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January 2026—Arizona State Museum (ASM) is seeking $200,000 in cash donations for storage modernization and space expansion for its significant and highly prized Southwestern Textiles Collection.
The Vision
The vision is a secure, spacious, dynamic environment that will make ASM’s Southwestern Textiles Collection more immediately and more safely accessible to students, scholars, artists, members of descendant communities, and the general public. Currently, the collection is difficult to access for tours, research, and preservation.
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Detail of a Diné tapestry by Ason Yellowhair, 160 x 118 inches, the largest in the collection.
The Goal
The goal is to consolidate materials currently stored in different areas in two buildings into a centralized, dedicated space on the main floor of the museum’s north building, where existing humidity, light, and temperature levels are acceptable, and where there is room for growth.
The Need
•Six additional cabinets for rolled storage (ASM currently has seven).
•Four cabinets for flat storage.
•One large, open, suspension system for oversized textiles.
•Hydraulic lift rolling tables.
•Nilfisk vacuum and sundry conservation materials such as acid-free cardboard, acid-free plastic and foam.
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The Price Tag and Budget
The $200,000 price tag includes the above necessities, plus a budget for student worker salaries and moving costs.
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Textiles are accessed for research, artist inspiration, tours, and exhibits.
The Timeline
2028 is the target completion date. The ASM conservation team plans to photograph, vacuum, stabilize, conduct spot tests for poisons and other preservation-related activities before the textiles are placed in their new homes.
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About the Collection
Southwestern textiles, numbering more than 1600, are a highlight of ASM’s ethnological collections. Dates span from the early 1800s to the present day. All the Indigenous textile-producing cultures of the region are represented, including Pueblo, Diné, Ndéé, Ute, Paiute, O’odham, Yaqui, Tarahumara, Mayo, Seri, and Hispanic. Rare and early biils (Diné women’s dresses), early Hopi mantas, and good examples of Chiefs Phase blankets are highlights. A star is a 13 ft rug by Diné weaver Ason Yellowhair. The collection also includes weaving implements.
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Details of textiles in the collection.
About the Arizona State Museum
Established by the Arizona territorial legislature in 1893, ASM is the oldest and largest anthropological research museum in the region, is the nation’s largest and busiest state-run archaeological repository, and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
ASM occupies two buildings on the west-side historic district of the University of Arizona campus. While the century-old buildings’ exteriors are beautiful, their interiors and mechanical systems are not up to 21st century museum standards for controlling climate and providing appropriate preservation environments. This project is part of ASM’s continuing efforts to create microclimates and upgrade storage conditions within its facilities in order to better care for the state’s collections.
• Pottery Vault and conservation lab, completed 2008
• Perishables Vault, completed 2017
• Photo Archive Vault, completed 2026
• Textiles Room, projected completion date 2028
• On deck: improved care of and access to ASM’s katsina doll collection
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Details of textiles in the collection.
For more information or to send your check, payable to "UA Foundation/ASM," contact:
Darlene F. Lizarraga
Office of Marketing and Development
Arizona State Museum
PO Box 210026
Tucson, AZ 85721-0026
dfl@arizona.edu
520-626-8381
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