of Monument Valley. (B, L, D)

Saturday, August 2: Departure Cortez

Departures from campus. (B)

Tour Details

General Itinerary: Begins and ends in Cortez, Colorado, with local field trips. The program is based at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center's beautiful 170-acre campus.

Tuition: Tuition is per person and is based on shared accommodations. Tuition includes accommodations, meals listed, and transportation from arrival in Cortez on July 27 until your departure from Cortez on August 2. Transportation to and from Cortez is your responsibility.

Travel Costs: Travel costs to the Crow Canyon campus on July 27 and from the campus on August 2 are not included. For assistance making arrangements, we recommend Travel Management, Inc., in Post Falls, Idaho. E-mail crow@tmitravelnet, or call 800.975.7775 and ask for the Crow Canyon representative. Or, you are welcome to make your own arrangements.

Accommodations: Shared accommodations at the Crow Canyon campus are double occupancy. Our 170-acre campus provides space for relaxing, watching wildlife, walking through the pinyon and juniper woods, and enjoying panoramic mountain views from the rocking chairs on the lodge deck. Accommodations are in comfortable Navajo-style log cabins (hogans). Private rooms are not available and, depending on enrollment, couples might not be housed together. Shared, modern shower and toilet facilities are located in a separate building adjacent to the hogans. You will need to provide your own bedding and towels. Three delicious meals are served every day.

Work at Your Own Pace

All participants will work at their own pace. Some may choose to focus on one or two projects, while others may be able to produce several objects.

Crow Canyon is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to conduct archaeological research and public education programs. Crow Canyon is nationally recognized for the quality of its archaeological research and education programs.

The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center's programs and admission practices are open to applicants of any race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, or sexual orientation.

Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California
CST 2059347-50