MARCH 2024 (TUALATIN, OREGON) – Hartmann&Forbes, award winning maker of sustainable natural window and wall coverings, is honored to announce its collaboration with the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC) for Spring 2024. Invited to view the Museum’s extensive textile, basketry, and pottery collections, Hartmann&Forbes selected four objects from which to reimagine in a range of modern windowcoverings. Each design is jacquard-handloomed and inspired by a different Native craft tradition: basketry, pottery, and weaving. This collaboration with the Museum pays homage to the natural materials and design motifs integral to the Hopi, Yurok, Diné (Navajo), and Pueblo peoples, and it is their hope that these interpretations honor the creative conversations between the maker and the objects. 

“As we collaborate with the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, an institution dedicated to sharing the rich tapestry of artistic and cultural traditions of the diverse peoples of the Native Southwest, our shared vision is melded into the fabric of a handwoven window covering collection—a testament to our mutual commitment to the pursuit of timeless beauty and meaningful connection,” explains Rebecca Welch, Director of Product Development. 

A portion of this collection’s proceeds supports MIAC and its mission.

WOVEN-TO-SIZE GRASSWEAVE WINDOWCOVERINGS

Starlight – The Starlight series reimagines a turn-of-the-century storage basket from California’s Yurok tribe. Jacquard-handloomed of ramie, the elemental motif evokes the timeless symbolism of a star-filled sky, serving as a guide for explorers and travelers alike.

Sky Ladder – Inspired by a 1940s Navajo wool saddle blanket, Sky Ladder is defined by a series of hexagonal shapes descending in vertical bands with delicate diamonds for artful detail. Jacquard-handloomed of ramie, its rich texture complements the tone-on-tone beauty, while the ladder-shaped motif symbolizes the rider’s journey along rivers and under the cloud-filled sky.

Waterlines – Waterlines draws inspiration from a 1977 Pueblo pottery jar made for carrying water. Woven of ramie on a jacquard-handloom, its geometric honeycomb pattern in a two-tone palette captures the elegant simplicity of interlocking circles formed when water swirls around river rocks. 

Passages – A 1960s Hopi woven bowl made of yucca leaves inspired Passages. Ramie is jacquard-handloomed in a rhythmic rectilinear pattern that draws references to the original conversation between the maker and the basket. The tactile weave softens the crisp geometry while evoking the intricate look of basketry.