Native Arts 2017 | Digital Edition

native arts your guide to

Indian Market

2017

Photo: Rebecca Lowndes

ON THE PLAZA

Vintage Squash Blossom

Vintage Squash Blossom

Mediterranean Coral Sterling Silver

Morenci Turquoise Sterling Silver

61 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501 · 505-983-9241 · maloufontheplaza.com · Online Shopping Available

Photo: Rebecca Lowndes

ON THE PLAZA

ARTIE YELLOWHORSE ROBERT LEEKYA DIAN MALOUF EDISON GRUBER IRA CUSTER VINTAGE NAVAJO

ARLAND BEN LEO YAZZIE WHITE BUFFALO DOUGLAS MAGNUS SCOTT DIFFRIENT R.WINNER

61 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501 · 505-983-9241 · maloufontheplaza.com · Online Shopping Available

Jesse MONONGYA NAVAJO/HOPI Jeweler

Native American Indian Top Jewelry Designer

“ Wh ite Woman Mo ccasins” B ack in Stock

JOIN US:

SWAIA In dian Market Au g u st 19 - 20, 2017 BOOTH #603 PLZ

Jesse Monongya Studios je sse mo n o n gy a studios .com mo n o n gye @ c ox.net 480-991-2 598

AUCTION | AUGUST 11TH & 12TH | SANTA FE OFFERING OVER 800 LOTS

Joseph Henry Sharp 1859-1953 TSA | Jerry Taos with Lover’s Flute Oil on canvas | 20 by 16 inches | Estimate: $75,000 - $125,000 To be offered in the August Auction

VISIT ALTERMANN.COM FOR AUCTION INFORMATION, VIEW ONLINE CATALOG AND AUCTION REGISTRATION. 345 CAMINO DEL MONTE SOL, SANTA FE, NM 87501 7172 EAST MAIN STREET, SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85251 CONSIGNMENT OFFICE, 2103 IRVING BLVD., DALLAS, TX 75207

(855) 945-0448 ALTERMANN.COM

Pablita Velarde (1918-2006) Helen Hardin (1943-1984) Margarete Bagshaw (1964-2015)

Original paintings, reproductions, bronzes, jewelry, books, ...and lots of 3D

Helen Hardin “Listening Woman” copper plate etching - (only 1 available)

Margarete Bagshaw “Intergalactic Postcard” paper print 20”X 28” (ed.10)

Pablita Velarde “Pottery Makers” casein watercolor painting

Buchen/Goodwin “Ribbon Figure” Cast Bronze 30” tall (ed.9)

201 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501 - 505-988-2024 - www.goldendawngallery.com

Andrea Fisher

Fine Pottery

Richard Zane Smith Coiled Amazement!

Opening August 17, 5-7 PM Demonstration August 18, 10-3 PM

The Best of the Best - Our Handpicked Finest!

Opening August 18, 4:30-7 PM * Parade of Artists begins 5 PM

Giant

Whooooooo Gives A Hoot?

Miniature Encore

Aug 14-31 Opening Aug 14, 4-6 PM

Aug 4-31 Opening Aug 4, 5-7 PM

100 West San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 986-1234 www.andreafisherpottery.com

“1869” • 30" x 24" • Acrylic

JOHN NIETO AN AMERICAN ICON • Friday, August 18, 2017 • 5 to 7pm

VENTANA FINE ART 400 Canyon Road

•

Santa Fe, NM 87501

•

505-983-8815

•

800-746-8815

•

www.ventanafineart.com

AL QÖYAWAYMA

NATHAN YOUNGBLOOD

LES NAMINGHA

SANTA FE INDIAN MARKET 2017

AUGUST 18 3 TO 5 P.M. | SANTA FE

Nathan Youngblood Tammy Garcia Susan Folwell Al Qöyawayma Les Namingha Virgil Ortiz Featuring New Works in Clay Artists in Attendance SUSAN FOLWELL

VIRGIL ORTIZ

SCOTTSDALE | Year Round 4168 N. MARSHALL WAY SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85251 kgs@kinggalleries.com 480.481.0187

VIRGIL ORTIZ JEWELRY Available at SmithsonianStore.com

TAMMY GARCIA

KINGGALLERIES.COM

KING GALLERIES PREMIERE AUGUST 14 – 20

SANTA FE | Jun to Aug 30, 2017 130 LINCOLN AVE., SUITE D SANTA FE, NM 87501 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Daily 480.440.3912

Celebrating Our 20 Year Commitment to Classic & Contemporary Native Art

DA N N A M I N G H A

PUEBLO AT DUSK #2 Mixed Media on Board Dan Namingha © 2017

MICHAEL NAMINGHA

BP1 Digital C-Print Face Mounted to Plexiglas Edition of 2 23” x 27” Michael Namingha © 2017

16” x 20”

ARLO NAMINGHA

CULTURAL ELEMENTS #5 Bass and Western White Cedar 10” x 8.5” x 3.75” Arlo Namingha © 2017

Ar tist Reception: 5-7:30pm • Friday, August 18, 2017 125 Lincoln Avenue • Suite 116 • Santa Fe, NM 87501 • Monday–Saturday, 10am–5pm 505-988-5091 • nimanfineart@namingha.com • namingha.com •

Meet Josh and Jojo at Indian Market August 17-21, 2017 Visit the website for the location prior to this special event and to R.S.V.P. for the Private Collector’s Party.

Email: joshuatobeystudios@yahoo.com www.joshuatobeystudios.com

A Must See One Man Show!

Josh Tobey

Pueblo Corn Dance Celebration | Watercolor | Tonita Vigil Peña (1893-1949) Quah Ah | San Ildefonso | 13-5/8” x 21-1/2”

A CENTURY OF PUEBLO PAINTERS San Ildefonso Pueblo 1900—1999

Ongoing Special Exhibit Extended through August by Popular Demand

A CENTURY OF HOPI-TEWA POTTERY from Nampeyo of Hano to Mark Tahbo Special Exhibit Opens Monday August 7th with Reception 5 to 7 pm

Continues through September

221 Canyon Road, Santa Fe 505.955.0550 www.adobegallery.com info@adobegallery.com Building Quality Collections for 38 Years

D a n i e l Wo r c e s t e r American Indian Bladesmith

Top to Bottom: Scarecrow, Scissortail, and The American, 2017

found materials • old dominoes • sterling silver old billiard balls • discarded railroad spikes • truck springs

Indian Market Booth 329 FR-N 580-504-8602 • dw3359@cableone.net

2017

dennys ilic

42

terran kipp last gun

courtesy the keshi foundation

40

44

native arts

magazine

contents

22 Museum Spotlight New, old, and breaking the mold: traditional and contemporary exhibitions at some of the country’s best museums for Native American art

34 SWAIA Presents Indian Market The arts, film, music, dance, and atmosphere of the annual Indian Market

38 Auction Report Four major auction houses for Native art and artifacts look back at recent sales and highlight upcoming lots; brush up on your auction terms

40 Emerging Artists Overcoming obstacles and achieving success looks different for each of these up-and-coming artists

42 The Zuni Show The second annual show fills the Scottish Rite Center with Zuni jewelry, pottery, and more, as the Keshi Foundation looks to the future

44 Q+A A visit with actor, musician, and Longmire star A Martinez

47 Destination Art 57 Art Profiles Restoration expert Angela Swedberg; traditional ledger artist Monte Yellow Bird; master potter Rachel Sahmie; the mixed-media works of Melissa Melero-Moose

62 Tony Duncan The world-champion hoop dancer follows the music of his heart 16

nativeartsmagazine.com

62

robert doyle/canyon records

Standout Native painters, jewelers, potters, and sculptors, plus top-notch galleries with exhibitions of antique, traditional, and contemporary work

theZunishow th Spend a day in Zuni, right here in Santa Fe Zuni Pottery Inlay Jewelry Olla Maidens Zuni Dancers Fetish Carvings Paintings Sculpture Native Food Petit Point Jewelry Ethnographic Films

August 19 - 20 9:00 am Free Admission Scottish Rite Temple 463 Paseo de Peralta Downtown Santa Fe “Top ten Native Art Events in 2016” readers’ poll First American Art Magazine THE

Keshi Foundation Info @ theZuniShow.org

KESHi

thezuniconnection Rare Lena Boone five strand fossilized ivory, heishe and 18K gold fetish necklace circa 1990. Meet Lena at The Zuni Show.

227 Don Gaspar Santa Fe 505.989.8728 www.keshi.com Jewelry Fetishes Pottery

Learn more and see genuine fetish necklaces, visit Keshi

|

Monte Yellow Bird, Before the Dog Days, colored pencil on ca.

1834 Boston, Massachusetts ledger, 15 x 10" Courtesy Emily Nell Yellow Bird

|

During the several weeks leading up to Santa Fe’s Indian Market, there is a gradual unveiling of many Indigenous art forms. Before the actual event, shows around town feature a wide variety of historic and contemporary art. The entire process is, in essence, a three-week showing of amazing creations from all over North America by the very best Native artists.

In these pages, we include it all: multimedia and contemporary art by emerging artists; traditional arts like meticulous beading and restoration

by Angela Swedberg; Melissa Melero-Moose’s (Northern Paiute) exquisite contemporary paintings; Monte Yellow Bird’s (Arikara/Hidatsa) storytelling through ledger drawings; new music by legendary world champion hoop dancer Tony Duncan (Apache/Arikara/Hidatsa); beautiful new works by potter Rachel Sahmie (Hopi); and a fascinating Q & A with the engaging actor and writer A Martinez (Piegan/Mescalero/Mexican/Northern European), whose New Mexico film career began in the 1970s, alongside John Wayne in The Cowboys.

Surrounding Indian Market weekend itself is a range of events from the Keshi Foundation’s Zuni Show and the Whitehawk Antique Indian and Ethnographic Art Show to an array of exhibits and performances nearby.

For lovers of vintage Native-made jewelry, we have provided a guide to local sellers who maintain impressive collections not just during the summer, but all year long.

As you savor the contents of these pages, I hope that you are able to relate to the art in the same way the artisan did. It’s these connections to deeper inspirations that take us to higher plateaus, and it’s all part of Indian Market magic.

BRUCE ADAMS

Publisher

DAVID ROBIN

ON THE COVER

publisher’s note

Left: On November 5, this rare stained glass window designed and executed by the famed Hopi artist Charles Loloma (1921–1999) will be available at auction from Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. The window was commissioned for the offices of a Phoenix collector in 1980. Each piece of vibrantly colored glass was hand-selected

by Loloma himself. The window was uninstalled when the building was sold in 1987 and has not been publicly displayed since.

Courtesy Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

18

nativeartsmagazine.com

native arts

Horse l e a h c i M

magazine

PUBLISHER

bruce adams

MANAGING EDITOR

EDITOR

amy gross

anne maclachlan

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

amanda n. pitman , lisa j. van sickle

ART/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

b.y. cooper DESIGNERS

valérie herndon, allie salazar

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

david wilkinson SALES EXecutive

karim jundi

WRITERS

alicia harris, chelsea herr keiko ohnuma, eve tolpa efraín villa

A PUBLICATION OF BELLA MEDIA, LLC FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Pacheco Park, 1512 Pacheco St, Ste D-105 Santa Fe, NM 87505 Telephone 505-983-1444 info@santafean.com santafean.com

Copyright 2017. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Published by Bella Media, LLC, Pacheco Park, 1512 Pacheco St, Ste D-105 Santa Fe, NM 87505. Periodicals postage paid at Santa Fe, NM, and additional mailing offices.

Santa Fe Little Bird Gallery

Postmaster: Send address changes to Santa Fean P.O. Box 16946, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6946.

211 Old Santa Fe Trail • inside Inn at Loretto Hotel Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 505.820.7413 • info@littlebirdatloretto.com for more info visit our website

sflittlebird.com

up front

Jason Garcia, or Okun Pin (Turtle Mountain/Santa Clara Tewa), Corn Maiden, serigraph 6/20, 19 x 12"

news and happenings

by Efraín Villa

events In a state rich with institutions boasting historic legacies, the Ralph T. Coe Foundation is making a strong impression as a relative newcomer. Named for Coe (1929–2010), a museum professional and collector of Indigenous art, the research center and museum opened its doors four years ago with a mission to increase public awareness, education, and appreciation of Indigenous art and culture worldwide.

On August 17, 11 am–4:30 pm, the Coe Foundation hosts an open house with Santa Fe Indian Market legends the Growing Thunder family. Joyce Growing Thunder (Assiniboine/Sioux), her children, and grandchildren have consistently won top Indian Market awards, including several best-of-show prizes.

The famed family will be available to interact with visitors in an intimate setting while showcasing new work.

August 25, from 5–8 pm, the Coe will hold an opening reception for Catch 22: Paradox on Paper, which will remain on display through March of 2018. The exhibit features a selection of provocative works of contemporary art on paper from the collection of Edward J. Guarino.

Guest curator Nina Sanders says, “These works are a manifestation of the complexity and paradoxical nature of Native peoples’ lives as they exist today.”

courtesy Taos Art Museum

Ralph T. Coe Foundation, 1590 B Pacheco, Santa Fe, ralphtcoefoundation.org

20

nativeartsmagazine.com

W. Herbert “Buck” Dunton: Twilight of the West exhibition The Taos Art Museum, located in the historic home of Russian artist Nicolai Fechin, showcases early-20th-century pieces from the masters of the Taos Society of Artists. Nicolai and his wife, Alexandra, labored for five years on the house, carving, molding and painting the building into a fascinating fusion of Russian, Native American, and Spanish architectural influences.

Running through October 8, 2017, W. Herbert “Buck” Dunton: Twilight of the West features more than 50 works on loan from the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas. The exhibit highlights “Buck” Dunton’s depictions of the West as a wild land of ephemeral beauty.

Taos Art Museum, 227 Paseo del Pueblo Norte #A, Taos, taosartmuseum.org Left: W. Herbert “Buck” Dunton (1878-1936) Untitled (Fall Stream), not dated, oil on sketch canvasboard, 8 x 10". Gift of Mrs. H.S. Griffin, Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

courtesy Ralph T. Coe foundation

open house, opening reception

events The Poeh Cultural Center was established nearly 20 years ago as the first institute of its kind to offer arts and cultural education resources specifically focused on the Tewa-speaking Pueblos of the northern Rio Grande Valley. The facility itself resembles a traditional Pueblo village, and is located approximately 15 miles north of Santa Fe, on United States highways 84/285. Poeh opens two shows in August.

On August 15, 3–5 pm, the center will screen a new film documenting the life and work of Douglas Miles (San Carlos Apache). Miles shows mixed-media paintings, entitled Residency, which were created during his de Young Museum Global Fellowship.

August 16, 3–5 pm, Jason Garcia (Santa Clara Pueblo) will lead a panel discussion on his work, Tewa Tales of Suspense. Using clay tiles with images reminiscent of early comic book art, Garcia has been examining subjects such as the Pueblo Revolt. Both exhibits open August 17, 6–10 pm, and the evening includes traditional performances and conversations with the artists.

Poeh offers youth workshops led by Native artists on working with traditional and contemporary media in various art forms August 18, 3–7 pm.

Poeh Cultural Center and Museum, 78 Cities of Gold Rd, Santa Fe, poehcenter.org Below: Douglas Miles, Turquoise Letters, from the Residency show at Poeh Cultural Center.

icourtesy ndian pueblo cultural center

film, panel discussion, performances

Above: Cachini Dancers from Zuni Pueblo are among the groups that appear on weekends to perform for visitors at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

courtesy poeh cultural center

film, book signing, dances events The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC), owned and operated by the 19 Indian Pueblos of New Mexico, offers worldclass cultural events, exhibits, and culinary experiences throughout the year. Several special events are coordinated to coincide with the Santa Fe Indian Market (August 15–20).

On August 16, 6:30–9:30 pm, there will be a special screening of Sherman Alexie’s (Spokane/ Coeur d’Alene) classic movie Smoke Signals (1998) in the courtyard. Family festivities will include frybread-making and a Victor look-alike contest. Proceeds go toward the IPCC’s annual Pueblo Film Fest, the only festival in the country devoted to the work of Pueblo filmmakers, actors, and writers.

On August 19, 1–2 pm, Shumakolowa Native Arts, the retail branch of IPCC, will host a book signing with Katherine Augustine (Laguna Pueblo) author of Growing Up and Looking Out. Augustine has written about life in New Mexico for three decades, from stories of her Pueblo childhood to current events.

Traditional Native dance performances take place on weekends and are included in admission to the museum (9 am–5 pm daily).

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th St NW, Albuquerque, indianpueblo.org santa fean

native arts 2017

21

Museum Spotlight

by Efraín Villa

Museum of Indian Art and Culture reworking the old and highlighting the new

christopher dorantes

Fully beaded moccasins, Sioux, prior to 1890. Hide, cloth, glass beads, tin cones, horse hair.

stereotypical social structures and explore alternate ways to understand concepts of ancient and new. Into The Future: Culture Power in Native American Art, on display through October 22, 2017, features nearly 100 works by more than 50 artists that restyle pop culture iconography through a Native American lens. A solo exhibition featuring prolific Santa Clara Pueblo potter Jody Naranjo (Santa Clara), MIAC’s 2017 Living Treasure, will adorn the museum lobby through December 31, 2017.

Stepping Out: 10,000 Years of Walking the West opens August 27, 2017 and runs through December 31, 2018. The exhibit features sandals, moccasins and various other pieces of footwear used by Indigenous people throughout the Southwest. From December 10, 2017, through December 31, 2018, Lifeways of the Southern Athabaskans will present cultural objects of five different Apachean groups in New Mexico and Arizona. Joyce Begay-Foss (Diné), director of education and the curator for the exhibit says, “This exhibit will focus on material culture but also on language as a unifying force. It’s important to be aware that we’re losing languages because language is culture.”

Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, indianartsandculture.org

22

nativeartsmagazine.com

christopher dorantes

christopher dorantes

Woman’s moccasins, ShoshoneBannock, ca. 1920–1940. Hide, glass beads, metal buttons, ribbon.

Above: Woman’s moccasins, Comanche, early 1900s. Hide, pollen, glass beads, brass buttons.

christopher dorantes

The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC), one of four Santa Fe institutions under the auspices of the Department of Cultural Affairs’ Museum of New Mexico, boasts more than 75,000 exhibition-quality objects in its collection, including some of the world’s finest examples of Southwestern pottery, textiles, clothing, and archeological artifacts. Many of these items were obtained at the beginning of the 20th century, but contemporary articles comprise a substantial part of the collection.

One of the best-known showpieces is a perfectly preserved, 151-foot-long hunting net made of human hair from more than 60 people. The 800-year-old relic, containing almost 20,000 knots, was found in 1960 in U-Bar Cave near Lordsburg, New Mexico.

MIAC’s landmark permanent exhibit, Here, Now, and Always, was the result of an eight-year collaboration between museum professionals and Southwest Indigenous people. The 20-year-old exhibit is currently being revised; completion of the renewal is expected next year.

“While the exhibit design and content was ‘state-of-theart’ 20 years ago, the evolving of Native cultures reflects new issues and interpretive opportunities,” says Susan Guyette (Métis/Mimac/Acadian French), Ph.D., one of the consultants working on the exhibit renovation. “It is expected that curators will retain the basic conceptual structure of the exhibit, thematic groupings, and powerful first person narratives representing multiple voices.”

Several temporary exhibits can also be found at the museum. Through January 7, 2018, the 14 paintings and three sculptures created by Frank Buffalo Hyde (Onondaga/ Nez Perce) for I-Witness Culture challenge us to think outside

Above: Santiago Romero (Jemez), Pueblo young boy’s moccasins made in the 1950s of rawhide and brain tanned leather.

NES - “Rio Grande Spring” • 24" x 18.5" • Pastel, SILVERWOOD - “Bosque Del Apache” • 20" x 17" • Pastel KANDER - “Second Nature” • 48" x 48" • Mixed Media, BRAUN - “View from the Top” • 44" x 33" • Mixed Media

MARGARET NES & MARY SILVERWOOD PASTEL LEGENDS • Friday, September 15, 2017 • 5 to 7pm

TAMAR KANDER & MARTHA BRAUN AUTUMN MEDLEY • Friday, September 29, 2017 • 5 to 7pm

VENTANA FINE ART 400 Canyon Road

•

Santa Fe, NM 87501

•

505-983-8815

•

800-746-8815

•

www.ventanafineart.com

international Indigenous arts

The historic Santa Fe Federal Building on Cathedral Place is home to the Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA) Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), founded in 1991 and operated by IAIA. Though alumni work is well represented in both temporary and permanent collections, the institution’s scope is international, encompassing the diversity of Indigenous arts across North America.

Connective Tissue: New Approaches to Fiber in Contemporary Native Art opened July 7 in the Anne and Loren Kieve Gallery and Fritz Scholder Gallery. In it, says MoCNA Chief Curator Manuela Well-Off-Man, “We feature 22 artists—established artists, internationally known artists, and also young artists,” many of whom work with new motifs, new materials, or both. Clearly exemplifying this trend is Navajo weaving; Well-Off-Man cites Melissa Cody (Navajo Nation) as a pioneer among Native artists who employ their media “to address issues in their lives and social issues.” To that end, Cody created “a large weaving that actually talks about her father’s Parkinson’s disease, [as] a tool to help her address tragedy in her family.”

The museum’s North Gallery houses New Acquisitions: 2011–2017, a collection of innovative work spanning mixed-media collage, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and photography. Alaskan landscape photographer John Hagen (Unungan [Aleut]/Inupiaq), who focused on water issues as an IAIA artist-in-residence earlier this year, explores “relationships of people to places” and “our small role in nature,” says Well-Off-Man. nativeartsmagazine.com

jean vong

courtesy iaia mocna

Left: Merritt Johnson (Mowhawk/Blackfoot), Bent Sky, oil on canvas, 48 x 72"

Above: Brian Jungen (Dunne-za/Swiss Canadian), 27th Street, Nike Air Jordan insoles, laces, 154 x 136 x 7"

The South Gallery show, Desert ArtLAB: Ecologies of Resistance, features work by April Bojorquez (Chicana/Rarámuri) and Matthew Garcia (Chicano), a Denver-based couple “interested in environmental issues [who] created a site-specific exhibition in Southern Colorado.” MoCNA is displaying artifacts, archival materials, and botanical samples from the project, which turned a blighted piece of land into a dryland ecosystem with edible plants. In order to convey “a message about home-grown ingredients and resources,” visitors are invited to share recipes utilizing local ingredients.

Action Abstraction Redefined, located in the Kieve Family Gallery, shows work from the museum’s permanent collection with pieces by artists—including past IAIA students—inspired by abstract expressionism and color field painting. According to Well-OffMan, they “integrated some of those formal aspects” into their work, with the resulting pieces reflecting “a really clever mix of art influences.” Among the more notable exhibited artists is Ojibwe sculptor and painter George Morrison, (1919–2000), who is associated with Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, and Jackson Pollock.

Says Well-Off-Man, “We have three major paintings by George Morrison, and two of them will be on view in the exhibition.”

MoCNA is hosting receptions for all four exhibitions on Thursday, August 17, from 5–7 pm.

Institute of American Indian Arts Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, iaia.edu/iaia-museum-of-contemporary-native-arts/ desert artlab

Museum of Contemporary Native Arts

24

Left: Marie Watt (Seneca), Canopy Ledger, 2007, salvaged yellow cedar, reclaimed wool blankets, satin binding, steel base, 78 x 21 x 22"

by Eve Tolpa

courtesy iaia museum of contemporary native arts

Museum Spotlight

Desert ArtLAB, Data, mixed media, various sizes

Museum Spotlight

by Keiko Ohnuma

Millicent Rogers Museum Housing a surprisingly wide and deep collection of Southwestern art and artifacts, the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos fills a large niche in the small town. Founded by Paul Peralta-Ramos in 1956 to honor his mother, Standard Oil heiress Millicent Rogers (1902–1953), the collection reflects her fascination with Native American jewelry and her friendships with members of the Taos art colony.

The permanent collection of some 7,000 items is divided between Native American and Hispano objects. Along with Rogers’s silver and turquoise jewelry, the museum contains the largest publicly held collection of material belonging to Maria Martinez, the famed potter from San Ildefonso Pueblo, donated to the museum because of Martinez’s friendship with Peralta-Ramos. He also collected Native American pottery from every major Southwestern region, along with Apache baskets, Plains beadwork, katsinas, Peyote cult materials, and Navajo weaving.

Coinciding with Indian Market, the museum is opening two exhibits on August 19: Corn, Sacred Giver of Life, which examines the spiritual significance of corn in Native American art, and Feast Days, A Cycle of Faith, which looks at religious feast days surrounding the harvest in both Native and Catholic traditions. Currently on display is a survey of Native American painting, especially the style associated with the Santa Fe Indian School. Picturing Home: Landscapes of the Southwest also features a digital tour and associated app that connect plants pictured in the paintings (or used to produce them) to species in the museum’s native plant garden.

On August 5, donated artwork from nearby Taos Pueblo will be auctioned at the annual fundraising Turquoise Gala. “Ever since the founding, we have maintained a strong relationship with the Pueblo,” explains Caroline Jean Fernald, executive director. “Millicent Rogers attended a lot of dances and had friends there, and she instilled that sense of commitment [in] her son.”

The museum maintains an honorary seat on its board for the governor of Taos Pueblo, and closes for the Pueblo’s annual feast day on September 30. Also, “we do a Taos Pueblo show in the winter when the Pueblo closes for a month and the artists are hurting financially,” Fernald says. “We don’t charge them a booth fee—we invite them to come and make money.” Since 2013, this juried Taos Pueblo Winter Showcase has attracted such prominent artists as Patricia Michaels, Ira Lujan, and John Suazo.

Millicent Rogers’s visits to Taos Pueblo are still remembered by old-timers, Fernald relates. After she had been there, the Pueblo girls would rub their lips with chokecherry juice, pretend to smoke cigarettes, and would “walk fancy,” in honor of the New York socialite who made Taos her home.

Millicent Rogers Museum, millicentrogers.org 26

nativeartsmagazine.com

courtesy Millicent rogers museum

a Taos treasure

Above: Gallery 8 offers an overview of the museum’s Hispanic devotional art with several works that will be on display in Feast Days, A Cycle of Faith.

Above: Corn Dance, J.D. Roybal (Oquwa) (San Ildefonso), casein on paper, 21 x 13".

Corn Dance will be on display in the Corn, Sacred Giver of Life exhibition.

Poteet Victory

Indian Market Week • Reception, Friday, August 11, 2017 • 5 to 7pm

“Symbol Homage” 42"x 42”x 34" 34” Oil on Canvas

M cLarry M o d e r n www.mclarrymodern.com

225 Canyon Road • Santa Fe, New Mexico • 505.983.8589

Museum Spotlight

by Chelsea Herr (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma)

Heard Museum courtesy heard museum

three exhibitions show range of collections

Above: A Santo Domingo jar, early 1900s, from the Fred Harvey Company’s Indian Building at the Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque.

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of art, cornell university

Left: Awa Tsireh (Alfonso Roybal, San Ildefonso), Mystical Bird, ca. 1940.

Since its inception in 1929, the Heard Museum in Phoenix has provided a unique space for exhibiting and educating viewers about Indigenous cultures across North America.

Three recent and upcoming exhibits exemplify the museum’s dedication to diverse artists, including the creative partnership of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, the works of the San Ildefonso artist Awa Tsireh, and the aesthetic production of the Fred Harvey Company in the Southwest.

On view until August 20, the international exhibit Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera makes its only stop in Above: Frida Kahlo, Portrait of Diego North America at the Heard. The show Rivera, 1937. © 2016 Banco de highlights 33 artworks between Kahlo Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo and Rivera, in addition to over 50 Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New photographs and other ephemera relatYork and the INBA. ing to the artists’ lives. Made possible through the generosity of the Vergel Foundation, Kahlo and Rivera constitutes a significant collection by Natasha and Jacques Gelman, who were friends of both artists in Mexico. In conjunction with the show, the Heard has also organized It’s Your Turn, a gallery of Kahloand Rivera-related activities for children, including making paper dolls, animal masks, and writing letters to the artists.

28

nativeartsmagazine.com

Right: Frida Kahlo, Diego on My Mind (Self-portrait as Tehuana), 1943. © 2016 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York and the INBA.

Opening on November 3, Awa Tsireh: Pueblo Painter and Metalsmith will feature the Pueblo artist’s silver and copper works alongside his well-known watercolors. Awa Tsireh—also known by his Spanish name, Alfonso Roybal—was one of the preeminent watercolor painters from San Ildefonso during the early 20th century. In the 1920s, the School for Advanced Research (at the time known as the School of American Research) funded his work as a watercolorist, which led to his popularity and marketability as a Native artist. A decade later, he began working in Colorado at the Garden of the Gods Trading Post, where he sold pieces of silver and copper jewelry to tourists. The Heard exhibit will display Awa Tsireh’s paintings and metalwork in the same gallery to emphasize his prolific and multifaceted career.

Over the Edge: Fred Harvey at the Grand Canyon and in the Great Southwest, which closes on December 31, provides an expansive look at the ephemeral and artistic production of the Santa Fe Railway and the Fred Harvey Company. The show includes printed materials and souvenirs created by both companies, as well as Native American–made jewelry, pottery, and textiles drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection. By exhibiting such a wide variety of objects and artworks of both Native and non-Native creation, Over the Edge explores the complex ways in which Indigenous cultures have played significant roles in the tourist industry of the American Southwest.

Heard Museum, heard.org

P R E S T O N S I N G L E TA R Y Journey Through Air to the Sky World, August 18 – September 2, 2017 in the Railyard Artist Reception: Friday August 18th from 5 – 8 pm Glass Blowing Demonstrations with Preston Singletary and Dan Friday August 18 – 19, 2017, 11 am – 3 pm both days

Untitled Blown and sand carved glass 7" h x 14" d

544 South Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505.954.9902 | www.blueraingallery.com

Museum Spotlight

by Alicia Harris (Assiniboine)

The Autry courtesy the autry museum of the american west

two major exhibitions for 2017

Left: Basket by Mabel McKay (Long Valley Cache Creek Pomo), on loan from Sharon Rogers and Marshall McKay

30

nativeartsmagazine.com

The Autry will host the largest Native arts fair in Southern California, The American Indian Arts Marketplace, November 11–12. The marketplace features 200 Native American artists, representing more than 40 tribes or communities. Available art categories include sculpture, pottery, basketry, photography, painting, jewelry, textiles, carvings, and mixed-media work.

The American Indian Arts Marketplace includes a juried competition, with 13 categories. One winning piece will be awarded the Jackie Autry Purchase Award, which identifies a single artwork to be purchased for inclusion in the Autry’s permanent collection.

The Autry Museum of the American West, theautry.org

courtesy the autry museum of the american west

The Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles features two major Native American exhibits in 2017.

The multifaceted ongoing exhibition California Continued focuses on Indigenous ecological knowledge. California Continued includes 20,000 square feet of gallery space that includes artifacts and art from the collection of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, located on the Autry’s Griffith Park campus. Displays explore the history of Indigenous peoples’ relationships with the flora and fauna that have thrived in California for thousands of years. Through contemporary art, multimedia, photography, and soundscapes, California Continued demonstrates the ways culture and ecology are interwoven, and how they influence one another.

One gallery in California Continued holds the Autry’s first solo show honoring a Native American woman, Mabel McKay (Long Valley Cache Creek Pomo) (1907–1993). McKay, from the Long Valley Cache Creek Pomo community in Northern California, was a master basket weaver, healer, teacher, and advocate for her community. The gallery is dedicated to her life and work, and includes several of her baskets, including some that are unfinished. These form astonishing examples of the skill involved in creating masterpiece baskets. California Continued also includes letters written to and about McKay during her career, and a re-creation of the room in her home where much of her work was created. McKay worked as a healer in her community, and the exhibit seeks to commemorate that relationship by the inclusion of a variety of plant species she used in her healing practices.

The presentation of the plants used by McKay creates a discourse with the outdoor ethnobotanical garden component of California Continued. The garden boasts over 60 species of plants native to California; plants were selected for their specific past and present medicinal and practical uses. Water in the garden shows the way cultures across California have made use of water, which is a fundamental resource for every culture in the semi-arid state.

Above: Gerald Clarke (Cahuilla), Continuum Basket: Flora (2016), aluminum cans, metal satellite dish.

Museum Spotlight

by Eve Tolpa

Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian traditional and contemporary exhibitions

Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, wheelwright.org

Neebinnaukzhik Southall

Neebinnaukzhik Southall

Columbia River Plateau flat bag, ca. 1930. Artist unknown.

Private collection.

Above: Prairie moccasins, ca. 1870, artist unknown. Private collection.

Neebinnaukzhik Southall

The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian began its life in 1937 as a repository for Navajo religious and ceremonial art—from manuscripts and paintings to sound recordings and sand painting tapestries. In the 1970s, at the request of the Navajo, its mission changed direction to reflect more secular arts, both traditional and contemporary.

By the late 1990s, that focus had narrowed further, to metalwork and jewelry—“the one area we felt was not being addressed in serious ways”

by Native institutions, says Curator Cheri Falkenstien-Doyle. The 1995 acquisition of the papers of John Adair, author of The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths, meant that “from an archival standpoint, we have a lot of resources.” Aptly, the museum’s permanent collection, in the Martha Hopkins Struever Gallery, charts the (relatively new) craft of metalsmithing. In addition to the work of many luminaries of Southwestern jewelry, there are displays dedicated to spoons, thunderbird jewelry, and Spanishinfluenced filigree work.

In the adjacent Schultz Gallery is Bridles and Bits: Treasures from the Southwest, running through September 24 and offering visitors a small but impressive survey of horse tack. One extraordinary piece—an iron ring bit from 13th- to 15th-century North Africa/Iberia—made its way via Spanish colonists to the New World, where it became a prototype for the Navajos.

Beads: A Universe of Meaning, opened May 14 in the Klah Gallery. “One of the things we try to do in exhibitions is tackle subject matter that other museums are not really doing,” says Falkenstien-Doyle of one intention behind the show, noting that it “pulls in material from lots of parts of the country.” Predominantly featured is work from the Columbia River Plateau. “Beadwork from that area tends to be very individualistic,” says Falkenstien-Doyle, and lack of imitation among artists leads to “a tremendous variety.”

A selection of children’s clothing, moccasins, and powwow regalia spanning various tribes reveals a continuum of tradition. Next to Plateau cradleboards from the 1870s is a modern specimen by Jamie Okuma (Luiseño/ShoshoneBannock) decked out with a “baby on board” sign. Similarly, Teri Greeves (Kiowa/Comanche) and her husband, Dennis Esquivel (Ottawa) created Ah-Day: The Favorite Child’s Chair for their son.

Contemporary Native beadwork, says Falkenstien-Doyle, tends more and more toward the use of “beads as an artistic medium.” Case in point: Marcus Amerman’s (Choctaw) Postcard, 2001, a framed wall hanging that re-appropriates a kitschy Indian Country souvenir. But whether decorative or pictorial, “it’s not like beadwork went away and now there’s a revival. It’s just continued to be consistently important to people.”

Left: Bridle with ring bit, Navajo, New Mexico or Arizona, 1860–1870, harness leather, iron, copper, trade cloth, glass beads, other materials, Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, purchased with funds from the Wheelwright Museum Collectors’ Circle.

Provenance: John Painter; Ned and Jody Martin. santa fean

native arts 2017

21

Collecting Vintage

well worn with history and style

by Lisa J. Van Sickle

When the Navajo began silversmithing in the late 19th century, silver came in the form of United States dollar coins and Mexican pesos. (The term “coin silver” is still used to refer to some early pieces.) Jewelry made between the 1920s and the early 1960s is usually unsigned, as the custom of adding initials or an individual hallmark had not yet taken hold.

It seems silver, turquoise, and coral never go out of fashion; Santa Fe has some sources for collecting your own.

Sherwood’s Spirit of America

Pieces like this heishi necklace, ca. 1900, have been made and worn for at least 1,000 years.

scott smudsky

If you collect antique Native American beadwork, dolls, baskets, or jewelry, you likely know Sherwood’s Spirit of America, which has been in business for about 30 years.

Director Julie Kokin-Miller says that most of Sherwood’s jewelry collection is from the 1920s to the 1950s. A rare pair of long, silver Comanche earrings dates to the 19th century.

Like others, Sherwood’s obtains jewelry from families downsizing or settling estates.

Kokin-Miller says some has even been ferreted out by experienced eyes at flea markets.

Sherwood’s also carries work by a contemporary jeweler who makes unique necklaces from vintage watchbands. The decorative pieces that once flanked a wristwatch now hang opposite one another on an old-meets-new, squash blossom–style silver necklace.

Sherwood’s Spirit of America, 128 W Palace, sherwoodsspirit.com

Mark Bahti was born to the business. His father, Tom, started out in the Native American arts field in 1949, and founded Tom Bahti Indian Arts in Tucson, Arizona, in 1952. Mark took over in 1972; with his wife, painter Emmi Whitehorse (Navajo), he opened a Santa Fe branch in 2007.

Although its focus is on living artists, Bahti Indian Arts carries work from the 1960s and before. Bahti favors items with provenance: jewelry shown at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, or with a New Mexico State Fair award, or an old pawn tag. Occasionally, something familiar arrives; as Bahti does business with great-great-grandchildren of his father’s clients, a piece will sometimes travel full circle to its original showcase.

Navajo concho belt from the estate of actor Lee Marvin.

Mark Bahti, Bahti Indian Arts, prefers vintage pieces with interesting provenance.

Bahti Indian Arts, 119 E Palace, bahti.com

The Rainbow Man

Open since 1945, The Rainbow Man was acquired by Bob and Marianne Kapoun in 1984. The store winds through rooms filled with everything from Pendleton blankets and Edward Curtis photos to Navajo folk art. The Rainbow Man carries both new and vintage work which, according to family member Debbie Collins, dates from about 1890 to 1949. The store frequently consigns items from families who have done business with The Rainbow Man for decades. Sometimes contemporary jewelers want to liquidate old family jewelry. One of the oldest and most collectible pieces at The Rainbow Man is a First Phase concho belt.

The Rainbow Man, 107 E Palace, rainbowman.com 32

nativeartsmagazine.com

A concho belt from The Rainbow Man, set with turquoise, shows intricate silver work.

brooke williams

mark bahti

Bahti Indian Arts

lisa van sickle

Shalako has a huge selection of vintage pieces. This concho belt was made for the Fred Harvey Company.

Owner Marcia Kahlbau has been in the Native American jewelry business for 48 years. Her store is divided cleanly in half; one side is contemporary, the rest is vintage. About two-thirds of Shalako’s vintage pieces are Navajo, the remaining third Zuni; with the majority made in the 1950s and 1960s.

Concho belts hang vertically on the wall; one showcase is filled with crosses; there are even a couple of silver crowns. Most of Shalako’s inventory was once traded or pawned for safekeeping or quick cash. Shalako carries a large selection of the distinctive jewelry made for the Fred Harvey outlets, some set with turquoise and some the rarer plain silver. As the daughter of a Harvey Girl, who better than Kahlbau to help them find new homes?

courtesy elmore indian art

Shalako Indian Store, 66 E San Francisco #5, shalakoindianstore.com

courtesy adobe gallery santa fe

Shalako

From Adobe Gallery, a squash blossom necklace with a cast naja.

27"length, naja 3 x 2 ½"

Adobe Gallery

Steve Elmore Indian Art

Steve Elmore, an expert on Hopi pottery with a published book on Nampeyo, also has a deep fondness for vintage Native jewelry—with a depth of knowledge to match.

His stock is mainly pre-1960 and predominantly Navajo.

Elmore primarily gets pieces from collectors ready to deacThe pieces from Steve Elmore Indian Art quisition. He says that the “Four are from different eras and areas.

Ds” often spur these sales— disease, death, debt, and divorce. Elmore points out a few advantages to buying vintage jewelry. Prices are good; the turquoise used was often of a quality difficult to find today; and, he says, old pieces have “a particular energy” that new jewelry just can’t match.

Alexander E. Anthony, Jr. is an expert and a frequent lecturer on Southwestern Indian arts, and has judged major shows. He opened Adobe Gallery in Albuquerque in 1978, expanded to Santa Fe in 2001, and consolidated in Santa Fe in 2003.

His expertise shows in the jewelry he carries, much of it sourced from estates and the collections of longtime customers. This includes pieces made between the 1920s and the 1950s, most of it unattributed; significantly older work also comes through.

Adobe Gallery, 221 Canyon, adobegallery.com

Steve Elmore Indian Art, 839 Paseo de Peralta Suite M, elmoreindianart.com

True West, 130 Lincoln, truewestgallery.com Right: The selection of vintage jewelry at True West is constantly changing.

courtesy True west

True West

Lisa Sheridan and Craig Allen opened True West in December of 2014 and carry a large inventory of contemporary, Native-made jewelry; one case is reserved for vintage jewelry. Most is from the 1950s and earlier, but Sheridan won’t say no to good quality work from the ’60s or ’70s. The case is filled through several sources, including a global supplier, consigners, and sometimes contemporary artists. New homes for old silver are far-flung. According to Sheridan, many Japanese tourists love classic Native jewelry and are well-informed buyers.

santa fean

native arts 2017

21

SWAIA Indian Market

by Chelsea Herr (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma)

SWAIA Indian Market On August 19 and 20, the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) will host the 96th annual Santa Fe Indian Market in the historic Santa Fe Plaza. Colloquially referred to as Indian Market, this event features almost 900 Indigenous artists from across North America exhibiting and selling their work, capping a week of related events.

In partnership with the National Museum of the American Indian, SWAIA will host the 17th iteration of Native Cinema Showcase at the New Mexico History Museum. From Tuesday, August 15, through Sunday, August 20, viewers can watch the work of up-and-coming as well as seasoned Native filmmakers. The Showcase is free of charge and open to 34

nativeartsmagazine.com

the public. Friday, August 18, will see the initial events of Indian Market, including the best of show ceremony and luncheon from 11:30 am–2 pm, the sneak preview of award-winning art from 2–3:30 pm, and the general preview of awardwinning art from 6–8 pm. Each of these events requires tickets for entry, and all will be held at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.

Official Indian Market events begin on Saturday, August 19, at 7 am, when the Market opens on the Santa Fe Plaza.

Booths will be open until 5 pm, and entry is free and open to all. From 9 am to 4 pm, there will be numerous music and dance performances, both on the Plaza and at the Convention Center.

The 4th annual Indian Market haute

gabriella marks

the best of North American Indigenous arts

gabriella marks

Young buffalo dancers in tribal dress dance on the brick streets around the Plaza during Indian Market weekend.

Below: Jolene Bird (Santo Domingo) shows jewelry at the 2016 market.

Robin J. Laws

Buck McCain

Arlene LaDell Hayes

Jack Sorenson

Cynde Roof

Mick Doellinger

Dan Bodelson

Annual Market Weekend Group Show: August 18 – 20 Opening Reception

Friday, August 18

5 to 7 pm

El Centro 102 E. Water Street Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 505.988.2727 info@joewadefineart.com www.joewadefineart.com

Left: SWAIA’s Chief Operating Officer Dallin Maybee (Arapaho/Seneca) and Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales welcome guests to the 2016 Live Auction and Gala, held Saturday evening.

couture fashion show will take place at 3 pm at the Convention Center, and is one of the bestattended events at Indian Market. Indigenous designers will present their own creations in a runway show, with pieces ranging from detailed accessories to full ensembles. The show requires tickets for seats, but there will be free standing room available. Saturday evening, the SWAIA live auction and gala will be held at 6 pm, hosted

by La Fonda on the Plaza. The evening begins at La Terraza, with cocktails and a silent auction, ending with dinner and a live auction in the Lumpkins Ballroom. The gala is a ticketed event, and is expected to run until 10 pm.

The final day of Indian Market, Sunday, August 20, will again offer visitors a chance to see artists’ booths from 8 am–5 pm, as well as dance and music performances from 9 am–4 pm. Sunday will also hold the fashion challenge and Native American clothing contest from 9 am to noon at the main stage on the Plaza. This contest is a long-held tradition at the Market, allowing children and adults to compete in traditional and contemporary clothing categories. This year also marks the third time that SWAIA will host Indian Market: EDGE, a space that promotes contemporary art forms not always found in the Market’s main classifications. EDGE is specifically curated to highlight innovative artists and artworks, and will be open to the public on August 19 and 20 at the Convention Center.

96th annual Santa Fe Indian Art Market, August 19–20, free except for ticketed events, Santa Fe Plaza, Santa Fe Convention Center, NM History Museum, swaia.org 36

nativeartsmagazine.com

gabrielle marks

Hoop dancing—colorful and fast-moving—is among the entertainment during the weekend.

gabrielle marks

Kitty leaken

daniel nadelbach

Below: Kathleen Wall (Jemez Pueblo) shows a young connoisseur a ceramic sculpture.

Saturday’s haute couture fashion show presents Native designers, clothing, and accessories.

Auction Report

courtesy heritage auctions

by Amanda N. Pitman

SOLD!

Above: Carved from walrus ivory, this Siberian Eskimo Village Vignette sold for $3,125 at the Heritage Auctions sale on June 23.

Native American art and artifacts at auction

38

nativeartsmagazine.com

buyer’s premium, provenance, and condition report are integral to having an enjoyable and successful auction experience. Any reputable auction company will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have, and if requested, provide a condition report for an item you are interested in bidding on.

The following auction houses are some of the best in the business for those interested in learning more about and bidding on Native American art and artifacts.

Bonhams (bonhams.com) held their most recent auction on June 19, which featured a remarkable Navajo first-phase concho belt (sold for $22,500), an outstanding Plains picto-

This beatuiful birdstone sold at Cowan’s Auctions earlier this year for $43,200.

courtesy cowans auctions

Every year, Native American art and artifacts are bought and sold at auction.

From major auction houses to smaller, local players, auctions are a great way to get your feet wet in the collecting world. Whether you desire to obtain a single item of interest or add to an established collection, auctions offer everything from the expected—pottery, baskets, weavings, and jewelry—to once-in-a-lifetime, museumquality works of art such as beaded cradleboards or quilled war shirts.

However, for those new to the auction world, some of the lingo used in live and online auctions and print catalogs may seem a bit foreign. Understanding words like lot, reserve,

courtesy leslie hindman auctioneers

Buying at auction is very different from buying retail. Between the excitement and the adrenaline, it’s important to be aware of all terms and conditions before bidding. Here are a few definitions to help you get started.

Left: A stunning bracelet from Charles Loloma is sure to interest collectors of his work. Loloma was one of a few Native artists working in gold in his era.

Lot / Lot Number

A lot is the name given to the item or items being sold. A lot can be a single item or group of items sold together. A lot number is given to each lot; lots are sold in numerical order.

Reserve courtesy cowan’s auctions

Right: With an interesting provenance, this ca.1860 Navajo third phase chief’s blanket is likely to push its estimate of $30,000–$40,000.

The reserve is the minimum price that a lot can sell for. This price is not disclosed to bidders. If the reserve is not met, the lot will not be sold.

Not all lots have a reserve.

Buyer’s Premium

The buyer’s premium is a percentage above the final price that the buyer pays as a part of the total purchase price. This number typically ranges anywhere from 12 to 25 percent, and is usually based on the price bracket of the lot sold. Some auction houses charge a flat fee instead.

rial muslin (sold for $31,250), a rare early Yupik model umiak, and a wonderful contemporary Kenneth Begay (Navajo) sterling silver and wood (woodwork by Fred Stein) chess set (sold for $25,000).

Cowan’s Auctions (cowansauctions.com) sold several exceptional items in early April, including an Arapaho Tomahawk Society Staff (sold for $27,600) and an elongated slate long neck birdstone found in Delaware County, Indiana. Their fall auction will be highlighted by a Navajo third phase chief’s blanket that was once owned by Don Bennett, founder of what is now known as the Whitehawk Antique Show.

At Heritage Auctions (ha.com) June 23 auction, an extremely unusual ca. 1960 Siberian Eskimo Village Vignette came across the block. Two excellent beaded items—a ca. 1890 Crow beaded leather belt (sold for $437.50) and a ca. 1885 Apache beaded hide strike-a-light pouch (sold for $875)—were also available to bidders.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers (lesliehindman.com) receives a plethora of wonderful art and artifacts, as well as some extraordinary finds, such as a large Charles Loloma (Hopi) multicolored stained glass window (ca. 1980, estimate $10,000–$20,000) commissioned for the offices of a Phoenix collector. Another Loloma piece, a gold bracelet with sugilite, coral, and turquoise (estimate $15,000– $20,000), and a Margaret Tafoya (a.k.a. Corn Blossom) polished redware olla (ca. 1986, estimate $5,000–$7,000) arrived recently at their offices. All three items will be available during the November 5 auction.

Provenance

Provenance establishes the history and/or chain of ownership of an item; it can serve to prove authenticity. This can include paperwork, photographs, notes from the artist, etc. An item with extensive provenance significantly increases an item’s value.

Condition Report

A condition report is a detailed written description of the condition of the work, noting damage or unusual characteristics. These reports include information pertaining to restoration, repair, stains, missing parts or pieces, etc. A condition report is essential for high-value lots.

For additional information, see artnet.com/auctions/glossary Below: A detail shot of the rare, early Yupik model umiak that sold for $50,000 in June at Bonhams. courtesy bonhams

courtesy leslie hindman auctioneers

Left: This Charles Loloma stained glass window will be auctioned November 5 at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.

emerging Native artists

by Keiko Ohnuma

emerging Native artists moving opportunity to success Left: Terran Kipp Last Gun, Untitled (lodge) serigraph, edition of seven, 30 x 22"

Above: Terran Kipp Last Gun, Iinii, serigraph, edition of seven, 15 x 11"

George Alexander, Looking Through, acrylic on canvas, 17 x 11"

For someone growing up in a Native community, there’s no shortage of mentors who might lead to a life of making art. It’s all the rest of it—navigating the marketing—that sometimes deters talented young people.

Success for young Native artists often means overcoming cultural resistance to self-promotion and individualism; however, tribal institutions such as Santa Fe’s Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) play a crucial role in giving young 40

nativeartsmagazine.com

artists the support to tell their stories.

Terran Kipp Last Gun (Piikani) is an up-and-coming artist who has benefited from IAIA’s structure. A photographer and printmaker who enrolled in 2011 as a museum studies major, he was recognized before graduating last year with the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture Goodman Aspiring Artist Fellowship.

He is currently an artist-in-residence at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Art. continued on page 63

ANNUAL INDIAN MARKET WEEKEND GROUP SHOW: MEET THE ARTISTS AUGUST 18 – 20TH OPENING RECEPTION, FRIDAY AUGUST 18TH, 5 TO 7PM

“Arizona Sunset” Manuel Avendano

45 x 36

“Staff of Life” Jammey Huggins

15 x 13

“Lakota Sentinel” James Ayers

36 x 48

“Journey to Wisdom” Todd Paxton

Ma n u e l Av e n d a n o • J a m e s Ayer s • S al l y Fair field • N ance Fr anklin • Mal col m Furl ow Ray m o n d Gib b y • J a mme y H u ggins • D eni se Im ke • B i l l K im bell • P abl o Milan • C ar a M oran J as o n N a p ie r • Ki m Ob r z u t • C harl es P abst • Mi chael P abst • Zane P alm er • Todd Paxt on Ki rk R a n d le • R o n & Shei l a R uiz • R on S tewar t • A . R odr igues • N arri e Tool e

37 x 24 x 21

by Amanda N. Pitman

the Zuni Show and the Keshi Foundation Zuni art at the forefront

Summertime in Santa Fe—the city is abuzz with visitors and locals alike, enjoying everything the City Different has to offer. The main draw in August is, of course, Indian Market. On the north side of downtown, however, there is another movement brewing, one that provides a breath of fresh air and value that extends beyond the immediate: The Zuni Show and the associated Keshi Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. According to Bronwyn Fox, owner of Keshi: The Zuni Connection, “We [Fox and her mother, Robin Dunlap] decided we were going to do it [the first Zuni Show], and that was what really projected us into action as far as establishing the nonprofit foundation; we saw this need for the Zuni Show.”

The Zuni Show, now in its second year, is held Saturday and Sunday at the Scottish Rite Center, only a few blocks from the Plaza, during Indian Market.

With over 120 Zuni artists from Zuni Pueblo expected, the event has grown since its inaugural show last

Right: This pipestone bear fetish was carved by the late Peter Gaspar and his wife, Dinah. This bear and other fetishes are available through the Keshi Foundation.

42

nativeartsmagazine.com

courtesy the keshi foundation

Above: Traditional dances will take place again this year at the Zuni Show. The Scottish Rite Center courtyard, the adjacent parking lot, and the grounds of the federal courthouse will all have dancers performing over the course of the weekend.

August. Fox notes that “. . . the value is there [inherent in the work]—but we’re promoting the Zuni artwork in an effort to get the message out there that this is the best of the best.” In fact, over 80 percent of the population of Zuni makes their living from art. In addition to artists of all stripes, this event will feature Zuni dancers, with a special harvest dance first thing Saturday morning, and music, including Fernando Cellicion (Zuni) and his dance group, award-winning musicians Shelley Morningsong (N. Cheyenne/Dutch) and Fabian Fontenelle (Zuni/Omaha), educational videos, panels, and talks, plus Zuni tamales and other food.

The Keshi Foundation is now a multifaceted entity. What started as a way to assist the Zuni people, including helping with emergency situations, has blossomed into numerous ideas. Thoughts include opening a retail incubator at Zuni, supplying a tool bank for artists to utilize, and a proposal for a wellstocked shop selling raw materials and supplies for the artists. Fox confirms, “I heard from artists that they would be very happy if they had an immediate source to invest in more materials.” And, the possibility of someday having a workshop where Zuni artists could teach both Zunis and non-Zunis is not out of the question. Fox continues, “We have a big vision about helping Zuni take back Zuni for themselves—to serve the artists, to serve that incredibly unique artistic community.”

Take some time over the Indian Market weekend to visit the Scottish Rite Center to see the art, meet the artists, and learn more about the Zuni culture.

“Get there early, bring lots of money, and stay all day!” laughs Fox.

Right: Jewelry like this overlay inlay pin by Rolanda Harloo is acquired by the Foundation by donation.

Proceeds benefit future shows and projects, and assist individual Zunis in need.

Left: Von, shown here, is a Zuni boy in traditional Zuni clothing. He will be an official greeter this year at the show.

The Zuni Show, August 19–20, Saturday, 9 am –6 pm , Sunday, 9 am –4 pm , free, Scottish Rite Center, 463 Paseo de Peralta, facebook.comevents/1729008357114654 The Keshi Foundation, thekeshifoundation.org Keshi: The Zuni Connection, 227 Don Gaspar, keshi.com

Left: Items like this petit point pendant/pin created

by Octavius and Irma Seotewa are currently available through the Foundation, and highlight the talent and skill of Zuni artists.

Right: Well-known fetish carver Clive Hustito will be at the Zuni show again this year.

For many artists, this is their first experience selling their works at retail value. All proceeds stay with the artists.

santa fean

native arts 2017

43

Q+A

A-plus

A Martinez with Anne Maclachlan

A (for Adolfo) Martinez, of Piegan, Mescalero, Mexican, and Northern European ancestry, is the multiple award–winning star of Santa Barbara, Powwow Highway, Longmire, and countless other productions—as well as a musician, writer, family man, activist, and philosopher. His New Mexico film career is long and varied.

We must ask: What was it like working with The Duke?

Well, that was certainly part of the dreamlike quality of doing it. He was my dad’s favorite actor, so my siblings and I had seen a lot of his movies at our local drive-in theater as we were growing up. Our folks usually made us wear our pajamas to the show because we’d fall asleep on the way home, and it was hard—all those years later in the Duke’s actual presence—not to feel like I was still wearing my pajamas. He helped me to understand the ballet of movie fighting as much as anyone I ever worked with.

44

nativeartsmagazine.com

A Martinez plays the inscrutable Jacob Nighthorse on the NetflixWarner Bros. production of Longmire. The show’s fans have an ongoing debate regarding his character’s status as hero or villain.

dennys ilic

Your first role in New Mexico film was in The Cowboys (1972), when you played Cimarron, the young troublemaker to John Wayne’s fatherly figure. Do you have any outstanding memories of that time?

Filming The Cowboys felt like a dream. I was the third actor asked to play Cimarron—after the first two made mistakes that disqualified them—so I had spent a month regretting my failure to land Cimarron before he came back to me. The director, Mark Rydell, is an actor himself, and a musician as well, and has tremendous intuitive powers as a communicator. Whenever I had trouble with the work, he’d approach and whisper the simplest idea, and the lights would go on. For years after, I’d try to imagine what he might say to me when I found myself confused in other projects.

In The Cowboys with John Wayne as his no-nonsense trail boss, A Martinez’s hotheaded character Cimarron gets a few life lessons from The Duke, against a New Mexico backdrop.

There’s a renewed push toward Natives actually being cast in Native roles, and having more film opportunities in general.

What’s your take on this?

It’s so long overdue as to be pretty much absurdly embarrassing. But I’m glad it’s finally beginning to happen.

I still have faith that history—even in the storytelling business—arcs toward justice.

courtesy warner bros.

When you returned to New Mexico in 1989’s Powwow Highway—along with Santa Fean Gary Farmer—you played Buddy Red Bow, a passionate environmental activist.

For me, the lightning chance to do that work with Gary—to play Buddy in the throes of witnessing [Farmer’s character] Philbert’s genius up close—was a perfectly timed gift. Gary is among the greatest actors who ever drew breath, and all cliché aside, it was not only an honor to share the screen with him, but a revelation as well. I’m still running off some of the previously hidden possibilities that I first discovered in my front row seat to that performance.

Buddy Red Bow understood that the dispossessed are usually the first to feel the pain when Mother Earth’s environmental systems begin to break down. The real Buddy Red Bow—a Lakota musician who passed on in 1993—wrote directly and beautifully about the real problems carried by the people. Problems that include, to this day, the steady unraveling of these life-sustaining systems.

You’re a musician and a singer; what’s your style?

I first found my voice in Los Angeles rock, then became a songwriter in the expansion of learning the early work of Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, and Joni Mitchell. I don’t play too often of late, but sing regularly with an ear toward doing it right. More importantly, it’s both a measure of what it was like to grow up in our home—and a beautiful pleasure in its own right—to bathe in the music of my daughter, Ren Farren.

Buddy Red Bow (A Martinez, right and above, on left) and his pal Philbert (Gary Farmer) take a soul-searching road trip to Santa Fe in 1989’s Powwow Highway.

courtesy handmade films

courtesy handmade films

Anyone who reads your social media posts, or simply hears you speak, must be immediately aware that you treasure words. Can you attribute that to anything or anyone in particular?

Well, the fuse of adulthood was lit by Hemingway in A Farewell to Arms. I came across it in high school, and began to wake up—almost drowning in gratitude to realize what literature might mean in the building of a life.

I discovered Nabokov and Sartre while still in my teens and was lib-

erated into the scintillating possibilities and grand demands of existentialism—which seems, at this point, to have been an almost miraculous turn of good fortune.

A wise early friend and lover introduced me to the work of E. E. Cummings. I found Mary Oliver. Beckett. Steinbeck. And eventually Rilke.

As my career has progressed and the challenges deepened, the actor’s task has threatened to break down into some very simple, but telling, dynamics. That language is thought. And thought is character.

In other words—words matter.

Further to that, do you have much input regarding your character’s delivery?

Jacob Nighthorse speaks with a poetic cadence, for example.

Usually, having trained first for theater, actors address substantial language—and the more sophisticated concepts it carries—from the very beginning. I was way over my head when I started, stretched beyond my understanding, and facing an array of problems that I didn’t know how to solve. But the saving grace of an extended rehearsal process allows enough time to repeatedly fail until you begin to stumble upon things that work.

When you start to work for the screen, that long rehearsal process disappears, and in my case, this explains why a lot of my early work in TV was so lame. Good fortune arrived again on the wings of Santa Barbara, where the fledgling company of us was thrown into the cauldron of having to create a whole, hourlong show, every single day of the work week.

The daily scripts came from a rotating gang of excellent writers, each with a unique sensibility about how best to capture the essences of the characters. Meanwhile, over the course of hundreds (or even thousands) of episodes, the actors were building intimate, personal histories based on the lessons of all these writers’ voices, and their own accumulating stories of what is really going on in a character’s heart. Eventually, the unrelenting weight of this process brought out the writer in me.

In the case of Nighthorse, pretty much everything I needed to know about him was contained in the audition scene. He was well educated, confident to the point of arrogance, sharply informed politically, a santa fean

native arts 2017

45

Judie Burstein/Globe Photos/ZUMAPRESS.com

SuE KRYzStON

Above: In the long-running soap Santa Barbara, costars Marcy Walker and A Martinez became one of the best-loved daytime TV couples. Nominated seven times for a Daytime Emmy in his role as Cruz Castillo, Martinez won in 1990 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

“Capturing the Spirit” 24" x 30" Oil

SCOtt ROGERS

soldier at heart but bearing a certain elegance in his approach to language, and very much enamored of the sound of his own voice. It was a staggeringly wonderful experience to meet him on the page— the poetic cadence you mention was shimmering just beneath the words—and I suspected immediately that I’d have a better than usual chance to win the role. The joys that have come to me in exploring him over these years are the stuff of my greatest treasure. His secrets are the most delicious secrets of my working life.

You were Soap Opera Digest’s 1988 Outstanding Hero; now you’re playing a maybe-he-is-maybe-he-isn’t character on Longmire. Which do you prefer?

At this point I seem to be thinking more about the value of the whole of any particular story, rather than about a particular part that I might play in it.

It’s another measure of aging, I suppose, where it becomes more clear that you do indeed bear a responsibility for the whole of the thing when you lend your name and energy to a project.

I’m down for portraying any character in any piece that assesses the struggles of life with honesty and a sense of respectful decency.

“Base Ball” Ltd. Ed. Bronze of 50

Indian Market Show August 18th-20th Opening Reception Friday, August 18th from 5-8pm Featuring the works of Sue Krzyston, Scott Rogers, Ken Rowe, Gloria D’ and Vala Ola

SAGE CREEK GALLERY

421 Canyon Road Santa Fe, NM 505.988.3444 sagecreekgallery.com sagecreeksf@aol.com

We’ll miss your presence at the end of this, the final season of Longmire. Is there anything you’re making sure to experience before you say farewell for now?

I’ll probably head up to Taos for a couple of days— haven’t been there for more than 20 years, remember it fondly, and have an appetite to check in again before this ends.

But mainly, the company itself is the thing. I first understood that I was a hopelessly smitten theater lifer on the night that my first show closed, and the troupe gathered one last time to strike the set.

Swimming in the company’s mingled love and regret at the ending of all that hard work well done is like no other feeling in the world. And given the six seasons of magic we’ve shared with Longmire, those feelings will be magnified.

One sweet thing I’ll fall back on, to be sure: the fact that the work of Longmire happened in New Mexico. Every word we spoke is still bouncing off some surface somewhere. And whenever I come back, I’ll be listening for them.

destination art

By Lisa J. Van Sickle

Left: Kevin Red Star, Sundancers— Eagle Breath Feather Whistles, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48"

SORREL SKY GALLERY Kevin Red Star (Crow)

Established in 2002, Sorrel Sky is a Durango, Colorado, mainstay. Owner Shanan Campbell Wells grew up in the art business, as the daughter of renowned jeweler (and former United States Senator) Ben Nighthorse. Campbell managed other galleries, and worked both as an art scout for Franklin Mint and for the Smithsonian before opening her own place. Between the Durango gallery and its Santa Fe sibling, which opened in 2014, Sorrel Sky represents 80 painters, sculptors, jewelers, and photographers—including Kevin Red Star, who exhibits his paintings across the globe. Red Star’s paintings of dancers, warriors, and tipis are at the Santa Fe gallery through August in a show called Horse People.

Horse People, August 4–31, reception August 4, 5–7:30 pm, Sorrel Sky Gallery, sorrelsky.com santa fean

native arts 2017

47

destination art

BLUE RAIN Maria Samora

Milking cows, chopping wood, and busting tires may not be the usual preparation for the gallery business, but for Leroy Garcia, owner of Blue Rain Gallery, those early jobs instilled a work ethic that has served him well. Garcia started Blue Rain in a spare bedroom in his family home in Taos in 1993, moving from there to the Taos Plaza, then to Santa Fe’s downtown, and now to the current location in the Santa Fe Railyard district. The roster of artists represented has also expanded exponentially; after starting with a few Native artists, Garcia now shows 35 Native and non-Native featured artists and carries the work of almost 400 others. Maria Samora, a jeweler with Taos Pueblo roots, will be featured in Blue Rain’s August Annual Celebration of Native American Art. Tending towards diamonds rather than turquoise, Samora’s pieces have an elegant simplicity.

Annual Celebration of Native American Art, August 15–20, Blue Rain Gallery, blueraingallery.com Right: Maria Samora, V strata bracelet, sterling silver and diamonds, 6 1/8" with 1" opening, 2 1/4" wide

STEVE ELMORE INDIAN ART

New Mexico native Steve Elmore began collecting Native pottery and weavings in the late 1980s while working as a photographer in New York. He returned to New Mexico in 1999 and opened the gallery two years later, inspired in part by a deep interest in the work of Hopi potter Nampeyo (1859–1952). Elmore has lectured on the artist and published a book about her early life and work, In Search of Nampeyo. Having built private and museum pottery collections, Elmore observes, “A collection talks not just to you but to all the other members of the collection so that the learning and enjoyment increases geometrically.” Steve Elmore Indian Art’s August show, The Red and the Black: A Century of Santa Clara Pottery, shows pieces built between 1900 and 2000. It includes the work of Margaret Tafoya and other matriarchs of Santa Clara pottery as well as more contemporary pieces.

The Red and the Black: A Century of Santa Clara Pottery, August 4–October 31, reception August 4, 5–7 pm, Steve Elmore Indian Art, elmoreindianart.com Left: Two jars by Margaret Tafoya (Santa Clara). Black pot 14 x 12", red pot 11 x 10" 48

nativeartsmagazine.com

addison doty

ON THE PLAZA

Above: Chris Youngblood, deeply carved turtle plate, traditionally fired clay, 11" diameter

Nancy Youngblood (Santa Clara) and Chris Youngblood (Santa Clara)

Lyn and Ellen Fox have operated Lyn A. Fox Fine Pueblo Pottery since 1995, carrying (as the name suggests) pottery, both historic and contemporary, from the pueblos of New Mexico. Storytellers, nativity sets, and the occasional animal figures and satirical Cochiti Pueblo pieces share space with more functional storage jars and ollas.

This August, Lyn A. Fox’s annual Indian Market week show features the work of Santa Clara potters Nancy Youngblood and her son Chris Youngblood. Direct descendants of Sarafina Tafoya and Margaret Tafoya, the matriarchs of Santa Clara pottery, both Nancy and Chris Youngblood use time-honored techniques with a contemporary sensibility. Nancy will show miniatures—pieces measuring 3 x 3" or less—at Lyn A. Fox. Chris will have new pieces on display.

Nancy Youngblood: Full Circle, the Miniatures, and Chris Youngblood: Solo, August 17, reception 3–5 pm, Lyn A. Fox Fine Pueblo Pottery, foxpueblopottery.com

Photo: Rebecca Lowndes

LYN A. FOX FINE PUEBLO POTTERY

D.J.

STEWART 61 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-983-9241 maloufontheplaza.com Online Shopping Available

courtesy andrea fisher fine pottery

destination art

Above: Richard Zane Smith, Wyandot Floral, pigment on clay, 16 x 13"

ANDREA FISHER FINE POTTERY

Richard Zane Smith (Wyandot)

Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery opened in April, 1993. Fisher had previously worked as a buyer for the Case Trading Post, and although her knowledge base was broad, she decided to go deep in her own business, carrying only pottery.

The gallery stocks mainly Native American pottery from the Southwest, both by living artists and by matriarchs such as Maria Martinez (San Ildefonso) who lived and worked in an earlier era. As many as six generations of a single family of potters may have pieces at the gallery at one time.

Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery also carries pieces from the village of Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico, and represents a few Native artists who are not from the Southwest. Richard Zane Smith exemplifies the beauty and sophistication of contemporary Native pottery. Andrea Fisher presents a show of his work, Coiled Amazement, in August.

Coiled Amazement, August 17–21, reception August 17, 5–7 pm, demonstration August 18, 10 am–4 pm, Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery, andreafisherpottery.com

destination art

Left: Larry Vasquez, necklace, pink coral and opal.

SUNWEST ON THE PLAZA Albuquerque’s Sunwest Silver Co., Inc., owned by Ernie Montoya, has a new Santa Fe location. The spaces formerly occupied by Dressman’s

Gifts and Santa Fe Indian Trading Company are now home to Sunwest on the Plaza. As the owner of the Carico Lake, New Lander, Falcon, and Badger turquoise mines, Sunwest Silver keeps hundreds of artisans from Albuquerque to Tibet supplied with stone. Since 1970, Sunwest Silver has been selling silver and stone, buying back the jewelry made from the materials, then supplying stores across the land with Nativemade jewelry. Sunwest on the Plaza sells the work of about 120 jewelers, all but a few Native. They also carry pottery, a few weavings, and Ojibwe totems. The other section of the store preserves Dressman’s tradition of selling T-shirts, sodas, and souvenirs of all sorts. Sunwest will celebrate their grand opening August 17 at 5 pm with a ribbon cutting. Native artists will be in the store throughout Indian Market weekend.

Grand opening, August 17, 5 pm, Sunwest on the Plaza, sunwesthandmade.com

52

nativeartsmagazine.com

W

Wheelwright Museum OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

704 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87505 • 505-982-4636 or 1-800-607-4636

42ndAnnual Benefit Auction

W

Your purchases help support the museum’s educational programs and exhibitions!

August 1–11

Thursday, August 17

New! Online Auction

Silent Auction and Live Auction Preview 3–5 p.m.

See website for details.

Friday, August 18

Youth & Adult Artist Demonstrations 9 a.m.–noon

Live Auction Preview 10 a.m.–noon Live Auction Noon–3 p.m.

A

R

T

EROKE

T

H

E

C

Andale Food Truck on-site August 18th. Offsite parking and free shuttle available.

For more information visit www.wheelwright.org/auction Funded in Part by a Gift from

MARK

E

12 TH ANNUAL

CHEROKEE ART MARKET OCTOBER

14

&

15

Bryan Waytula - “Girl of the Water” (drawing) Best of Class

Sequoyah Convention Center at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa CherokeeArtMarket.com

|

(877) 779-6977

© 2017 Cherokee Nation Businesses. All Rights Reserved.

santa fean

native arts 2017

53

destination art

TRUE WEST

Rosemary Lonewolf (Santa Clara)

Business partners Lisa Sheridan and Craig Allen opened True West in December of 2014. Their spacious downtown location on Lincoln Avenue carries Southwestern jewelry, pottery, paintings, and sculpture by both Native and non-Native artists. Pieces exhibited range from traditional to ultra contemporary. True West regularly invites their artists to spend time in the gallery, demonstrating their techniques and meeting customers and collectors. August 4–6, Rosemary Lonewolf will demonstrate her approach to pottery. While Lonewolf comes from a long line of Pueblo potters, her work is decidedly contemporary.

Rosemary Lonewolf, artist-in-residence, August 4–6, 11 am–5 pm, reception August 4, 5–8 pm, True West, truewestgallery.com Left: Rosemary Lonewolf and Tony Jojola (Isleta Pueblo), Desert Dazzler, ceramic and glass on metal base, 51 x 12 x 12"

ADOBE GALLERY

Located at the foot of Canyon Road, Adobe Gallery provides a fascinating introduction to Native arts. Owner Alexander E. Anthony, Jr., opened the original Adobe Gallery in Albuquerque in 1978, following a 20-year career in the United States Air Force, and eventually relocated to Santa Fe. Adobe specializes in contemporary and historic Southwestern Indian Pueblo pottery. The gallery also carries Hopi katsinas, Pueblo paintings (a show of paintings by San Ildefonso artists hangs through the end of August), and vintage Native jewelry as well as Arts and Crafts furniture. In August and September, Adobe shows contemporary and historic Hopi pottery in an exhibit highlighting the influence of the old upon the new.

New & Old Hopi Pottery Showcase, August 1–September 30, Adobe Gallery, adobegallery.com Mark Tahbo (Hopi/Tewa), very large polychrome seed jar, clay and pigment, 8 x 14"

54

nativeartsmagazine.com

dan mcguinness

Above: Bracelet designed by Jennifer Laing from a 3-D print of Margarete Bagshaw’s image, sterling silver with grasshopper turquoise, 8 x 1 ½"

GOLDEN DAWN AND 3D GALLERY Margarete Bagshaw

Golden Dawn Gallery opened in 2009, operated by the husband-and-wife team of Dan McGuinness and Margarete Bagshaw. They carried the work of three artists: Bagshaw, her mother, Helen Hardin (1943–1984), and grandmother, Pablita Velarde (Santa Clara) (1918–2006). Velarde’s Tewa name, Tse Tsan, means Golden Dawn. The gallery was the exclusive representative for the work of all three generations.

Following Bagshaw’s untimely death in early 2015, McGuinness has maintained the gallery, with the addition of a three-dimensional printer and a slight name change. 3-D printing capabilities mean that McGuinness is producing silver jewelry designed by Jennifer Laing and based on images in Bagshaw’s paintings, and bronze sculptures of figures from the paintings.

Golden Dawn and 3D Gallery also carries the sculptures of Tony Buchen and Jazzmean Goodwin, who work with the 3-D printer.

Golden Dawn and 3D Gallery, goldendawngallery.com

exhibits

o p e n in gs | re v i e w s | pe opl e Conception, Abstraction, Reduction: The Art of Dan, Arlo & Michael Namingha Niman Fine Art at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden 715 Camino Lejo, Museum Hill Through May 13, 2018, hours vary by season

Nicole namingha

Now through next spring, Niman Fine Art partners with the Santa Fe Botanical Garden in the Garden’s 30th anniversary celebration to present stunning large-scale sculpture in Conception, Abstraction, Reduction: The Art of Dan, Arlo & Michael Namingha.

Internationally known artist Dan Namingha (Tewa/ Hopi) and his sons, contemporary artist Arlo Namingha (Tewa/Hopi) and conceptual artist Michael Namingha (Tewa/Hopi), each bring their own aesthetic to the garden, their works interacting with the landscape in unique and interesting ways. Traditional subject matter, abstract works, sculptures that mimic the landscape, and abstracted animals created in bronze, stone, and Plexiglas® all make an appearance.—Amanda N. Pitman

Arlo Namingha, Cloud Maiden, bronze edition of 7, 40 x 12 x 11" 56

nativeartsmagazine.com

art

PROFILE

courtesy maryhill museum of art

Left: Buffalo Gal Hat, antique cowgirl hat, antique cut beads, modern 13/0 Czech seed beads, copper seed beads, sterling silver button, horse hair tassels.

Angela Swedberg contemporary artist and restoration expert

angelaswedberg.blogspot.com

courtesy angela swedberg

A commissioned Mandan or Upper Missouri style quilled war shirt based on the 1830s paintings of Mató-Tópe (Four Bears) by Karl Bodmer and George Catlin.

courtesy angela swedberg

If you have ever taken an interest in Native American beadwork, you’ve likely seen something restored to perfection—or entirely designed and meticulously created—by Angela Swedberg. Swedberg’s beadwork runs the gamut from antique restoration and repair to private commissions to stunning, one-of-a-kind, full-fledged creations such as horse regalia and a beaded elk robe commissioned by the Denver Museum of Art and now on permanent display at the museum. The eight-piece collection of horse gear, in particular, has significant meaning—especially in light of the recent Dakota Access Pipeline protests. “More and more I really want to be doing work that has some serious messages behind it,” says Swedberg. “[The horse gear] has to do with environmental issues that impact Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest.”

Many of Swedberg’s other custom creations came about in part as a result of her restoration work. Collectors she had worked for began approaching her with an interesting proposition. “‘There is something we have always wanted for our collections, but it doesn’t exist to buy. . . . Could you make us something to fit this hole?’ And I started doing that for clients,” she explains. She notes that she often likes to work in art glass to denote that the work is modern and not historic. About 10 years ago, Swedberg worked as an artist-in-residence at Pilchuck Glass School, noting “I lucked out being able to work with [glass artist] William Morris’s team; some of the best glass sculptors in the world.”

Swedberg exhibits work in multiple major museums, and she is often invited to lecture at universities and museums. One of her priorities? Ferreting out fakes. “I’ve been working with museums lately on identifying things [such as fakes] and I am also in the process of talking about putting together some type of symposium with museum curators so that I can show them some of the tricks . . . so they can keep an eye out for these things.”

Top: Swedberg’s Appaloosa, Cappy, serves as the model for this quilled horsehair bridle, now in the collection of the Denver Art Museum.

Right: Currently on display at the Denver Art Museum, this Plateau-style horse gear assemblage took Swedberg a year to complete and comments on the evironmental changes along the Columbia River, among other issues.

Far left: A contemporary glass elk ladle, hand-blown, off-hand hot glass sculpture with antique Italian seed beads, porcupine quills, and brain tanned hide.

PHOTOGRAPHY ©denver art museum

courtesy maryhill museum of art

by Ama nda N. Pit ma n

santa fean

native arts 2017

57

art

PROFILE

Above: Blue Bird Love Song, colored pencil on ca. 1882 Beethoven sonata sheet music, 12 x 9"

Monte Yellow Bird (Black Pinto Horse) continuing history, sharing stories

by Ama nda N. Pitma n

Above: First Strike, colored pencil on ca. 1900 United States Department of the Interior Office of Indian Affairs Water Users ledger, 14 x 11" 58

nativeartsmagazine.com

New to Manitou Galleries, the stunning, traditional ledger art of Monte Yellow Bird (Arikara/Hidatsa) is unlike anything else hanging on the walls. Seemingly familiar scenes of horses and warriors, hunting, tipis, courting couples, and other subjects are illustrated on ledger pages, sheet music, receipts, bills, and mortgages, but beneath the obvious lies deeply seated meaning, which imbues each work with a vibrant energy and a story that Yellow Bird longs to tell. “The idea of ledger art is beginning to gain popularity among mainstream collectors, historians, etc.,” he says. “It’s always been my feeling that being able to depict who we are as a people is really important, because we’re really telling the stories and sharing the

memory of our past generations.”

Yellow Bird was admitted to the Institute of American Indian Arts at the age of 16. These days, he incorporates academic color theory and symbolism into his work as well as stories and other significant influences that derive from his culture, history, and life experiences. “The concept [for the work], for the most part, is—I wouldn’t say sporadic—but I would honestly say divine-driven, really,” he notes. Each piece of ledger art takes him anywhere from eight to 40 hours to complete.

Yellow Bird enthuses, “So as you begin to be able to understand not only my theory or my stories, you get to see how it applies to us as human beings.” It’s well worth noting this when viewing Yellow Bird’s work: not just to admire it, but to consider the history and the stories. It is a deeply engaging experience.

Monte Yellow Bird at Manitou Galleries, 225 Canyon, manitougalleries.com At Manitou Galleries August 16, 10 am–4 pm, presentation at 2 pm; August 18, 5–7 pm, presentation at 6 pm

Above: Elk Medicine Called Us Together, colored pencils and ink on ca. 1900 Index to Real Estate Mortgages-Mortgagors, Chouteau County, Montana, ledger, 17 x 14"

Above: I’ll Lead the Charge for Future Generations, colored pencil on United States Cavalry recruiting ledger, 15 x 10"

santa fean

native arts 2017

59

art

PROFILE A collection of Rachel Sahmie’s pottery, showing the many sizes and shapes of vessels she creates. All are pit-fired and made of traditional clay.

Below: Rachel Sahmie holds one of her large storage jars. The piece shows the influence of Sahmie’s great-great-grandmother, Hopi potter Nampeyo (1856–1942).

Rachel Sahmie continuing tradition

by Eve Tolpa

courtesy elmore indian art

Rachel Sahmie (HOPI) knew from the youngest age what path her life would follow. Growing up in Polacca, Arizona, her family’s home for generations, she was surrounded by the crème de la crème of Hopi potters. Her great-greatgrandmother was Nampeyo (Hopi), renowned for leading the Sikyatki revival, which introduced the world to ancient Hopi designs from the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries.

Many of Sahmie’s other relatives, including mother Priscilla Namingha Nampeyo (Hopi), were similarly accomplished.

“As far as I can remember there was always pottery around,” says Sahmie. “It was always part of our lives. There was always pottery drying or being painted. In my mind I just assumed this is what I’m going to be doing.” The motifs adorning those pots often reflected aspects of the artists’ environs, with ample room for individual interpretation and variation. Nampeyo, Sahmie says, was “simply painting the things she saw every day.”

Steve Elmore Indian Art is one of the local galleries showcasing Sahmie’s work, and its eponymous proprietor literally wrote the book on Nampeyo (In Search of Nampeyo: The Early Years 1875–1892). “Rachel is a master potter,” Elmore says. “She’s the new matriarch of her generation for Hopi pottery. She has assumed Nampeyo’s mantle.”

For Sahmie, there is no separation between work and life, personal expression and cultural legacy. She likens her pots to members of the family, noting that they have “a spirit of their own, and even touching them gives you energy.” What surprises Sahmie about the creative process? Everything, always. “When you put a piece of pottery into the firing, it’s a surprise. When you open it, it’s like a present. And when you find a new clay source, that results in a different color shade of vessel,” she says. “We are certainly blessed, the Native traditional potters. I can hardly wait to do this each day.”

60

nativeartsmagazine.com

SPECIAL A D VERTISIN G SECTION

‘

Rena de Santa Fe Only in Santa Fe - Only from the Artist

• Original paintings • signed prints Scarlett’s Antique Shop & Gallery

• limited edition figurines

Welcome to Scarlett’s—a favorite shopping haven of locals and visitors alike. We feature a beautiful array of authentic, high quality Native American jewelry by many award-winning artists. Whether you prefer the sleek contemporary look or traditional Classic Revival style, you are sure to find your treasure from the Land of Enchantment at Scarlett’s! At-door parking available.

225 Canyon Rd, 505-473-2861 ScarlettsGallery.com (for preview)

Hopi Elder with Kachina, 6 x 12.5” print

native

Studio hours by appointment only

(505) 466-4665

treasures

The City of Santa Fe Event Calendar Magazine

now

now

Get more of the city you love...

The City of San ta Fe Eve nt Cal

end ar concerts , mus galle icians, and artis ry shows, t profile s

Must-Know artists • suMMer dining • Hipico santa fe • river advent ures

this week ’s

top nightlif e

The City of

Santa Fe Eve

1 year, 6 issues only $14.95

and

enarterta nt Calend in

men

picks t

santafeanN OW.com

PRESENTE D IN COOP ERATION WITH

this week ’s

ALBUQUER QUE JOUR NAL NORT H

e top nightlif

week of June 18

inment

and enterta

H NAL NORT OW.com santafeanN ERATION WITH ALBUQUERQUE JOUR

June/July 2017

subscriptions

818-286-3165

picks

e Don’t miss thTour! io Eldorado Stud

www.renadesantafe.com

y 14 week of Ma

IN COOP PRESENTED

Pick up your FREE copy on newsstands every Thursday! visit

santafean NOW.com

for more info

santafean.com

art

the

issue

dining • art • culture • history

•

lifestyle

Bella Media Group | 1512 Pacheco St Ste D-105 Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505-983-1444 santa fean

native arts 2017

61

art

Yellow Bird Dancing

PROFILE

Tony Duncan

Above: Five-time world-champion hoop dancer Tony Duncan, also celebrated for his music, accompanies himself on both river-cane and cedar flutes on his latest album, Purify. Duncan’s mother, Doreen, recalls, “My brother, Carl, Tony’s uncle, used to say, ‘That li’l Tony, he’s down at the river running around the willows again; he keeps saying he hears music and he’s trying to catch it.’”

Right: The flute piece Tony composed to make his intentions known to Violet, who became his wife, is beautifully heart-melting.

62

nativeartsmagazine.com

Robert Doyle/Canyon Records

Robert Doyle/Canyon Records

by Anne Maclachla n

Tony Duncan (Apache/Arikara/Mandan/Hidatsa) is also known as Yellow Bird Dancing (Yellow Bird is a family name). He grew up hoop dancing, beginning at the age of 5, when his father, Ken Duncan, Sr. (Apache), gave him his first hoops. Ken and his wife Doreen (Arikara/Mandan/Hidatsa) founded a family troupe under the name Yellow Bird Indian Dancers, and the group rapidly found international success. The family members have performed at the White House, the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, the Billboard Awards, and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. A five-time world-champion hoop dancer himself, Duncan—along with his brothers—is an eagerly awaited annual performer on the Santa Fe Indian Market stage, and dances frequently at the Heard Museum. Tony’s wife, Violet (Plains Cree/Taino), and young daughters Manaya and Nitanis all perform the traditional fancy shawl and women’s jingle dances, while son Naiche is following in his father’s hoop-steps, so to speak, using the same hoops first passed along from his grandfather to his father.

Tony and his brother Kevin Dakota Duncan were featured in Nelly Furtado’s 2012 global hit “Big Hoops (The Bigger the Better),” blending the energy of traditional hoops and lively hip hop with mesmerizing results. In June, Duncan reunited with Furtado in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for a live show at the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Aboriginal Day Live in Winnipeg.

Also a musician, Duncan composes for and plays Native flute. Dance and music embody much more than the presentation, says Duncan. There’s a deeply spiritual aspect that precedes the action of dance or of playing the flute, and it underlies each step and every note. Duncan explains the significance of honoring the Four Directions and the spirits represented, and says he is mindful of them as he proceeds. Further to that, when composing for the flute, he tries to dedicate the music to a family member. Certainly, the song Tony created to woo Violet always melts the audience, while the bright piece composed for his son captures the joyful lightness of childhood.

Duncan is now moving more fully into the backstage areas of composing and production. With his fifth album for Canyon Records, Purify, he says his music is more meditative, reflecting the beauty that surrounds him. He hopes to take the listener on this journey to a more soothed state, away from the city and stresses of modern life. In a departure from his previous duet albums with guitarist Darrin Yazzie (Navajo), Tony accompanies himself on the traditional Apache river-cane flute and the northern-style cedar flute, an instrument used by his mother’s people. “[The cane flute] has a softer feel; a higher pitch, like a bird,” he explains, while the cedar one “has a sharp edge.

It’s deeper, louder, with more resonance.” The cedar necessitates a more controlled approach to breathing, which Duncan finds calming. For the listener, this is also very effective. The layers of cane and cedar tones produce a peaceful experience on this journey to a simpler state of mind.

For a firsthand look (and listen), check Canyon Records and the SWAIA Indian Market schedule for the Duncan family’s appearance dates and times.

continued from page 40 Last Gun’s figures draw from pop art, minimalism, color field, and geometric abstraction to tell traditional stories from his tribe—the Piikani, or Blackfeet, of Montana. He debuted at the Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival in May, and then began preparing for the July Native POP festival in South Dakota.

Oklahoman George Alexander (Muscogee Creek) graduated in December 2015. Alexander shares a studio with his mentor, Tony Abeyta, who helped the young artist refine his focus.

Alexander’s paintings, which combine traditional imagery with his own streetwise perspective, made a splash at the 2014 Indigenous Fine Art Market. After Alexander wandered into fine art from early interests in cartooning, painting cars, and tattooing, Abeyta encouraged him to apply to graduate school.

In March, the young painter was offered an MFA scholarship at the Studio Arts College International in Florence, Italy; this year he debuts at Indian Market.

Beyond Santa Fe, two new artists have impressed Indian Market organizers with the social ramifications of their work.

Geo Soctomah Neptune (Passamaquoddy), a master basketmaker from Maine, examines gender identity and sexuality through award-winning baskets made of ash and sweetgrass.

Neptune identifies as transgender/queer and won a 2017 Judges Choice award at the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market for Growth of a Transberry, seven interlaced berry baskets in descending size, dedicated to seven murdered trans women. Identified by tribal elders as a two-spirit (someone with both male and female spirits), Neptune uses basket making—along with storytelling, activism, and drag queen performance—to explore suppressed two-spirit traditions in Wabanaki Confederacy culture, of which the Passamaquoddy are a part.

Heather Dickson (Tlingit and Nuxalk Nation) is from the Yukon. Unlike Neptune, who learned basket making from a grandmother at age four, Dickson did not delve into traditional textile skills until after graduating from the International Arts Institute of Vancouver. Combining her fashion background with Native tradition, she turned the colorful scarves nicknamed “granny hankies,” worn by older First Nations women across Canada, into headbands accented by traditional beadwork. Her entrepreneurship emerged after she won a pitch contest at the 2015 Yukon Upstarts Entrepreneurship conference. She now contracts with beaders across Canada, helping them connect with their culture and to start their own businesses.

Dickson’s success has sparked a trend among younger Native women, who now find it cool to sew, and “not just something your aunties did,” she says. “I don’t want to take total credit, but there’s so many businesses popping up.” Giving workshops and talks on economic empowerment has revealed a dimension to her business that Dickson finds truly gratifying: revitalizing the role that art plays in Native life by carrying on the culture, expressing its values, and contributing to the material wellbeing of the community.

Steve Elmore Indian Art Presents

The Red and the BLack:

A century of Santa Clara Pottery

Opening Reception Friday, August 4th, 5 - 7 p.m.

839 Paseo De Peralta • Santa Fe NM 87501 • (505) 995 - 9677

Elmoreindianart.com Featuring Previously Unexhibited Masterworks by Nampeyo santa fean

native arts 2017

63

art

PROFILE

Melissa Melero-Moose garret vreeland

guided by the land

by Chelsea Herr (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma)

64

nativeartsmagazine.com

Above: Melissa Melero-Moose in a studio at the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, where she was the 2015 Ronald and Susan Dubin Fellow.

Left: Basket Design, mixed media on canvas, 40 x 30"

Right: Interactions, mixed media with pine nuts on canvas, 40 x 30"

kevin clifford

Having lived in various places across the Western United States, Melissa Melero-Moose (Northern Paiute/Modoc) frequently returns to her relationships with land and place for conceptual and aesthetic inspiration in her work. Though she was born in San Francisco, Melero-Moose was raised near her mother’s family on the Reno/Sparks Indian Colony in Nevada.

After graduating from high school, Melero-Moose moved to Santa Fe to attend the Institute of American Indian Arts, where she came to realize that the cultures of many tribes west of New Mexico were vastly underrepresented in the larger Native art market. “Being in the Southwest around such rich arts and culture influenced me to share with others where I was from, and the uniqueness of the Great Basin area where I grew up,” Melero-Moose says. This also prompted her to found Great Basin Native Artists, a collective that seeks to promote the work of Native artists in Nevada and the eastern Sierra Nevada range.

After returning to Nevada in 2010, Melero-Moose continued to work with materials that came from the land on which she was raised. Her mixed-media paintings teem with tangible references to Northern Paiute relationships to the land, including willow, cattails, tule reeds, and pine nuts. “These cultural, organic objects are all very important staples to the Paiute people,” Melero-Moose says, “being sources of food, shelter, and implements made with artistic intention.” She began using these culturally significant materials after the birth of her son, when her family made a cradleboard to celebrate his arrival.

“From the willow alignment of his basket cradleboard frame to the beadwork for his weaved cradleboard sun hood, I saw each part separately before it was assembled and wanted to document that series of creation,” Melero-Moose explains. This attention to the details that represent her family, community, and culture makes Melero-Moose’s work unique and captivating.

Left: A bowl of pine nuts in Melero-Moose’s studio. She incorporates plant materials with cultural significance into her work.

The True Look of SanTa fe Palace Jewelers at Manitou Galleries

123 W Palace Ave 505.984.9859 ManitouGalleries.com