Having grown up in his native Santo Domingo Pueblo, “Ca’Win” Jimmy F. Calabaza was brought up to love the land, his culture and the beauty of the art around him. Without realizing it, he was learning the techniques of jewelry, pottery, bow-and-arrow making along with other art forms by helping his parents and grandparents.
Before becoming a prominent artist, Calabaza explored a variety of industries, including jobs related to the automotive field, sheet metal fabrication, land surveying and even as a Hot Shot firefighter. Later, after meeting his wife, Olivia, he began dabbling in jewelry. He would make traditional heishi and nugget necklaces and then go to the Navajo Nation to sell and trade with the Navajos. After a plant he was working at closed, Calabaza’s mother, Celestina, gave him…
