Maie Bartlett Heard

Maie Bartlett Heard (1868-1951) was an Arizona-based collector and philanthropist who was the co-founder of the Heard Museum of native American art.

Born on June 11, 1868, in Chicago, to parents Adolphus C. Bartlett and Mary Pitkin. Her father was the president of the Hibbard Spencer Bartlett & Company, which would later become True Value Hardware. Through her father’s company she met her husband, Dwight B. Heard. Dwight and Maie married in 1893 and in 1895 they made the decision to move out West due to issues with Dwight’s health, finally settling in Phoenix, Arizona. Dwight became a successful businessman in Phoenix, as he chose to invest in land, as well as raise crops and livestock. Seventeen years after moving to Phoenix he purchased the Arizona Republican newspaper, which would later become the Arizona Republic. Maie's sister Florence Dibell Bartlett was also a collector of art and in particular textiles, who donated her collection to the Museum of International Folk Art in New Mexico.

Dwight and Maie built their 6,000 square foot home, Casa Blanca, in what is now northern Phoenix. Dwight and Maie took an interest in politics and would often host political events at their home. Invited guests included not only local political figures and businessmen including Marshall Field and Harvey S. Firestone, but better known politicians such as Theodore Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover. In their decision to play an active part in their community, the Heards found a love of collecting Native American artifacts. In 1926 the Heards purchased a Hohokam ruin called La Cuidad. Many of the pieces from this site comprised Maie's initial collection and fueled the fire for her love of Native American artifacts that would continue until her death in 1951. Their collection eventually outgrew the space available in Casa Blanca, so they decided to design and build a museum nearby to hold their vast collection. Unfortunately Dwight Heard died only months before the Heard Museum opened in June 1929. Maie's passion continued for the next two decades, as she introduced the Native American culture to visitors of the museum. As the museum curator and director, she continued to search for additional pieces to add to the collection and would personally give tours and lectures on the history and culture of the Native Americans whose art was housed within the museum. The museum itself is now 130,000 square feet, almost 8 times the size of the original museum in 1929, and is recognized internationally for it extensive collections, exhibits and festivals.

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