George Gustav Heye Center

George Gustav Heye Center, located in New York City, United States, is a museum that showcases the history and culture of Native American communities, with a collection of over 800,000 objects. The center was founded by George Gustav Heye, a renowned collector of Native American art and artifacts, who also founded the Museum of the American Indian. The museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution and is closely affiliated with the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., which was established through the efforts of Kevin Gover, W. Richard West Jr., and Seneca Nation. The center's collection and exhibitions have been influenced by the work of notable Native American leaders, including Wilma Mankiller, Vine Deloria Jr., and Suzan Shown Harjo.

● History

The history of the George Gustav Heye Center dates back to the early 20th century, when George Gustav Heye began collecting Native American artifacts and art. Heye's collection was initially housed in a museum in New York City, but it later became part of the Smithsonian Institution and was relocated to its current location in Lower Manhattan. The center has undergone several renovations and expansions, including a major renovation in the 1990s led by Douglas Cardinal, a Blackfoot architect. The center's history is closely tied to the history of Native American communities, including the Iroquois Confederacy, Navajo Nation, and Cherokee Nation, and has been influenced by the work of notable historians, including Francis Jennings, Richard White, and N. Scott Momaday.

● Collections

The George Gustav Heye Center has an extensive collection of over 800,000 objects, including Native American art, artifacts, and historical objects. The collection includes objects from Native American communities across North America, including the Inuit of Canada, the Tlingit of Alaska, and the Hopi of Arizona. The center's collection also includes objects related to the history of European colonization of the Americas, including objects from the Viking expeditions to North America and the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. The collection has been influenced by the work of notable collectors, including Edward S. Curtis, Frank Hamilton Cushing, and Matilda Coxe Stevenson, and has been used in research by scholars from institutions such as Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Oxford.

● Exhibitions

The George Gustav Heye Center hosts a variety of exhibitions throughout the year, showcasing the history and culture of Native American communities. The center's exhibitions have included shows on the art and culture of the Native American communities of the Great Plains, the Southwest, and the Northeast. The center has also hosted exhibitions on the history of Native American boarding schools, the Indian Removal Act, and the Trail of Tears. The exhibitions have been curated by notable scholars, including Philip J. Deloria, Paul Chaat Smith, and Jolene Rickard, and have featured objects from the collections of the National Museum of the American Indian, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.

● Architecture

The George Gustav Heye Center is located in a historic building in Lower Manhattan, which was designed by Cass Gilbert, a prominent American architect. The building was originally constructed in the early 20th century as a U.S. Customs House and was later renovated to house the George Gustav Heye Center. The center's architecture is notable for its Beaux-Arts style and its use of granite and limestone in its construction. The building has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been praised by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Kahn, and I.M. Pei.

● Operations

The George Gustav Heye Center is operated by the Smithsonian Institution and is supported by a variety of funding sources, including National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The center offers a variety of educational programs and activities, including guided tours, workshops, and lectures, which are led by scholars from institutions such as Yale University, University of Chicago, and Stanford University. The center also offers fellowships and internships to students and scholars, including the Fulbright Program, National Science Foundation fellowships, and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grants, and has partnerships with organizations such as the Native American Rights Fund, the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, and the National Congress of American Indians. The center's operations are overseen by a board of trustees, which includes notable figures such as Kevin Gover, W. Richard West Jr., and Suzan Shown Harjo, and has been recognized for its excellence by awards such as the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.