Australian Indigenous Art in Australia and America

Fans of Indigenous Australian Art will welcome news of Artitja's 
new gallery show in South Freemantle, Australia. 
Unfortunately, if you live in the U.S., Freemantle 

is a distant and expensive trip. 

U.S. resident Aboriginal art fans, however, are not 
without resources. Aboriginals: Art of the First Person is a 
stateside gallery of Australian Indigenous Art 

with the ability to ship works domestically without customs 
or other import complications. We also can and 
have shipped to collectors overseas.

We also support the efforts of Artitja to promote awareness
 and advance appreciation of this remarkable art and 
the artists that produce it .

ANNA KANARIS and ARTHUR CLARKE invite you to a private viewing of our latest collection of INDIGENOUS FINE ART  Saturday and Sunday 25th and 26th May at 107 Attfield Street, South Fremantle 11-5pm attendance rsvp would be appreciated info@artitja.com.au

Online sales vs. local stores

A few days ago, we published an article about an impending Federal law that would require merchants who have no physical connection to a state, county or city to collect sales taxes for those locations. The good news is that the bill has been held up in Congress. There is still time to contact your Senator and Representative and urge them to vote this bill down.

Here are the issues:

State and local governments think they need money. They see taxing internet sales as a way to generate tax revenue that is not visible to the taxpayer. Since almost no one wants another tax, politicians think they can con the public into believing this is not a "new" tax, . 

This is a half-truth. A tax that we, as a non-resident company in your taxing district, don't collect, already exists in your taxing district. You are supposed to report the out-of-state purchase and send the local tax collector the amount of the tax. Some people do. Others do not, for what ever reason. If someone is unwilling to pay the tax directly, why should a company hundreds of miles away be asked to collect it for your local taxing authority?  And to do so without compensation for the bookkeeping cost and labor cost of doing it?

Yes. We collect tax for sales of Native American Jewelry to customers in our home state (Florida). And we get a small "commission" for doing so. We do so willingly. After all, we get the benefit of the infrastructure our local taxes support. 

By the way, there are thousands of separate taxing district in the country. Thousands of different sales tax rates. How can a small business keep track of all those rates and afford to file returns/reports for all of those taxing districts/rates? Doing so will only raise the cost to you as purchaser not just by the amount of the tax but also by the amount of the overhead for collecting and forwarding those taxes.

Hardly seems fair. And "fairness" is the other rationale proponents submit for creating this new tax collection protocol. They claim it is unfair for corner merchants to have to collect sales tax while internet merchants do not. Is it also unfair that online merchants have to pay (or collect for) shipping? Or that online merchants have to pay to design, maintain and host websites?

In the end, who pays for the government's greed? You do.

Here Comes the (Internet) Tax Man

Dear Customer: 

If you enjoy shopping on line and not having sales tax added to your purchase, trouble is on the horizon. 

Congress is considering a new law that will require online sales to be taxed at the rate in the buyers home state, even though the online seller is not located in that state. 

On passage, if it comes, the so-called Market Fairness Act, will require an online merchant - such as Native-American-Jewelry.org - located in Florida, to collect the Illinois sales tax from a buyer in Chicago. (what is it now? 10%?) In fact, if different counties and cities in Illinois have different sales tax rates, we will have to figure the sales tax for each town and county. This will be true for every district in every state with a sales tax. These tax rates will have to be added to your purchase price, in addition to the cost of shipping.

To be fair, some merchants complain that online merchants have an unfair advantage because they don't have to collect the tax that the local merchant does. 

Actually, the taxing authority requires the buyer to report the sale value and pay the tax directly to the authority. So, online purchases have not been tax-free. The online merchant just has not been required to incur the expese to collect the tax for a state in which it does not have a facility, or a vote and does not use the local infrastructure and services. (We used to call it "taxation without representation").

"Why are there online merchants, anyway", you might ask. 

1. Online merchants offer product inventory and selection that buyers can't find locally.

2. Online merchants tend to have lower prices, which benefit buyers.

3. Online merchants are available for buyers to easily compare prices.

4. Online merchants save buyers time, trouble and transport costs of shopping locally.

We have nothing against shopping locally. We do it ourselves.

But the advantages above will be diminished under the new law. And you, as a consumer will be the loser.

Why are some forces pushing for this law?

A. Governments need money and they are looking for ways to get it. Since they feel they can't trust you to pay the tax directly, they are conspiring to force someone else to do the dirty work, with no compensation to the online merchant for their efforts.

B. Large online merchants have facilities in states other than their headquarters. They must collect taxes there anyway.  To them this eliminates a benefit a small, specialized online merchant has, and squeezes a small business out. Ultimately, to the inconvenience of the public.

So, what can you do about it? Two things.

1. Let your Congressperson and Senator know you oppose the mis-named Market Fairness Act. 

2. Do your online shopping now, before the law can be passed and applied.

You'll save, and support small business in America. Thank you.

A day dedicated to Mom? It just doesn't seem right.

Given her significance in your life, dedicating just ONE day to mother seems totally inadequate. From carrying you for nine months (in considerable discomfort, I might add) to giving you your first kiss, you first hug, and your first meal, and all the hugs, kisses and meals thereafter, she is the embodiment of love. 

On this Mother's Day, May 12, just a few weeks from now, acknowledge all that your mother gave you with a vivid symbol of your heart-felt love.

Native American Navajo artists have created exquisite sterling silver heart pendants, finished with beautiful inlaid gemstones, that make unmistakable statements of love. One of the most prominent and popular Navajo jewelry designers is Calvin Begay. His designs and detailed inlay and channel work is cherished by moms who wear them, for both their beauty and their symbolism.

Any order placed with us at Native-American-Jewelry.org before April 28 can be shipped US Postal Service for arrival in plenty of time to surprise and thrill your Mother on Mother's Day. And the shipping cost is free, absorbed by us.

Choose the heart you want to represent your love, use our secure order form or call 1-800-305-0185 (also free) and tell us where to ship. We'll do the rest.

Happy Mother's Day to all of our beloved mothers.

PS: All our “Native American Jewelry” is authentically created by American Indian artists. Not “Southwest Style” look-alikes offered by some vendors, but the real thing. It is guaranteed to please or your purchase price will be refunded if it is returned with 10 days after Mother's Day 2013

The biggest reward of Native American arts business

The biggest reward is the feedback, the thanks, the positive energy expressed by a customer when she receives her purchase and it is everything she expected and more. So, we would like to share this message we received today from someone who purchased Zuni fetish carvings from Zunilink.com.

"I just wanted to let you know I received my 4 carvings and they are beautiful - exactly what I was hoping for! They will make very special Christmas gifts for 4 people who are very special to me."

With so much fraud and disappointment these days, especially and often associated with the internet, we are grateful for being able to bring a little more trust and satisfaction to the world.

Thank you for being  a reader, a friend and a customer.

Paying deposits to Indian artists.

From time to time, we receive comments from readers referring to difficulties they have had in receiving goods they have prepaid for. Actually, it is not uncommon, although it usually is a matter of timely delivery rather than failure to deliver. 

There is an explanation. Native Americans for the most part live "in the now". (It is a condition many lifestyle coaches suggest for everyone). For American Indians, it is a cultural value. Very few of them have bank accounts. Their work product is their savings. When they are paid for something they have created, those funds go to pay for day to day expenses or to invest in more raw material. 

Similarly, when they are paid for something they are supposed to create, daily expenses have first call on those funds. Eventually, the item will be created. But if it is on display when someone visits them and if that person offers to buy it, it will be sold, with the artist's assumption that he or she will make something else to fulfill the order for which he or she has been prepaid.

There is no attempt at fraud in this arrangement. Ownership of the object does not pass until the item is delivered. Prior to that, it remains part of the artist's work in progress.

As a result, many newcomers to the Native American art trade get frustrated when they believe they have paid for something that has been delivered to someone else. In the mind of the artist, it is stil his or her property until it meets the artist's criteria for delivery. At that point, it will be delivered.

In thirty years of dealing with Native American artists, we have never failed to receive what we bargained for. We have, on more than one occasion, had to wait a spell for it.

Two Weeks To Save on Pacific Northwest Tribal Art

Special Sale Alert 

from TribalWorks/Aboriginals: Art of the First Person

Beautiful plaques and wall art for your collector's home decor. Click the link and check them out.

Now, save 20% off tribal art objects from Salish, Squamish and other tribes of the Pacific Northwest.  

Sale ends December 15, 2012

Last Day for Thanksgiving Half off sale

Our special "Half-Off" Sale on Native American jewelry ends tonight at midnight. Visit our Native American Jewelry website and find something you would like to save 50% on. Cut the listed price in half and that is your price.

We don't change the prices on the web site because we have hundreds of items to change.  And hundreds of items to change back when the sale ends.

And the sale will end. At midnight tonight. So, this is a serious sale, with serious endpoint. Take a look. Make an order filing out the secure order form or calling us a 800-305-0185.

You, or the person who receives your purchase as a gift, will have one more thing to be thankful for.

Beautiful jewelry vs. authentic beautiful jewelry

I was doing a little web browsing myself today and I came across something both interesting - and unsettling.

Let me start by saying that jewelry doesn't have to be authentic Native American jewelry to be beautiful.

But, if you admire Indian jewelry because of its roots in Native America Indian culture, you ought to be told specifically, that "Southwestern jewelry" that "looks" Indian isn't Native American jewelry unless it is specifically described as Native American. It often isn't even American.

Unscrupulous jewelry dealers, who often advertise as being part of a "tribe" promote for sale jewelry that is no more Native American than an assembly line somewhere in Asia. Sure they "look" Native American". They often are sold as being Native American-made. But they are not. They are ripped-off copies of authentic Native American Indian work and designs.

In at least one case, they are being priced well above what similar genuine pieces would be priced at. I guess it is so they can advertise 60% savings. But that is 60% off inflated prices that far exceed the value of the jewelry. So the buyers think they are getting a "great deal". In fact, they are overpaying for cheap imitations.

In addition, the makers and sellers of this phony art are cheating real Native American artists out of their birthright, their culture and their livelihood.

How can you tell when you are being deceived and being sold phony goods?

First, be suspicious of any jewelry sold on a Native American website that looks Native American but is described as "Southwestern". If it is the real thing, it will say so. The law requires it. A huge discount is also is a red flag. No one in the jewelry trade sells for less than the merchandise costs them. The only way they can give huge 60% discounts and stay in business is by buying cheap imitations and/or charging inflated original prices.

Second, if it is contemporary jewelry, the maker should be identified by name. It will either be signed or have a hallmark.(Yes, there are some simpler jewelry styles that are mass-produced by Native Americans and don't get signed by individual artists. But they are not high-end pieces.)

Third, if in doubt at all, ask the seller straight-on, "Is this jewelry made by an enrolled Native American tribe member? What's his/her name." Even sneaky-Petes won't outright lie about it. But if you don't ask, you don't get an answer.

Fourth, look for the Indian Arts & Crafts Association (IACA) logo on the website. Members vouch not to misrepresent non-American Indian art as what it is not.

In the end, no one can tell you what to buy or who to buy from. But you should know what you are buying and what its real value is, or you will be cheated.

November in Indian Art

Here's the schedule for Native American art events in November:

November 3-4 - Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ - A Gathering of Weavers

November 5 - 10th Annual Veterans Pow Wow, Fairfax, VA

November 5-6 - American Indian 2012 Marketplace at the Autry, Los Angeles

November 8 - Crown Point Rug Auction, AZ

November 10-11 - Allard's Big Fall Auction, Mesa AZ

November 10-11 - 13th Clearfield Veterans Day Pow Wow, Clearfield, PA

November 10-11 - Columbia Antique Market, Columbia, MO

November 12 - Feast of San Diego, Jemez and Tesuque Pueblos, NM

November 16-18 - Pahrump Pow Wow, Pahrump, NV

November 17-18 - St. Louis Western Art Show, St. Charles, MO

November 24-25 - SWAIA Winter Market, Santa Fe, NM

Harrison Begay RIP

Prolific and talented, Navajo artist Harrison Begay, left behind a wealth of beautiful paintings when he passed earlier this year. Friends and associates estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 paintings were completed in his unique style. But he never became a wealthy man; partly because some of the higher prices the public paid for his paintings included the costs of the dealers who marketed them. Yet he continued to paint because he loved to do it and he loved the animals that were subjects of his work. Pictured here is one of his works in our collection at TribalWorks.com.

He is said to have refused commissions because he painted from the heart and had to be inspired by his subject. As a result, anyone who wanted a certain subject painted would have to wait years, until the spirit moved him.

He had been married once but he and his divorced after he returned from service in World War II. He had no children but is survived by a sister and nieces and nephews.
His passing is a loss to all who love beautiful images sensitively rendered.

Recently, within the last two years, we have discovered the work of Peter Ray James, a Navajo artist specializing in fabric pieces.

Here are a few of his pieces we have acquired in recent days.

According to his bio, James graduated with honors from the Institute of American Indian Arts  in Santa Fe NM in 1984. He also attended Parsons School of Design in New York City. In 1988, his work was introduced to the competitive Indian Art market, which means our introduction to him was well into his career, In the meantime, collectors of his work have included Ahmad & Felicia Rashad, Ted Danson, Jon Bon Jovi and Wynonna Judd. His work is also offered at the New Mexico Museum and the Wheelwright Museum, both  in Santa Fe.

James's Navajo name is Nahat'a Yilth Yil Wood, which translates as "One who delivers the

message". His pieces include representation of spirit figures, yeis, horses, buffaloes - even fish. They are done in fabrics that  are dyed and painted with Navajo symbols. Twigs or feathers often are added in much same manner as prayer- or medicine-bundles on fetish carvings. 

"My Navajo tradition is a path abounding with power and energy. I am enriching my life with remembrance... a spiritual path and a powerful tradition in transition" 

- Peter Ray James

For more information, visit

http://www.TribalWorks.com/Navajo-Native-American-Folk-Art-Gallery.htm#DK05tag

Institute of American Indian Arts Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and our websites, Native-American-jewelry.org, ZuniLink.com and Native-PotteryLink.com, have watched the growth of IAIA for the 33 years we have been involved with Native American art and culture. We salute its contribution to Native American art. So we join the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the world's only four-year fine arts college dedicated to the study of contemporary Native arts this Saturday. The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) will celebrate its 50th anniversary on October 13 with panel sessions on IAIA's impact on creative writing, museum studies, Indigenous studies and studio arts with astute alumni and faculty. Creative Writing Chairman Jon Davis, who is also Santa Fe's poet laureate, and award-winning poet Joy Harjo(Muscogee (Creek) Nation) will be part of Saturday's discussion. Other panelists include award-winning artist Tony Abeyta (Navajo) and Pojoaque Pueblo Governor George Rivera. Other events include campus tours, garden and greenhouse tours, art demonstrations-- some using state-of-the-art equipment--and student films and art exhibitions.   To view a historic interactive timeline of IAIA's 50-year history, go to www.iaia.edu/50th.

New Carvings by Salvador Romero

We have just posted a number of new carvings by Cochiti carver, Salvador Romero. It is some of his best work ever. Several are combination carvings with adult animals and juveniles, which should appeal to buyers who have families of their own.

Here are some photos:

And there are more at ZuniLink.

Nativities for Christmas

We have acquired a number of new Pueblo Pottery Nativity sets that can be ordered and shipped with plenty of time to get to you for Christmas celebrations.

Here are three:

13 pcs by Paul & Dorothy Gutierrez, Santa Clara

7 pcs  by Aggie Henderson, Acoma 

6 pcs by Teri Cajera, Jemez

6 pcs by Maxine Toya, Jemez

13 pcs by Clifford Kim Fragua, Jemez

Check out these and the other Pueblo Pottery Nativities at Native-Potterylink.com. 

They represent reverent and expressive ways to celebrate the birth of the Christ child.

PS: Also check out our Lay Away plan. A down payment of 10% to 20%, 

followed by monthly payments. The amount of the monthly payment is less important 

than the consistency of a payment each month. 

Contact us at 1-800-305-0185 to work out the details.

Merry Christmas

Special offers from Indian Market week

Our trip to New Mexico for Indian Market has been quite productive.

We've acquired Cochiti fetish carvings by Salvador Romero,  new Zuni fetish carvings and stunning Navajo jewelry items. When we get them home, the real work begins to put the new items on our Zuni carvings website and our Native American Jewelry website. So, we are offering some discounts for preview purchasers.

Here's a Todd Westika's Shell Corn Maiden with six directional ears of corn. When it is added to the website the price will be $350. Buy it now for $330.

This pair of horses by Salvador Romero will be $150 on the eband $140 if you buy it now.

These two pendants by Navajo Calvin Begay will be $250 on line and $295 on line respectively with preview prices of $200 and $250 respectively if purchased now.

To purchase, email us at Sanibelart@gmail.com and mention this blog message or telephone us at 800-305-0185.

When the items are posted on the websites, the prices will be higher. Give us a call or send us an email message.

ATADA Theft Alert

Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association has posted an alert about the theft of the Sioux ceremonial gown pictured above from a Van Nuys CA. During the night of August 3-4, 2012, a small well-worn cardboard box containing the dress and jewelry pictured was stolen from a car in Van Nuys, CA. A reward is being offered if the items are returned in a timely manner.Please contact Diane Petersen, caretaker of the items. She is asking whoever took
the items to return them as soon as possible, phone 1-719-362-3558 or email godswill7@gmail.com .

Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its associated online galleries of Native Art dealing in Zuni and other tribal carvings,, Native American Pottery, Native American Jewelry and African, Australian, Inuit and Navajo folk art, members of ATADA, post and report these theft alerts in the hopes that anyone approached by a seller of this stolen item can be identified. There is no statue of limitations in the USA for the possession of stolen goods.

Thank you for your help.

Indian Market is just hours away

...and we are eagerly awaiting it.

In the meantime, we have had some very nice visits with some of our favorite artists.

We have added some excellent and unusual fetish carvings to our selection. We also have added some distinctive and stunning Calvin Begay pendants and link bracelets. But we will not be able to post any of it up until next month.

As a regular customer of ZuniLink.com and Native-American-jewelry.org, you know that we cherry-pick and personally select each item, refusing many pieces that are perfectly acceptable but not perfect enough for you.

Take a look at our web pages this week and bookmark them to return in September for a wonderful treat.

Native Art:Who cares who made it and where it was made

On August 2, the South West Association for Indian Art (SWAIA) will sponsor a panel discussion on Authenticity and the Production of Quality in Native Arts. The event will be co-sponsored by Collected Works Bookstore, the Santa Fe venue for the discussion.

 
Artists, experts, and interested parties in the Santa Fe art market will discuss upholding standards in art making, and integrity in the sale of Native art in shops.  There is little doubt in an art making community like Santa Fe that there is a plethora of beautiful things –many handmade and genuine. But some copies and knock-offs, both deliberate and unintentional, provide ready sources of income to satiate tourists and decorators.  
 
But what are the consequences of allowing the dollar to take the lead in the production of Native art and Indian-style souvenirs in Santa Fe?  Is the groundwork now laid for eventual collapse?  How do artists and non-profits serve to protect heritage, and what is the city of Santa Fe's culpability and role?  
 
The panel, to be moderated by Dr. Bruce Bernstein, Executive Director of SWAIA, is part of SWAIA’s investigation into quality and its commitment to upholding standards of excellence as the preeminent authority in Native art.
 
The August 2 panel begins at 6 pm and is free and open to the public.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This writer notes in reading the SWAIA announcement that little credit is given to the commercial aspect of a healthy Native art market. Once again, the "institutional" view seems to be that professional collector/dealers are somewhere between irrelevant, venal an at least, unwelcome.


As one of those dealer/collectors of Native American pottery
Indian jewelry and fetish carvings, who is a member of IACA and ATADA, I know countless professionals in the field. They are upright, honest and supportive of the artists and the market. It is in their best interest to protect the integrity of Native arts. After all, in addition to being a passion for them, it is a source of their income and economic success. They wouldn't think of fouling the nest.


Moreover, the network of reputable dealers, whether resident in Santa Fe or online, is fundamental to the appreciation and success of the Native arts genre. How would the products of artists, who often live in remote communities, get to market, to the thousands of collectors who may never get to a pueblo or Indian Market? Collector/dealers not only buy outright, channeling funds immediately to the artists, but also invest a substantial portion of their income in promoting the artists and the art.


Yes, there are some miscreants in shops along the walkways of Santa Fe. But overwhelmingly, the people who deal in authentic Native arts in Santa Fe and online are responsible, reputable and integral to the growth and popularity of Native art. They should be treated with respect by the institutional elite.

Indian Market artists at Native-American-Jewelry.org

We have been able to gather on one page all of the work in Native-American-Jewelry.org's collection by artists who have been accepted to show at this years SWAIA Indian market. Click on the link to visit our "one stop Indian Market shop."


 http://www.native-american-jewelry.org/2012-SWAIA-Indian-Market-Jewelry-Artists.htm


This is not work that will be shown at this years Indian Market. These are earlier pieces by the same artists. Enjoy.