The Heard marries rich history with the here and now AT THE VALLEY’S MOST VENERABLE MUSEUM, IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT’S NEW When my mom and I moved to Arizona (in year I don’t want to mention; think big hair, neon and wanting your MTV), one of the first things we did was visit the Heard Museum. That’s because the Heard, even back in the New Wave era, was up there with the Grand Canyon as one of the state’s major must-sees. If it seems like the Heard has been here forever, that’s because it basically has. The museum is celebrating its 90 th anniversary this upcoming year as the preeminent collection of Native American art, culture and history. But as the Heard hits this milestone, the conversation isn’t about its history — it’s about its future. First, some context, courtesy of the Heard’s director and CEO, David Roche. This will make a lot of sense when you think about it, but museums are having to change. In this era of instant entertainment, when you can see any image in the world in your hand within seconds, museums are having to adapt to become more interactive, inviting and interesting. For the Heard and for many cultural institutions, this reality intersected with the economic downturn of the late 2000s. Not only did people have less money to give and spend, there was the rise of smartphones and tablets. As a result, museums had to figure out new ways to stay in the public consciousness and ingrain themselves in their communities. So the Heard’s leadership decided the museum’s entire mission would have to change. It was going to have to be about more than just celebrating Native American art. “We are and continue to be all of the things people love about the Heard Museum. There’s nothing like the Heard anywhere else in the world, which I think makes us very special,” Roche said. “When I got here about 3½ years ago, we worked on a new strategic plan and direction for the museum that emphasizes advancing American Indian art, but also looking at the intersection of American Indian art with broader artistic and cultural themes.” That’s why over the past few years, after opening a new 7,000-square-foot Grand Gallery, the Heard has been more ambitious about its shows and exhibitions. The big ones so far have been the 28 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019 NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve} Tom Evans | Contributing Editor

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibition in 2017 and “Yua: Henri Matisse and the Inner Arctic Spirit” in late 2018 and early 2019. Both exhibitions called upon non-Native American artists who are widely known, and intertwined their work with the Native American theme. And both shattered attendance records for the museum. “It’s unexpected to find these shows at the Heard Museum, but I mean that in the best possible way,” Roche said. “People are figuring out that there’s a lot going on at the Heard and some of it is different, and it’s giving people a reason to come back.” Roche said that people may have thought the Heard was “sleepy” around the time he came on board, but today, the museum’s membership is at a 10-year high. In the past year, the museum opened 10 new exhibitions and produced more than 150 programs. “It’s really part of a larger conversation with museums in the 21 st century — it’s a whole new ballgame,” he said. “There’s a clear mandate that If you haven’t been to the Heard in a while, it’s time to visit again. AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 29 UPCOMING HEARD MUSEUM EXHIBITS Still Life No. 3: Raven Chacon | Opened July 5 Chacon is a contemporary artist who works with sound installations, timed light and text. Through the Lens of Barry Goldwater Opening Sept. 20 The exhibition features prints from Arizona Sen. Barry M. Goldwater’s color slide collection, which was donated to the Heard Museum by his son Michael Goldwater in 1993. David Hockney’s Yosemite and Masters of California Basketry | Opening Oct. 28 The exhibition combines Native American basket work in the Yosemite Valley with a celebrated artist of contemporary times. Maria Hupfield: Nine Years Towards the Sun Opening Dec. 6 This solo exhibition of Canadian/Anishinaabek artist Maria Hupfield will feature more than 40 works by the conceptual performance artist.