Join museum leadership for a panel discussion with Navajo master weavers Barbara Teller Ornelas and Melissa Cody. 

Event Schedule: 

6:00 PM | Reception begins with light fare on the plaza. Museum open 
6:30 PM | Opening remarks in museum lobby by Autry Museum President & CEO, Stephen Aron, followed by an artist discussion with sixth-generation master weaver Barbara Teller Ornelas and master weaver and textile artist Melissa Cody, moderated by Amanda Wixon, Autry Curator of Native History & Culture. 
7:30 PM | Discussion ends and tours begin.

Rowen Textile Gallery- The Autry Museum 

This rotating exhibition features highlights from the Autry’s textile collection and is co-curated by contemporary Native weavers sharing their expertise and insight. The Autry continues to honor the communities and individuals who have produced these historic pieces and actively collects contemporary works to represent ongoing traditions.

Melissa Cody - Artists - Garth Greenan Gallery

Melissa Cody - Born 1983 in No Water Mesa, Arizona, Melissa S. Cody is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and a 4th generation textile artist. In 2007, she received a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Arts and Museum Studies from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Cody’s career spans over two decades and is recognized for fusing eclectic contemporary themes and traditional Navajo tapestry design. Her weaving style incorporates vivid color schemes and sharp geometric overlay to enhance the appearance of 3-dimensional planes. Her piece Dopamine Dream 2023 is featured in the Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living Exhibition at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. She has exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (2019–20); Rebecca Camacho Presents, San Francisco (2019); Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff (2019); Exploratorium, San Francisco (2019); Heard Museum, Phoenix (2019); MASS Gallery, Austin (2019); SITE Santa Fe (2018–19); Navajo Nation Museum, Window Rock, Arizona (2018); Ingham Chapman Gallery, University of New Mexico, Gallup (2018); Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe (2017–18); Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (2017); and Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas (2014). 

Barbara Teller Ornelas and A Gathering of Weavers - Weaving ...

Barbara Teller Ornelas is a 6th generation Master Navajo weaver who specializes in Two Grey Hills style pieces. She shares her craft with audiences in the form of workshops, lectures, and exhibitions. She and her sister Lynda Teller Peter wrote the book Spider Woman’s Children,” a work delving into the realm of Diné weaving. Raised near the famed Two Grey Hills Trading Post on the Navajo Nation, her father, Sam Teller (1918–2000), was a Navajo trader for thirty-two years, and her mother, Ruth Teller (1928–2014), was a weaver, gardener, quilter and photographer.