Vochol: Huichol Art on Wheels

Where: National Museum of the American Indian

When: through May 6, 2012

I wish this would have been on display when I went to see the show on Quileute Wolves, as it would have been easy to combine them in one visit, but, no such luck.  This is worth a trip on its own, however, just because when else are you likely to see a bead covered car?

This is, quite literally, just that: a Volkswagen Beetle, covered in beads.  Two families from Mexico spent more than seven months working on this piece, which took 9,000 hours to complete and used over 2,000,000 beads.  Both the interior and exterior are beaded and the colors are wonderful.  Vochol is a combination of the Mexican name for the Beetle and the name of the craftsmens' tribe, the Huichol.  The work is amazing and is eye-catching to say the least, which is the point, I think.  It draws attention to the intersection of traditional and modern cultures, so often fraught with misunderstanding and distrust.

Verdict: Don't miss it - it's right in the lobby of the museum, so you can stop in, even if you're just walking by and only have five minutes to spare.