24 Oct Oct 24 – Looking Closely: A Conversation with Collector Eric Wyles
Love trains the eye; time grows the heart.
Eric Wyles shares what a lifetime of looking has taught.
For more than fifty years, Eric has collected Hopi art—baskets, pottery, katsinam, and woven works of quiet precision. Each piece holds a story not only of craftsmanship but of connection: the friendships, visits, and shared lessons gathered over decades between Cornville and the Hopi Mesas.
What began as admiration became a lifelong study in attention. Wood, clay, fiber, and paint—each material shaped by patience, each surface inviting care. For Eric, collecting is not about possession; it’s about listening. The art teaches by being itself.
Now retired from the construction world and devoted to community work, Eric continues to build in a different way—helping others see what endures. As co-founder of Low Income Student Aid (LISA), he brings the same belief to education that he brings to art: that every gift, when tended with care, can grow.
Join us for an afternoon of close looking and open conversation.
Eric will share selected works from his collection, reflections on what to notice, and why it still matters to pay attention.
