PHOENIX, AZ.- Explore the unique relationship American Indians have with land and how they convey it through their art in the new exhibit Personal Journeys: American Indian Landscapes, on display through Sept. 28, 2016.

This exhibit features more than 60 works of art, including textiles, ceramics, baskets and paintings that merge the physical place, process and cultural meaning behind Native landscapes.

Exhibit curator Janet Cantley explains: “When people hear ‘landscape’ they think of a bucolic scene or a recognizable mountain peak. Land as a subject matter for many Native artists is a personal journey into history, culture and identity. Visitors will be surprised at the cultural teachings, spiritual insights and personal experiences expressed in these representation of the land.”

Visitors will be able to examine a collection of ceramics, handcrafted by prominent San Ildefonso Pueblo potters Maria and Julian Martinez, to reflect their 1934 trip across the United States. Eighteen pots were formed from the clay collected in each of the 17 states and the District of Columbia the potters visited. Julian decorated each pot to show his perspective of the state. The five pots that are displayed in the exhibit range from the Rocky Mountain design on clay collected in Colorado to a Potomac River design made with clay from the District of Columbia.

Reflect on Osage artist Norman Akers’ painting that uses symbols like an elk in deep water to tell stories related to the main theme of land. Enjoy paintings from Cherokee/Winnebago artist Kay WalkingStick as well as Chippewa artist George Morrison. Various other artists and their works are highlighted throughout the exhibit.

“My work is about and has always been about land, about being aware of our surroundings and appreciating the beauty of nature,” said Emmi Whitehorse (Navajo), one of the artists whose work is featured in the exhibit. “I am concerned that we are no longer aware of those.”