Innholdsfortegnelse for August - September 2020 / No. 28 i Native American Art Magazine

As some of you know, we publish five different art magazines. And, because of this we go to most art fairs and exhibitions in the country, from Christie’s in Rockefeller Center to the Western Navajo Fair in Tuba City. If there is art hanging on a wall, we are there. Consequently, we see everything. But, it goes without saying that our favorite art event each year is the SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market. There’s no way to explain the joy and pure exhilaration that comes from being one of 80,000 people swarming the streets of Santa Fe to see the best work from the top Native artists across the country. Believe us when we say there is nothing quite like it. It will literally sweep you off your feet. So…

This year when COVID-19 took over the country and the world, we knew a lot of events we love would inevitably be canceled or postponed. One of the biggest and grandest was that of the legendary SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market. And while we won’t see the massive in-person celebration of Native art that we know and love until 2021, SWAIA bounced back in record time putting together a Virtual Indian Market that will run through August 1 to 31, spearheaded by new SWAIA executive director Kim Peone. “The whole goal of this initially is to bring people to our website and promote Indian Market artists, and then direct them to the artists’ [individual] websites,” says Peone. In lieu of a booth, each participating artist will receive assistance from SWAIA,…

GERRY QUOTSKUYVA (HOPI) “Freedom is the one word that best describes the life of an artist. I am able to choose when I create… or not. Working at home gives me time to maintain a garden, as well as contribute more time to meaningful causes locally, and ignore clocks. That’s where my happiness comes from. As I say when friends ask what I do, my response is, ‘I follow my heart’s desire’.” RANDY DAVID (NAVAJO/HOPI) Raised Hopi, David is living and taking part in ceremonies that lead to detail, design and movement in his carvings. Adding his own vision and insight of each piece completes each carving. The flow of material, natural and realistic, such as the look of butterfly wings, jewelry or hair, is a continuous process in making…

PRESTON DUWYENIE (HOPI) “The textural quality of the land is represented by the rippling lines on the surfaces of the clay vessels. Since the Hopi people live in the desert region of the Colorado Plateau, water is a scarce commodity, thus, the silver inlay represents this precious life blood. The inlay is a prayer that water will always be in the Earth for us to exist, and the pattern etched around the silver represents clouds.” and the water is contained within.” LAVERNE LORETTO-TOSA (JEMEZ) “As an artist, I focus on creating my pottery using materials from my beautiful homeland. Every piece is uniquely created through a coil method. The coils from the bottom up represent the connection we all have with Mother Earth. The free hand paintings symbolize the beauty…

BRENT LEARNED (CHEYENNE/ARAPAHO) “I create artwork that captures the essence, accuracy and historic authenticity of the Cheyenne and Arapaho way of life.As an artist you should always push yourself out of your comfort zone…I attribute the constant need to push myself to try new things as one of the reasons…my art is so different.I believe that my work takes people on a journey with my tribe.” ROBERT MARTINEZ (ARAPAHO) “In my work, my goal is to adjust the expectations of what ‘Native art’ is, and also of who ‘Native People’ are. I mix various classical and traditional techniques with modern materials. I’ll combine imagery from the past with the present to point out that we have a unique voice in the art world. One that has been overlooked for far…

Through August 31, Voices of the Clay: San Ildefonso Pottery, 1600-1930. An exhibition celebrating San Ildefonso pottery. Through December 31, Here, Now and Always. This major exhibition is based on eight years of collaboration among Native American elders, artists, scholars and museum professionals and features more than 1,300 artifacts from the museum’s collections. Through January 2, 2021, Diego Romero vs. the End of Art. A dynamic exploration of Cochiti artist Diego Romero’s journey through life as depicted through his work.…

SANTA FE, NM On view from July 31 to August 23, Hecho a Mano in Santa Fe holds two solo exhibitions of new work by Hollis Chitto (Isleta/Laguna/Choctaw) and Mikayla Patton (Oglala Lakota). From Chitto, collectors can browse his “precise, dazzling beaded jewelry and bags” and from Patton, a new series that explores “landscape in beaded form, stitched to handmade paper the artist had other intentions for before COVID-19 shut down her studio at IAIA,” according to Hecho a Mano.…

Many interesting advances took place in Native American jewelry making during the mid-20th century. The 1950s and 1960s were a period of renewed experimentation, boosted by the replacement of the gasoline blowtorch with a more precise and safer acetylene torch and more plentiful sheet silver and wire. By the 1970s, a would-be “boom” in Indian jewelry creation produced a wider market for both conventional and innovative designs. These three decades of social change offered new opportunities for stylistic variations. One of the most significant developments between 1950 and 1980 was the adoption of figural (animal and human) design motifs. Pre-1945 Pueblo jewelry offered surface decoration that was essentially abstract or organic-themed. Steer heads on silverwork and carved leaves, birds and fetish animals appeared in the 1920s and 1930s. Commercial Indian…

RONNI-LEIGH GOEMAN (ONONDAGA) AND STONEHORSE GOEMAN (TONAWANDA SENECA) “When I weave a basket I share the living past of my people. I am able to pass on a traditional art form, as well as the stories of those who came before, intertwining the past, present and future.”—Ronnie-Leigh Goeman THERESA SECORD (PENOBSCOT) “More recently, my work incorporates cedar bark to help conserve our sacred ash trees, now that the emerald ash borer beetle is in Maine, destroying much of our weaving resource the ash tree, and the source of our very Creation. It is said, that ‘Gluskabe,’ our culture hero, ‘shot an arrow into the ash tree and from the tree came the Wabanaki, the people of the dawn, singing and dancing.’” VIVIAN COTTRELL (CHEROKEE) “As a fourth-generation basketmaker… and Cherokee…

VICTORIA ADAMS (CHEYENNE/ARAPAHO) “Artistic and creative processes are born of diverse mothers, some steeped in Eurocentric academic ideals. Mine are not. Rather they are of earth, water, fire, blood and bone. The narratives embedded within my art harken to countless hours spent in the company of family and friends gathered around campfires, recounting tales of Cheyenne and Blackfeet traditional mythology and tribal history.” TIM BLUEFLINT RAMEL (CHIPPEWA) “My art embodies the long history of my family and my people. The designs for both my flutes and jewelry reflect the traditions and customs, memories and stories acquired from my grandparents. I create each piece with respect for the natural beauty of the materials used: wood, precious and semi-precious stones, coral, bronze, silver and gold.” DANIEL WORCESTER (CHICKASAW) “This knife was fashioned…

KIM SEYESNEM OBRZUT (HOPI) “Upon first glance, the female figure is supposed, smooth and linear, ample to the touch and it isn’t until I explain the ‘story’ does one fully understand the direction I take with my work. That direction lately has been focused on attunement. Presenting the astute connection across time and space, born of tradition, from generation to generation the image more fluid, more intellectual.” MANUEL WEAHKEE (ZUNI) “I am a member of the Zuni Pueblo, and have been making Zuni fetishes since 1973 to present. I was inspired to create these traditional stone carvings following in the footsteps of my uncle, Teddy Weahkee. He has showcased in various Indian art markets across the country from the Autry Museum of the American West to the Santa Fe Indian…

XAVIAN SUAZO (SANTA CLARA) Xavian Suazo is an 8-year-old potter who began creating pieces when he was only four years old. When asked why he makes pottery he answers, “Because I watch my grandma Madeline make pottery.” Suazo finds inspiration in participating in his traditional ways, from games he plays and television shows. He makes small pots and figurines, and his favorite piece so far is a turtle with a carved shell. As Suazo looks to the future, he wants to try competing in shows and to carry on the legacy of pottery making. FIONA HENRY (PAIUTE) “I have an image in my head of the colors I want to use and the object or thing that I want to paint. The things that I like to paint are mostly…

SANTA FE, NM During Blue Rain Gallery’s Annual Celebration of Native American Art, Preston Singletary will have a solo exhibition of recent work opening August 13 and running through August 25 in Santa Fe’s Railyard District. Singletary interprets traditional designs and stories of his Tlingit heritage in glass. In the 1980s he created glass interpretations of Tlingit cultural objects. He later experimented more with forms and techniques including cast glass but remains committed to “continuing the tradition” of his tribal ancestors. His great grandmother moved to the Seattle area from Alaska in the 1920s. In a conversation with her daughter, his grandmother, Singletary relates, “She said if anybody were to look at her life’s work, then they would have to look at her grandchildren. So, today, I’m filled with a…

SANTA FE, NM Beginning August 12, Waddell Gallery will be offering stunning pieces of Native American jewelry at a pop-up show lasting five days at the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Arizona-based gallery, which is known for its high-end jewelry made by many of the country’s best jewelers, has frequently held intimate little popup shows in Santa Fe in August, but this will be the first year the show will take place at Anasazi, where owners Gene Waddell and his son, Mike, will set up four jewelry cases to highlight some of gallery’s most exquisite pieces. “We’ll be in the library at the Anasazi, and it’s a great location right off the Santa Fe Plaza,” says Mike. “We’re bringing some of our very…

Through January 3, 2021, Indigenous Futurisms: Transcending Past/Present/Future. An exhibition that highlights artworks that present the future from a Native perspective, and illustrates the use of cosmology and science as part of tribal oral history and ways of life. Through March 28, 2012, Tom Jones: Strong Unrelenting Spirits. An exhibition featuring new works from Tom Jones’ series of portraits that are rooted in his Ho-Chunk identity. Artist reception, August 14, 3-5 p.m. Through January 24, 2021, Tamara Ann Burgh and Luanne Redeye: FRAMED. Tamara Ann Burgh (Inupiat-Kawerak/Swede) and Luanne Redeye (Seneca Nation of Indians/Hawk Clan) investigate issues of selfrepresentation and identity and examine the “American Experience” from a Native perspective through mixed media works. Through January 2021, Amanda Beardsley: Future Vibes. Featuring the work of Amanda Beardsley (Hopi/Laguna/Choctaw), this exhibition will…

SANTA FE, NM Two years ago the Santa Fe Art Auction started hosting more than just its one big annual sale of Western materials. Joining the auction house’s regular offerings were seasonal sales, focused collections and single-owner sales, many of them held exclusively online. That switch to an online presence came at a perfect time. “It really was great timing, especially in light of the health crisis we’re now going through,” says Gillian Blitch, the president and CEO of Santa Fe Art Auction. “Half the battle of moving online is bringing your collector base with you, and it takes time to establish auction buyers in an online setting. They have to become comfortable with the interface. Bidding online is not so different, but it’s different enough that there is a…

VANCOUVER, WA The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation has announced the 2020 Mentor Artist Fellowship awards. This regional award is open to accomplished American Indian and Alaska Native artists and culture bearers located in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Southern California, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. This year the panel selected 11 artists to receive a $30,000 fellowship award, which supports an established Native artist to mentor an emerging Native artist in the contemporary visual arts and traditional arts. The 2020 mentor artists are, from the contemporary category: Nani Chacon, Gerald Clarke Jr., Joe Feddersen, Cliff Fragua and Brenda Mallory, and from the traditional category: Earl Atchak, Jackie Larson Bread, Ral Takook Christman, Nathan P. Jackson and April Stone.…

Photographer: Cliff Cardinal Model: Sage Paul Clothing by Sage Paul “My style is contemporary, strong, feminine and minimal. I appreciate fine craftsmanship, complex patternmaking and craft that holds purpose or history.”– Sage Paul While Sage Paul’s day starts like many others—a cup of coffee or tea with husband, Cliff Cardinal, and their pets, Frodo Baggins and Tiga Louise—she’s far from ordinary. A cutting-edge designer, Toronto-based Paul is exceptionally versatile, working in the realm of both high fashion and costume design, among other endeavors. She explains that her practice is conceptual, creating narrative-driven garments, crafts and costumes for art, fashion, film, TV and theatre. She’s also artistic director of Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto. “My art and design practice is the visual memoir of an urban Indigenous woman, centered around family, sovereignty…

@schoolforadvancedresearch Step into the artist’s studio, take a look around. What catches your eye? Remnants of dried clay and mineral paints from a recent pottery session, a large palette of intermixing oil paints near a canvas that’s ultimate vision has yet to be realized. A block of wood waiting to be carved, or threads on a loom. And what of the artist occupying the space? What would they divulge to you—in what ways might they open up about their unique artistic processes, and about their lives? This year is different in a lot of ways. The sorts of in-person interactions we’re used to having, especially around Indian Market and Santa Fe in August, are not possible in our current environment, and we’ve had to adapt. The School for Advanced Research…

BEVERLY (BEAR KING) MORAN (STANDING ROCK SIOUX) “The use of horse regalia was common amongst the Lakota for giveaways in honor of a relative and ceremonies. The making of horse regalia is being revitalized. Inspired by the Horse Nation and the reemergence of dressing horses, I created and beaded a horse collar utilizing our Lakota designs.” FRANCISCO BAILON (KEWA) “My works are inspired by the beauty found in my ancestral lands: the valleys, deserts and mountains.” SUMMER F. PETERS (SAGINAW CHIPPEWA) “The transition from my former life to reestablishing my roots in my homeland has had a profound effect on my art. Reconnecting brings a whole new depth to my art and this statement necklace is a reflection of this transformation. The leaves on this necklace reflect the four seasons…

ELLOUISE PADILLA (KEWA) “One of my greatest joys in life is to create jewelry that is infused with my heritage. The Land of Enchantment necklace has brown pipestone heishi beads and the center of the Zia symbol is Kingman turquoise, with a Boulder Colorado turquoise backdrop. The dangle pendant is Kingman turquoise and sterling silver.” JESSE ROBBINS (MUSCOGEE (CREEK)) “Like an old friend, a good bracelet or ring tells its own stories and reminds us of the incredible journeys we all have. I find inspiration for my work from my journeys through the wild places of the west and the turquoise I mine from this landscape.” JANIE REANO (SANTO DOMINGO) “My inspiration comes in places I have visited, emotions a song can evoke, life experiences or my family. As a…

CALANDRA COOK (DINÉ) “Navajo Weaving is a fascinating skill and being able to apply my profession through my art is rewarding. I enjoy conceptualizing with the design intentions of creating composition, transition, light, color and detail. My art embodies cultural Navajo influences and traditional journeys of self-expression.” LESLIE A. DEER (MUSCOGEE (CREEK)) “Writers use words to tell a story. I use southeastern iconography; symbols from my Mvskoke (Muscogee) culture. The motifs on my garments are just another language in which to tell a story.” PENNY SINGER (DINÉ) “[I] was quick to grasp the fundamentals of the sewing machine at just age 7. Though fashion was not on my mind, it was home economics classes…that taught me about pattern-making and gave me the additional sewing skills that would eventually help determine…

Through spring 2021, Laughter & Resilience: Humor in Native American Art. Native American artists employ humor to combat stereotypes, comment on tribal politics and critique the National scene. Through spring 2021, Conversations: Artworks in Dialogue – The Daniel E. Prall Collection. The collection includes 320 major Native American artworks, given to the museum by longtime supporter and volunteer, Daniel E. Prall. Through spring 2021, From Converse to Native Canvas, Native artists turn commercial footwear into a personal treasure and works of art.…

INDIANAPOLIS, IN The Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis reopened to the public in late June, and visitors can resume exploring a number of exhibitions currently on display. For a Love of His People: The Photography of Horace Poolaw, features more than 75 of Kiowa artist Horace Poolaw’s striking photographs of Native peoples of the Southern Plains during the mid-20th century. The exhibition continues through August 9.…