Always Becoming
Always Becoming is an artwork created in 2007 by Nora Naranjo-Morse, a Native American potter and poet. The artwork groups five sculptures made with natural materials, which allows them to gradually change over time. The National Museum of the American Indian selected and commissioned the artwork to be exhibited at one of its entrances in 2006.

Description
The sculpture consists of five separate sculptures that make up a family. Grounded in figures from Santa Clara Pueblo oral tradition, the sculptures are named Father, Mother, Little One, Moon Woman, and Mountain Bird.
The sculptures were built in situ over the summer of 2007 by Nora Naranjo-Morse, her niece Athena Swentzell Steen and her husband Bill Steen, natural material sculptors, and the family of Don Juan Morales (Tepehuan) from the Mexican state of Durango. Many volunteers including museum staff and visitors also contributed to the construction.

Being strangers at the beginning of this journey, we came from distant places with the intent to build sculptures, and in the process built a family as well.

Materials
The sculptures consist solely of natural materials, such as dirt, sand, straw, clay, stone, locust wood, bamboo, grass, and yam vines. These materials were deliberately chosen for their dynamic and changeable qualities.

Dimensions
The five sculptures range in size from 7 feet 6 inches tall (~2.29 meters) to 16 feet (~4.84 meters) tall.

History and Location
On May 24, 2006, the National Museum of the American Indian announced that Naranjo-Morse had won its outdoor sculpture design competition. During the summer of 2007, on the grounds of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., Naranjo-Morse built a family of clay sculptures. The opening of these public works took place on September 1, 2007.
The sculptures are intended to disintegrate over time. The lives of the sculptures, from creation until they have decayed, are being documented by filmmaker Dax Thomas (Laguna/Acoma). As the sculptures disintegrate, the films of their lives will form a more permanent record of their existence, and are therefore an essential part of the artistic process and the work itself.
Native culture and the environment served as the inspiration for the sculpture design.  'Always Becoming' will reflect themes of growth and adaptation and represent indigenous peoples' unique relationship to the environment, ...
The sculpture's metaphor of home and family not only conveys a universal theme to all peoples, but also enhances the visitors' experience that they have entered a Native place when they step foot [sic] on the museum grounds.

See also
List of public art in Washington, D.C., Ward 2
Sculpture

References
External links
Always Becoming Official Website at the National Museum of the American Indian
Always Becoming blog
NMAI Announcement of Always Becoming as the winner of the Outdoor sculpture Design Competition
indianz.com Announcement of the NMAI’s outdoor Sculpture Design Competition Winner
Canelo Project
Smithsonian Institution ‘Native Networks’
Native Networks entry for Dax Thomas (Laguna/Acoma) the film maker making the film of the project
Nora Naranjo-Morse entry on Native Networks
Tanasi Journal
Voice of America News: "Five New Sculptures Welcome Visitors to American Indian Museum"
Follow.xt.pl: Blog entries about the videos by Dax Thomas
Go Smithsonian
Home Sweet Farm: Cultivating Stewardship, Growing Righteous Food (blog): Always Becoming
Southwestern Association for Indian Arts: Board of Directors ‘Nora Naranjo-Morse’ Biography
Smithsonian Magazine Article: Sculpting Her Vision. By Nicole Wroten 'Smithsonian.com' October 31, 2007
Dig your Hands in the Dirt: Making Art of the Earth Together (Blog) Friday, February 8, 2008 Always Becoming – Story and photos (except where noted) by Bill Steen