Acknowledgments

Townsend, Richard F.

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Acknowledgments

Richard F. Townsend (Editor)

The Ancient Americas: Art from Sacred Landscapes

The question of understanding a new, unfamiliar, cultural and geographic setting has deep personal roots for me, from the time in 1947 when my parents moved from the United States to Mexico to write and illustrate children’s books. This marked the beginning of travels to monuments and landscapes that reflect that country’s extraordinary history and scenic presence. These acknowledgments therefore begin with my parents, Charles Townsend and Ellis Credle. My first encounters with the remains of …

Author

Richard F. Townsend (Editor)

PublisherArt Institute of Chicago

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00118.003

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-14428

Acknowledgments

The question of understanding a new, unfamiliar, cultural and geographic setting has deep personal roots for me, from the time in 1947 when my parents moved from the United States to Mexico to write and illustrate children’s books. This marked the beginning of travels to monuments and landscapes that reflect that country’s extraordinary history and scenic presence. These acknowledgments therefore begin with my parents, Charles Townsend and Ellis Credle. My first encounters with the remains of past civilizations have always seemed inextricably linked to the shapes of the earth and the annual change from the dry to the rainy seasons. The years I have spent in travel and research since then have led from the United States Southwest to Peru and Bolivia, and are the basis of the approach that underlies this exhibition and book.

The development, over six years, of “The Ancient Americas: Art from Sacred Landscapes” has been a cooperative undertaking by people from many nations. Reflecting this experience, these acknowledgments include high government officials and museum personnel, teachers, colleagues, and many others who expressed their support and goodwill in myriad conceptual, practical, and hospitable ways. The opportunity to meet and work with these talented and generous individuals has been profoundly meaningful, continually reminding me of the importance of friendship and the universal, positive impulse to build constructive connections between our diverse communities. These lines of thanks strive for what is probably impossible: to embrace all who have contributed to the formation of this cultural endeavor, even though space does not allow me to include a full list.

In 1987, The Art Institute of Chicago received a letter from Ruth Berenson, of the National Endowment for the Arts, eliciting ideas for projects for the 1992 Quincentennial Year. My proposal for an international exhibition addressing the ancient relationship of society and nature was enthusiastically endorsed; to her, and to William P. Glade of the United States Information Agency and Marsha Semmel of the National Endowment for the Humanities, I owe special thanks. Positive discussions followed with scholars, museum directors, and cultural officials in many countries. I reiterate here my personal thanks to all those named by The Art Institute of Chicago’s President and Director, James N. Wood, in his foreword; many more played critical roles in the development of this project.

In Mexico, we are especially thankful to Fernando Solana, Secretary of Foreign Relations, Javier Barros Valerio, Undersecretary of Foreign Relations, and Alfonso de Maria y Campos, General Director of Cultural Affairs. Jorge Alberto Lozoya, Technical Secretary of the President’s Cabinet, offered strong support from the outset, and Consul Alejandro Carrillo Castro, in Chicago, and former Cultural Attaché Argentina Terán were also unfailingly helpful. Warm expressions of gratitude go to the Director of the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, Rafael Tovar y de Teresa, and former Director Victor Flores Olea; to Oscar González, National Coordinator of Special Projects and Cultural Exchanges; and to Miriam Kaiser, Director of International Exhibitions, and her assistant, Cecilia Chavez. Roberto Garcia Moll, Director of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), kindly received us on many occasions. Mario Vásquez Rubalcava, National Coordinator of Museums and Exhibitions, offered welcome counsel on the installation during his visit to Chicago. I am very grateful to Mari Carmen Serra Puche, Director of the National Museum of Anthropology; my long-standing friend and colleague Felipe Solis Olguin, Aztec Curator; and Marcia Castro Leal, Olmec Curator and Commissioner for the “Ancient Americas” exhibition. Eduardo Matos Moctezuma enthusiastically approved the participation of the Museo del Templo Mayor. At the Museo de las Intervenciones, Director Mónica Cuevas and Conservator María Luisa Franco helped us, as did Consuelo Maquevar, Director of the Museo del Virreinato in Tepotzotlán, and former Director Manuel Verumen. I am grateful to Roberto Gallegos, Director of the archaeological zone of Teotihuacan. Also to be thanked are the Governor of Veracruz, Dante Delgado Rannauro; and, at the Universidad Veracruzana, Rector Salvador Valencia Carmona, General Coordinator Félix Báez Jorge, and Director of Research José Velasco Toro. At the Museo Arqueológico de Xalapa, Director José Luis Melgarejo Vivanco courteously conducted us through the astonishing exhibit. Julio César Javier Quero, Director of the Instituto de Cultura de Tabasco, enlightened me on the educational programs of regional museums. Beatriz de la Fuente, of the Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas, was an especially effective and friendly supporter, as was Miguel León-Portilla, Mexican Ambassador to unesco. Jorge Huft’s knowledge of architecture and love of travel made our visits to Mexico delightful.

The first to endorse Guatemalan participation were Marta Regina de Fahsen, former Vice-Minister of Culture and Sports, and Dora Guerra de Gónzalez, Director of the Museo Nacional de Antropología, who was most helpful in discussing pieces for the exhibition with me and with essayists Juan Antonio Valdés and Mary Ellen Miller. My visits to Guatemala were also fruitful because of the cooperation of Karl H. Krause Forno and Flavio Rojas Lima, former Vice-Ministers of Culture and Sports; former Minister Roberto Obarrio; the present Minister, Autulio Castillo Barajas; Vice-Minister, Eduardo Meneses Coronado; and Miguel Alvarez and Beatriz Diaz de Soto, former and present Directors, respectively, of the Instituto de Antropología e Historia de Guatemala. In Chicago, I am grateful to Consul José Luis Aparicio.

Clemencia Plazas, Director of the Museo del Oro del Banco de la República, and Lina María Peréz de Gaviria, of the Instituto Colombiano de Cultura, attended the planning conference and continued to provide generous assistance with the Colombian segment of our show. The staff members of the Museo del Oro provided us with meaningful counsel and publications concerning their educational endeavors. I appreciate the assistance of Carlos Valencia Goelkel, former Director of the Instituto Colombiano de Cultura; the reflections of Germán Arciniegas, Chief of the Colombian Commission for the Five-Hundredth Anniversary festivities; and the observations of Luis Dúque Gómez, Director of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología. My conversations in Bogotá with Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff, of the University of California, Los Angeles, helped to focus on the Tairona culture in the exhibition and publication. My thanks also go to the vivacious Carolina Valencia, who worked so creatively at The Art Institute of Chicago in the formative period of this exhibition; in 1986–87, she taught an Art Institute course that became a first model for the “Ancient Americas” educational program; I would also like to thank Hernando Valencia and Hernando Valencia, Jr. The project received expressions of support from Ambassador Victor Chaux Mosquera. In Chicago, Consul Alvaro Cabrera assisted in processing the Colombian agreements.

In Ecuador, my initial conversations with María del Carmen Zaldumbide, former Director of the Museos del Banco Central in Quito, were instrumental in affirming the cooperative relationship established at our planning conference with José Jaramillo Breilh, former Director of the Instituto Nacional del Patrimonio Cultural. My first trip there was cut short by the earthquake of 1988, but the warmth of subsequent communications more than made up for the interrupted initial contact. Rodrigo Pallares Zaldumbide, the present Director of the Museos del Banco Central, and Olaf Holm, Director of the Museo Antropológico del Banco Central in Guayaquil, worked to ensure the loan of pieces never before displayed abroad. Curator Rosangela Adoum was fundamental in administering these loans. I am most grateful to Sergio Durán Pitarque, Vice-Director of the Museos del Banco Central; Alfonso Ortiz Crespo, former Director of the Instituto de Patrimonio Cultural; and María Silva, former Head of the Department of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History, within that institution. Consul Ivan Aulestra in Chicago was also helpful.

Hermilio Rosas la Noire, Director of the Museo de Anthropología in Lima, was unfailingly supportive of the exhibition concept from our first conversation in 1988; his courtesy and patient guidance were indispensable. Federico Kauffmann Doig, Director of the Instituto de Arqueología Amazónica, enthusiastically offered hospitality, as well as ideas and practical help in first shaping the project. The commitment of Francisco Iriarte Brenner, former Director of the Patrimonio Cultural Monumental de la Nación, was fundamental in securing the required approvals; Pedro Gjuranovich, Director of the Instituto Nacional de Cultura, endorsed our later presentations. Luis Nieri Galindo, whose deep interest in the ancient cultures of his homeland are reflected in the splendid books published by his institution, the Banco de Crédito del Peru, was steadfast in his support. Fernando Cabieses, former Director, Instituto Nacional de Cultura, played an especially positive and meaningful role in advancing the project in Lima. Thanks are also due to Isabel Larco Hoyle, Director of the Museo Arqueológico; Rafael Larco Herrera; Rosa Amano, Director of the Museo Amano; and Walter Alva, Director of the Museo Bruning, Lambayeque. Betty Benavides ensured project continuity with highly effective help, advice, and friendship. Special acknowledgment is owed our friend Mariella Agois, who, as a graduate assistant at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, helped to prepare the first project proposals submitted to the National Endowments. We are grateful as well to Jaime Cacho Sousa, Undersecretary of Tourism and Cultural Affairs in the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores; and Consul Carlos Gonzalez, and former Consul Mariano García Godos in Chicago.

The goodwill and cooperation of our Bolivian colleagues led to some of the most rewarding experiences in the preparation of the exhibition. Never before has there been the opportunity to present to a broad public major works from the archaeological site of Tiwanaku. From 1988 on, Carlos Ponce Sanginés, Director of the Centro de Estudios Tiwanaku, was generous with his knowledge and enthusiasm. Oswaldo Rivera Sundt, former Director of the Instituto Nacional de Arqueología, was unfailingly and exceptionally helpful in the years that followed; his profound belief in the history of his homeland gave his friendship and commitment to the project a special intensity. I am also indebted to Enrique Gonzáles Ayres for his friendly support. Julio César Velásquez Alquizaleth, Director of the Museo Nacional de Arqueología, was unfailingly courteous and generous. Gonzalo Iñiguez Vaca Guzmán, Director of the Museo de Metales Preciosos Precolombinos, enthusiastically guided me in selecting works from that exceptionally fine collection, and provided admirable assistance with our subsequent requests and visits. Former Minister of Education Enrique Ipiña Melgar; the current Minister, Edim Céspedes, and Mario Beldoya Ballivián, Director of the Instituto Boliviano de Cultura, warmly endorsed Bolivian participation, as did Waldo Michel Villamor, Subdirector, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, and Federico Calero Deheza, Subdirector, Dirección Nacional de Turismo. Susana Seleme, Private Secretary to the President, was most gracious. I also extend thanks to Pedro Querejazu, former Director of the Museo Nacional de Arte; to Rita Solar de Aramayo, President, Amigos de los Museos; and to Mario Mercado, for enlarging my understanding of the artistic heritage of La Paz. Lupe Rivera was an especially responsive ally; her positive outlook, sense of humor, and strong sense of friendship helped to communicate the intent of the project and gain the support of many. To Valeria Paz, who volunteered at the Art Institute, I owe affectionate thanks.

Our exhibition project in Bolivia was aided immeasurably by the directors of one of the most important and significant archaeological projects in the Americas: the excavations at Tiwanaku. Led by Oswaldo Rivera, of the Instituto Nacional de Arqueología, and Alan Kolata, of the University of Chicago, these investigations have underscored the fundamental importance of that ancient city in Andean history. Our visits to the site and its satellite settlements are among my most memorable experiences, and the loan of newly excavated works calls attention to the ongoing process of recovery and interpretation. In Chile, Miguel Giannoni Cervellino, Director of the Museo de Atacama, endorsed the loan of rare Inca figurines, which accompany a similar set from the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural in Santiago.

During the past five years of steady work, we received invaluable help from a number of scholars. Alan Kolata’s warm friendship and recommendations facilitated the essential connection between the Art Institute and Bolivian institutions. Johan Reinhard generously provided unique pictures and information from his South American discoveries. David Carrasco, of the University of Colorado at Boulder, gave us information on Amerindian myth and religion that we incorporated into our exhibition presentation. My 1988 meeting with J. J. Brody took place at the remote archaeological site of Three Rivers, where petroglyphs incised on boulders portray ancient connections between man, spirit, and nature. Mary Ellen Miller, of Yale University, made a crucial visit to Guatemala to work on the selection of exhibition objects. Christopher Donnan of UCLA provided an introduction to Walter Alva, Director of the Museo Bruning. Tom Zuidema, of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, undertook a long journey to Colombia and Ecuador to begin the process of selecting works for the exhibition.

Curator Diana Fane, of The Brooklyn Museum, helped to secure especially rare objects, as did Elizabeth H. Boone, Director of Dumbarton Oaks Center for Pre-Columbian Studies. Curator Charles Stanish, of the Field Museum of Natural History, most generously offered excellent pieces from this institution’s extensive collections, as did Rosemary Joyce of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University, and Curator Craig Morris and his assistant Barbara Conklin of the American Museum of National History. Pamela Hearne, Keeper at the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, kindly helped to identify works of special interest, as did Curator Nancy Rosoff of the National Museum of the American Indian. Curators Robert Stroessner and Gordon McEwan offered a tour of the collections of The Denver Art Museum and provided invaluable assistance. Cameran Castiel, Exhibition Officer of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., dispensed welcome advice. Gail Martin and James Reid guided us to important textiles for the exhibition. Michael Kan, Deputy Director of The Detroit Institute of Arts, facilitated a late loan request; and Evan H. Turner, Director of the Cleveland Museum of Art, and Curator Margaret Young responded most supportively to our needs. Assistant Keeper Elizabeth Carmichael of the British Museum endorsed the loan of major objects. Dr. Gerhard Baer, Director of the Museum für Völkerkunde, Basel, approved our request for an exceptional Aztec piece. Allen Wardwell, first curator of Primitive Art at The Art Institute of Chicago, provided expertise in evaluating our loan list for Federal Indemnity, as did Stacy Goodman, of Sotheby’s. In Chicago, Bibiana Suarez, formerly of the School of the Art Institute, was invaluable in finding Mariella Agois, Laura González, and Norma Rosso, staff members without whom this project would never have been realized. The financial contribution of Gilda and Hank Buchbinder helped make possible the 1988 planning conference.

Many dedicated employees of the U.S. Foreign Service aided the exhibition in innumerable ways in our embassies abroad. In Mexico, Ambassador John Negroponte and Cultural Attaché John Dwyer were extremely helpful. A special expression of friendship and gratitude is extended to Bertha Cea, adviser to the Cultural Attaché; her lively interest and thoughtful support were indispensable at all stages of the project. In Guatemala, I am grateful to Cultural Attaché Joan McKniff and James and Sandra Brady; in Ecuador, Jerome Oeten offered welcome suggestions; in Peru, I am indebted to Cultural Attachés Charla Saylor Hatton, Melvin Carraga, and Carol Wilder. In Bolivia, I wish to thank Ambassador and Mrs. Edward Rowell, Ambassador Robert S. Gelbard, and Ambassador Richard C. Bowers; USIA officer Robert J. Callahan; and Cultural Attachés Roy Glover, Thomas R. Carmicheal, Thomas Mesa, and Kimberly King. An expression of gratitude goes to Cultural Attaché Inez Kerr in Chile. These and many other Foreign Service staff members ably facilitated our numerous communications.

At The Art Institute of Chicago, the staff of the Department of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas must be at the head of the list of those I wish to thank. Their spirit of cooperation, creative input, and ability to orchestrate complex tasks under conditions of extreme pressure were deciding factors in the outcome of the project. Joanne Berens designed the workspace that was to become our headquarters. Mariella Agois patiently typed the original project proposals. Rafael Chacón and Laura González arranged the 1988 conference and worked tirelessly for two more years on all aspects of organization. Linda Morimoto enthusiastically assisted with the conference and much correspondence. Preparator Jacqueline Johnson undertook with aplomb the management of loan lists and installation schedules and assumed a critical role in the handling and installation of the works of art in the show. Anne King, our department secretary, kept the multiple functions of our office in order and maintained the pressured schedule of appointments and typing with an unvarying calm and sense of humor. Charmaine Picard admirably and efficiently performed a range of exacting tasks. Pablo Helguera and Carlos Fuentes assisted with translation and correspondence, and volunteers Adam Jolles and Mary McVicker were also most helpful.

The arrival of Norma Rosso and Colin McEwan in 1989 signaled the creation of a new management structure that permitted exceptionally efficient coordination of this undertaking. Ms. Rosso’s sphere of activities included supervising the book and the educational program, as well as overseeing correspondence and translation. Mr. McEwan’s work as an archaeologist in South America gave him the expertise to negotiate arrangements and to travel and meet with our project partners abroad. His creative thought is woven into many aspects of this project. Ms. Rosso and Mr. McEwan collaborated on the innovative teaching kits to be disseminated in the United States and in Latin America. I am profoundly grateful to them for the intelligence, perseverance, and imagination with which they saw to their myriad and, at times, overwhelming responsibilities. The project’s realization and success is due, in large part, to the heroic and exceptional effort made by them and my staff.

There are many to thank on the extraordinary staff of the Publications Department for the production of this book, beginning with the wise and tactful Susan F. Rossen, Executive Director. The fine eye and rigorous, constructive suggestions made by Katherine Houck Fredrickson; the everlasting patience and meticulous craftsmanship of copy editors Carol Jentsch and Manine Golden; and the computer skills of Cris Ligenza and Bryan Miller: all ensured the book’s high quality.

Elizabeth P. Benson edited the catalogue essays with the intellectual rigor and knowledge gleaned from a lifetime of experience in the pre-Columbian field; she was ably assisted by Mary Glowacki. Photographers Dirk Bakker, Justin Kerr, Kent Bowser, Flor Garduño, and Gabriel Figueroa Flores undertook arduous travel schedules to obtain many of the splendid illustrations. I am grateful to the catalogue essayists, listed on the title page and table of contents, for their illuminating contributions. Kathryn Deiss translated the Spanish essays into English with admirable perspicacity. Elizabeth de la Ossa and her group worked diligently and sensitively to translate the massive English manuscript into Spanish. I also wish to thank Deborah Morrow and Jack Meyers of the J. Paul Getty Trust for their unflagging support of a Spanish edition and valuable suggestions when the going got rough, as well as Tomás Ybarra-Frausto and Roberta Arthurs of the Rockefeller Foundation. My thanks also go to Michael Maegraith of Prestel Verlag, Munich, for his unwavering interest in the project. Last, but not least, I wish to acknowledge the exceptional talent and eye of the book’s designer, Ed Marquand, and the hard work of his gifted staff.

I am particularly grateful to James N. Wood, President and Director of The Art Institute of Chicago, for his friendship, thoughtfulness, and quiet encouragement during the conceptualization, preparation, and presentation of the “Ancient Americas.” This project could never have been realized without the involvement and support of many others at this museum, too numerous to name here. I deeply appreciate the expertise and contributions of Dorothy Schroeder, the pragmatic Assistant Director for Exhibitions and Budget; Mary Solt, Executive Director of Museum Registration; William R. Leisher, Executive Director of Conservation; Larry Ter Molen, Executive Vice President for Development and Public Affairs; and Mary Jane Keitel, Director of Government Affairs and Foundation Relations, and Eileen Harakal, Executive Director of Public Affairs. Special thanks also go to Reynold Bailey and his art installation crew; and to Barbara Hall, Suzie Schnepp, Robert Hashimoto, John Molini, and Emily Romero. In the Department of Museum Education, I would like to thank Executive Director Ronne Hartfield, as well as Toni Contro, who provided the link to a large and enthusiastic staff and, through them, to audiences both within and without the museum. Celia Marriott and her staff prepared excellent audiovisual materials; and Lyn DelliQuadri and her talented assistants designed the fine exhibition graphics. The opportunity to work with architect John Vinci in designing the installation in Chicago was a distinct pleasure. My gratitude is also expressed to Gina Jannotta, President of the Woman’s Board of The Art Institute of Chicago, and to all the supporting members.

In conclusion, I give my warmest thanks to my wife, Pala Jacqueline, whose eye as an artist, abiding interest, and creative approach to the theme of the project, as well as her unwavering personal support, have been a primary source of strength in transforming my original vision of the “Ancient Americas” into reality.

Richard F. Townsend, General Editor

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