Eugene Thaw and his American Indian Art Collection

(Eastern Ojibwa (Anishinaabe) canoe model with figure - image courtesy of Fenimore art museum - http://www.fenimoreartmuseum.org/files/fenimore/collections/thaw/exhibit1/e10024b.htm)

Today was the third day of The Otsego Institute for Native American Art History, and I had the privelege of listening to Euguene Thaw talk about the dedication and passion that he has brought to his collection of American Indian Art which now resides at the Fenimore Art Museum. There are many art pieces from various Native communities across North America: the Northwest Coast, Plains, Woodlands and southern states as well. The open storage system used by the Fenimore is truly of great benefit to see and study the many beautiful and finely-crafted objects in the collection. I will include some notes from Thaw's talk below:
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The Fenimore Art Collection - shows respect to Aboriginal art, as treasures -
I must have some sort of DNA to collect, I had to use my eyes to make decisions, just tourist art now, in my era there were some interesting dealers and good material, I had an advisor (Ted Co) had been director of Nelson-Aitkins museum, retired to Santa Fe and he had brought his examples, he did show called “Sacred Circles” in 1970s

I began to hit the shops - my first experience was to focus on decorative things - I began anything with flagged material, mostly Sioux, violin case beaded. The Sioux would bead anything - beaded like mad.
Sometimes beading was much more identifiable like the Crow, I’ve since forgotten most of it, since I haven’t been collecting much. Once in a while I surprise them.. I’ve lost some of my expertise.. In my most active heyday I bought a piece every 3 days for 10 years. I had some chances to buy whole collections - an art dealer named Richard Faigan (gallery in London and NY) called me - these pieces belonged to the Earl of Elgin, tucked away in the castle attic, in excellent condition. He was governor general of Canada in 1847 - 1852 - it started with a club, with a beautiful head with feather attached, it was on the cover of the Spirit Sings. It was a sensational object for a museum to show. The museum in Scotland bought it. I bought 18 things, in this collection. They are paradigms, models for that period b/c of their excellent condition. The Taylor museum wanted to concentrate on its Southwest Material - both furniture and Indian Pottery, Pueblo material, they wanted to get rid of NWCoast objects. I have the core of the Taylor collection - seminal pieces.

Part of the ethos of collecting - you are never always right. If there is no mistake, you are not a real collector. If there is no risk that turns out badly, then you are not a real collector.

What is it going to take for the world at large to finally get it that Native American Art is a world class art that belongs to the milieu?
Unfortunately, the thing that has to go along with this is money. The other thing that gets people’s attention are prices - nowadays - attention getting prices - 1 million dollars is not what it was but it still gets your attention. A great NWCoast mask gets 1 million dollars today. We live in a celebrity culture so it has a good side also - its getting people’s attention - people in American life respect what costs a lot.

Ethical concerns with collecting Native American Art?
I didn’t find any ethical dimensions to what I was doing - I can’t think of one at the moment.

Drawings were my first collection. In 1946, I use to go see the Phillips collection (Washington)? It was wonderful to spend weekend looking at those things. I studied art history at colombia. I decided to become a dealer - as a dealer I had no money but I had a big room upstairs. I gave Joan Mitchell her first show, American Abstract Artist - de kooning. The first picture I sold was a Kandinsky.


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Do you have a collection? Have you ever visited the Fenimore Art Museum and the Thaw Collection? Feel free to leave a comment below. I hope to post more notes from the conference tommorow!