The Heard Museum in Phoenix is getting ready for a milestone of its own. As it moves toward its centennial year, the museum will open “Milestones: The Hope & John L. Furth Collection” on November 20, 2026 — the first in a brand-new series of exhibitions honoring the major gifts that have shaped its world-renowned collection.
The exhibition brings together a carefully curated selection of pottery, sculpture, textiles, baskets and beadwork from the collection of Hope and John L. Furth, who began collecting Native American art in 1995 after moving to Carefree, Arizona. Drawn from more than 260 works, the show spans the finest Native American creative traditions from the 19th century to the present day, with standout pieces by leading contemporary artists.
Visitors will be able to admire treasures like the intricate wedge-weave textiles of Diné artist Kevin Aspaas, a striking 1890s Sioux pictorial beaded vest, and powerful ceramic works by Richard Zane Smith — each one a window into generations of creativity and storytelling.
Heard Museum members get the first look at an exclusive preview on November 20, from 9 to 11 a.m., with breakfast and coffee in the Pritzlaff Courtyard. The exhibition then opens to the public in the Kitchell Gallery, at 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix — a beautiful new reason to plan a museum day this fall.
Photo: Heard Museum
