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.

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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.

The meaning of quality in Native American art?

What is the meaning of quality when evaluating and discussing Native art?

 
 
SANTA FE, New Mexico—SWAIA and Collected Works Bookstore present conversations about the meaning of quality when evaluating and discussing art.  What is quality and how it is determined will be the topic of a series of provocative panel discussions.  The first panel, “Authenticity in Native Art,” will take place at Collected Works Bookstore (202 Galisteo St, #2) on Thursday, July 12 at 6 pm.
 
Authenticity and materials are often used as means to discuss and describe quality.  This three-part series of panel discussions engages artists and brings authorities together to examine the meanings of “authenticity” in Native art and related topics of concern to the community. SWAIA will use these topics to engage artists by asking them to respond to two questions:  What is “authenticity” in Native art, and what is its importance to quality?  Questions will address the roles and relevance of authenticity to creativity, cultural preservation, and quality of art, aside from art market value.  SWAIA asks artists themselves to define quality and artistic excellence at Indian Market.
 
SWAIA and Collected Works Bookstore invite the public to hear from the experts in these lively discussions on Thursdays, July 12, July 19, and August 2. Artists alone will make up the first panel, joined later in the series by curators, community leaders, and other stakeholders on Thursday, July 19 and Thursday, August 2.   The panels are part of SWAIA’s investigation into quality and its commitment to upholding standards of excellence as the preeminent authority in Native art.
 
All panels begin at 6 pm and are free of charge. 
 
For more information, visit www.santafeindianmarket.com.
 

SWAIA to Celebrate Pueblo Potters, June 2, 2012

The South West Association for Indian Art (SWAIA) is hosting an event in celebration of Pueblo Potter Recipients of 2012 Lifetime Achievement Allan Houser Legacy Award on June 2, 2012 at the Allan Houser Studio and Sculpture Gardens, 22 Haozous, Cerrillos, NM. The event starts at 5:30 pm with dinner and a reception. Phillip M. Haozous will perform on the flute.


The event will be open to the public with a suggested donation of $20. You may RSVP to mybarra@SWAIA.org. Since we will not be in New mexico over that date, Native-PotteryLink.com will be attending in spirit only. 


We invite anyone there in person to post comments, photos or video to this blog. Or to http://www.facebook.com/Native.American.Pueblo.Pottery


Help us spread the word
Thank you.

On the Eve of Indian Market

We are in Santa Fe for the annual Indian Market weekend and will be reporting on our

experiences, including winners of the artist competition.

Tonight is the annual Wheelwright Museum silent auction. Always lots of fun and occasionally we actually win pieces at good prices. We'll let you know.

If you sign up for the RSS feed of TribalArtery, you will be notified the each time we post updates.

Just click on the RSS icon and select reader - Google Reader is a good choice.

Reprinting verbatim from SWAIA We greatly regret that we will miss this show as we at Aboriginals: Art of the First Person are great fans of Ira Lujan and Spooner. We have a few glass works by Ira, including this one that was made on commission from us. Please visit our websites at Native-PotteryLink.com, Native-JewelryLink.com and ZuniLink.com

Native Modern Art and Design Series Continues
with Photography and Glass

Who: Legends Santa Fe and the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA)

What: Native Modern: Art and Design Series. Paper and Glass
Where: Legends Gallery: 143 Lincoln Ave. Santa Fe, NM (505) 983-5639
When: Friday June 4, 2010 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
How Much: Free

The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) and Legends Santa Fe is presenting the most ambitious exhibit in its Native Modern: Contemporary Native Art and Design Exhibit Series. Following the success of "Precious Metal" and "Against the Grain," the third installment of Native Modern "Paper and Glass" will push the definitions of Native art into unexpected places.
With established and award winning artists including,

* Will Wilson Photography
* Ira Lujan, Glass
* Robert Spooner Marcus, Glass
* Da-Ka-Xeen Mehner, Photography
* Larry McNeil, Photography
* Lillian Pitt, Glass

Paper and Glass promises to be the most talked about Native art gallery show in recent history. The use of glass and photography by Native artists as materials for their creative expression embodies a strikingly clear, dynamic and unclaimed energy. From the socio-political to the broader language of commodity and culture, Paper and Glass reveals a new bravado in Native self-representation.

The Native Modern series of exhibits debuts a new show every month at Legends Santa Fe. SWAIA and Legends Santa Fe will seek distinctive and previously untested ways of bringing Native artists together from across cultures, media and themes. The shows, like Indian Market, will be at once traditional and brimming with innovative ideas. The result will be the presentation of Native art unlike anything else in Santa Fe.

Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its associated web sites at Native-JewelryLink.com, Native-PotteryLink.com, TribalWorks.com and ZuniLink.com salutes the just announced winners of the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) 2010 Fellowship Awards

The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts is primarily known as the producer of the Santa Fe Indian Market. For almost 90 years, the Indian Market has been the progenitor of Native art and design. What may not be obvious on the surface, however, is SWAIA's organizational role as a true advocate for Native artists. One of its primary directives is to support Native through various educational programs.

Since 1980, the SWAIA Fellowship Program has been the centerpiece of support and guidance for emerging and established Native artists. Thirty years later the Fellowship Program has been reinvented to provide unprecedented access and resources to Native artists like no other program in the world.

SWAIA is proud to introduce the 2010 Artist Fellowship Winners. Paired with the prestige and power of the Santa Fe Indian Market, the SWAIA Fellows are poised to transcend the limits of Native expression. The artists will be presented with their awards at SWAIA's Honoring Reception on Thursday, June 10, 2010. Details for the event TBA.

The Fellowships have been divided into two categories:
Residency Fellowships and Discovery Fellowships

Residency Fellowship

In collaboration with the Santa Fe Art Institute, SWAIA has established the SWAIA Residency Fellowships-a one-month residency for Native artists during August 2010.

"The Santa Fe Art Institute is pleased and proud to collaborate with SWAIA on the newly developed Residency Fellowship Program. SWAIA's history of recognizing and honoring excellence in the arts, and working to support the careers of emerging and established Native artists meshes beautifully with the SFAI's fundamental goal of supporting the contemporary art and artists that make a difference in the world," Michelle Laflamme-Childs, Residency & Marketing/PR Director for SFAI says.

Residency Fellows will receive:

• One-month Artist Residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute in August 2010 (Includes lodging, studio space and basic foods)
• A $5,000 monetary award
• A complimentary Fellowship Booth at the 2010 Santa Fe Indian Market
• Recognition at the SWAIA Honoring Reception (June 2010)
• Press Coverage
• Exhibit at Patina Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
• Santa Fe Art Institute Open Studio Event
  

2010 Discovery Fellowship

The SWAIA Discovery Fellowship is designed for Native artists to explore their creative process and push the boundaries of their respective art forms. Whether the art form is traditional or contemporary or if the artists are emerging or established, SWAIA encouraged applications from artists expanding the vitality of their work into undefined areas. As in previous years, fellowships funds may be used to purchase materials. Nevertheless, consideration was given to applicants, who plan to use the funds for ancillary art study or travel and research.

Discovery Fellows will receive:

• A $5,000 monetary award
• A complimentary Fellowship Booth at the 2010 Santa Fe Indian Market
• Recognition at the SWAIA Honoring Reception (June 2010)
• Press Coverage
• Exhibit at Patina Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2010 SWAIA Residency Fellowship Winners


Hoka Skenandore
(Oneida/Ogala/Luiseno)
Painter

"I feel honored that SWAIA has chosen me as one of the three recipients of the residency fellowship, and feel that the organization has honored it's commitment to showcasing contemporary art and artists. Being able to work alongside other artists at the Santa Fe Art Institute also shows the importance of Native American Art in the larger art community."


Hoka Skenadore was born in Santa Fe in 1982 at the Indian Hospital. He grew up in Albuquerque with a short stint at the Laguna Reservation where his mother taught school. As a pre-teen Hoka began to enter local arts contests and won one with a drawing that was later turned into a billboard. By high school, he had developed a keen interest in graffiti art and finished his high school years studying street art at an alternative high school in Albuquerque. After graduation Hoka worked at VSA Arts of New Mexico, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to working with adults with disabilities. As an Americorps volunteer he met master muralist, A.G. Joe Stephenson, who became his mentor and teacher. In 2001, Hoka participated in his first SWAIA Indian Market, and was awarded 2nd Place in the New Directions Category for painting. He completed his BFA in Studio Arts at IAIA in 2006 and currently works in the sign industry in Albuquerque. His work was most recently shown at the Berlin Gallery in Phoenix, AZ.

Peterson Yazzie
(Dine)
Painter

"I have invested a lot of time and effort to get my art to where it's at, with no short cuts. I am very happy and excited to finally have my art seen by the larger public, on a stage as grand as the SWAIA Fellowship! When I started painting I started with nothing more than hope and effort, I didn't have a well known or legendary family name to build my name upon. I am very thankful and excited for the opportunity; there couldn't have been a better time in my career for such a prestigious award!"


Peterson Yazzi is from Greasewood Springs Arizona and has been painting since 1997 when he held a paintbrush for the first time as a junior in high school. By graduation, Peterson had art scholarships to Northland Pioneer College, University of Evansville, and a monetary scholarship from the Heard Museum along with a week-long art internship to Northern Arizona University. Since then he has won many awards and recognitions from art shows such as: Heard Museum Indian Art Show, Santa Fe Indian Market, Eight Northern Pueblos Indian Art Show, Small Wonders Native American Art Show with Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, White Mountain Native American Art Festival and many more. He has received art fellowships from Eiteljorg Museum and the Vermont Studio Center. He received his AFA and BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe and his MFA from the University of New Mexico. www.petersonyazzie.com


Jason Reed Brown
(Koyukon Athabascan)
Blacksmith

Jason Reed Brown earned an Associate of Fine Arts degree from the Institute of American Indian Arts and is a graduate of Turley Forge School of Blacksmithing in Santa Fe, NM. Throughout his years as a blacksmith, Jason has been featured in various American Indian Art Exhibitions and commissioned award-winning sculptures. Jason has been fortunate to work with Tom Joyce Architectural Blacksmithing for the past ten years, truly immersing him into the wide world of blacksmithing. Jason focuses his artwork on translating the beauty of Northwest Coastal Indian art into hand-forged ironwork.


2010 Discovery Fellowship Winners

Kenneth Williams
(Arapaho/Seneca)
Beadwork

"My thoughts come with excitement as well as deep and humble thankfulness. Being chosen as one of the 2010 fellowship winners is a great honor to me, as well as to my work. I feel very grateful to be chosen alongside with the other wonderful fellowship winners. Winning this fellowship is also an honor to my family and the teachings I have learned from them."


Kenneth Williams is a beadworker. He was born into this artistic tradition and has had the benefit of generations' worth of knowledge and experience passed onto him. He began observing and experimenting with beadwork when he was six years old while living on his father's reservation, the Cattaraugus Seneca Indian Territory in western New York. As a teenager, he moved to Utah and began to spend more time with mother's family at the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. His family, the Spoonhunters, have long been regarded as master beadworkers. Their influence and guidance came at a pivotal time for him, such that their support and inspiration spurred him to start bigger projects like dolls, bags, cradleboards, and moccasins. He graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Museum Studies. He also studied with master beadworker Teri Greeves.

David Boxley
(Alaskan Tsimshian)
Sculpture/Painting/Diverse Arts

"I am very proud to have won this fellowship. It gives me the opportunity to not only come to Santa Fe for the first time to show my art and abilities, but as important, I will bring Tsimshian dancing, masks, drums, regalia and all. I am looking forward to sharing Northwest Native traditions with our friends in the Southwest."


David Boxley is a Tsimshian carver from Metlakatla, Alaska. Born in 1952, he was raised by his grandparents. From them he learned many Tsimshian traditions including the language. After high school he attended Seattle Pacific University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1974. He became a teacher and basketball coach to Junior and Senior high students in Alaska and Washington. While teaching in Metlakatla in 1979 he began devoting considerable time to the study of traditional Tsimshian carving. Through researching ethnographic material and carvings from museum collections, Boxley has learned the traditional carving methods of his grandfather's people. David has been directly involved in the formation of four successful dance groups: one in his home village of Metlakatla, Alaska, and others in Seattle, Washington. He led the Tsimshian Haayuuk for 6 years, and now has a new group called the Git-Hoan (people of the Salmon). David has written over 40 songs in his Native language, and carved many masks, rattles, paddles and other performance items. David Boxley is the first Alaskan Tsimshian to achieve national prominence; he is particularly well respected as a totem pole carver, having carved 65 poles in the last 26 years. In all of David Boxley' s works of art, from totem poles, box drums to prints, he emphasizes Tsimshian style. In the recent resurgence of Native American cultural traditions, artists have become the culture bearers for their tribes. Boxley accepts this responsibility not only in his carving accomplishments, but by bringing the traditions he has learned in his path to being a carver back to his home village.


D.Y. Begay
(Dine)
Weaver

"My initial reaction when I learned heard the announcement was an exhalation of joy and relief. I was extremely pleased. My trip to Cusco, Peru to participate in the "Gathering of the Weavers of the Americas" is a "dream come true"! I had been invited to attend this event but didn't have the financial resources to attend.
The fellowship will provide an extraordinary opportunity for me to go to Peru and participate in this very important gathering of international weavers."

D.Y. is Dine'. She was born to the Totsohnii Clan, the Big Water people, and born for the Tachii'nii Clan, Red Streak Earth people. She is a fourth generation weaver; her unique weaving style has been handed down through generations. D.Y.'s weavings encompass a personal interpretation of the beauty of the high desert where she grew up on the Navajo reservation. She uses the same techniques passed down from her ancestors to create designs that have artistic and intriguing values reflecting her roots. Her paternal grandmother taught her how to card and spin wool and to pick plants for dyeing the yarn to obtain the varied and subtle colors she uses in her weavings. She has exhibited her work all over the world and is included in such museum collections as the Roswell Museum and Art Center, Roswell, NM, Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Santa Fe, NM, National Museum of the American Indian Smithsonian Institute, New York City; Kennedy Museum of Art, Athens, OH; Mesa Art Center, Mesa, AZ; National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.
www.navajo-indian.com

SWAIA reveals 2010 Indian Market Poster Artist

This blog is devoted to tribal art from many different cultures.
The sponsors, TribalWorks. com, ZuniLink.com, Native-PotteryLink.com and Native-PotteryLink.com, try to deal with all of them representatively. Today's subject relates to Native American art and one of the most respected voices in its support.

Breaking with a tradition of naming new and emerging artists as the Indian Market Poster Artist of the Year, Southwestern Association for the Indian Arts has announced that Geronima Cruz Montoya, venerated Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan) artist's work will be honored on this year's poster.

Montoya, who will be 95 during the month following Indian Market, has been both a legend and an institution in Native American art. Her painting that will appear on the poster depicts a number of young Indian women engaged in typical Pueblo crafts. Each wears traditional clothing while they create pottery, weave, embroider and work on moccasins. The painting was created in 1938. The original hangs in the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

Montoya's appointment and the poster design were revealed at a special luncheon in Santa Fe on February 10, 2010. She is quoted in the Santa Fe New Mexican as reflecting that "doing the old things brings back memories from years ago, the things that just aren't done much any more."

For more information about Montoya's colorful like, which has been devoted to art, use this link http://www.santafenewmexican.com

This development leads me to wonder if recent awards at Indian Market didn't push the edge of traditional Indian art a little too far into the non-traditional. I recall thinking that numerous winners in the past couple of years, while adventurous and thought-provoking, had moved a long way from the subjects and techniques that have characterized the genre in the past. These are aspects that had established a large and vibrant pool of supporters and buyers.

I wonder if push back from buyers who have decided to sit on their purses - for whatever reason - may have played a role in this return to the roots of Native American Indian art.

In any case, I applaud the recognition of more traditional techniques and the honor bestowed on Geronima Cruz Montoya, who deserves it.

What do you think?

Tribal Art - Indian Market Looking for Volunteers

If you live in or near Santa Fe, or could be in the area in August, you might find volunteering at the 88th Annual Santa Fe Indian Market a "hoot."

The Southwest Association for Indian Art, the organization that stages this annual extravaganza of authentic Indian art, has put out a call for volunteers.

The Santa Fe Indian Market depends on dedicated volunteers to realize its success. Hundreds of volunteers from across the country make the annual journey to Santa Fe to be a part of Indian Market.

"From the Sneak Preview of Award Winning Art to the Native American Clothing Contest, volunteers provide instrumental support to SWAIA staff and Indian Market artists. One thing that may not be evident to the casual observer is the connection that volunteers develop with the Indian Market itself. Volunteers positively affect the livelihoods of Native artists by managing the myriad of details involved with producing Indian Market, so that artists are afforded the opportunity to concentrate fully on sharing their magnificent artwork.

Time is moving swiftly as we prepare for the 88th Annual Santa Fe Indian Market which will be held on August 22 - 23, 2009, with volunteer preparation activities on August 17 - 21, 2009. It is the ideal time to join the SWAIA volunteer program. Please consider joining us to celebrate Native arts during this historic Santa Fe event."

For a complete list of volunteer opportunities and to apply online please visit www.swaia.org or call 505.983.5220 and ask for Cheryl James or Gomeo Bobelu.

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Aboriginals: Art of the First Person is a member of SWAIA and a strong supporter of Indian Market and the artists who exhibit and sell there. We also encourage fans of Native American art to volunteer. You will find the experience stimulating. The work of the artists also appears on the web pages at ZuniLink.com, Native-JewelryLink.com, Native-PotteryLink.com and TribalWorks.com. Whether shopping or just browsing, you are invited to visit these web sites and visually sample these beautiful works of art.

Artists Approved for SWAIA Indian Market - Tribal Artery

Southwestern Association for Indian Art has listed the artists that have been approved to compete in and display at the 87th Annual Indian Market.

To see if your favorite artist has been approved, visit http://www.swaia.org/approved.php

Indian Market, one of the most important shows and competitions in tribal art starts Friday, Aug 22, 2008 with an evening sneak preview and announcement of the winning entries, at El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe.

Public exhibits open on the streets of Santa Fe, Saturday, Aug. 23 at 7 AM, until 5 PM, and concludes on Sunday, Aug. 24 from 8 AM to 5 PM.

William and Susanne Waites, proprietors of Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites at Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink, ZuniLink and TribalWorks, are reporting from Indian Market, 2008.

New Jewelry Book Signing at SWAIA Indian Market

Southwestern Association for American Indian Art has announced that a special book signing party will be offered on August 21, 2008, at Shiprock Santa Fe, 53 Old Santa Fe Trail, in conjunction with this year's Santa Fe Indian Market.

Dr. Dexter Cirrillo will sign his recently published, Southwestern Indian Jewelry, a sequel to highly regarded earlier volume of the same title. Signed copies of both books will be available for purchase at the event with proceeds going to SWAIA. SWAIA members will receive a 10% discount of the regular price of $55. Evidence of current membership must be presented.

The event will be held from 4 pm until 7 pm.

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This notice is presented as a public service by Susanne and William Ernest Waites, who9 will be blogging at this site from Indian Market this year. Waites' maintain four tribal art websites at Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink, TribalWorks and ZuniLink.

SWAIA ANNOUNCES NEW CINEMA PARTNERSHIP

SOUTHWESTERN ASSOCIATION FOR INDIAN ARTS ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH NMAI AND CCA FOR NATIVE CINEMA SHOWCASE
Experiencing Native arts and cultural expression in the twenty-first century
(SANTA FE, NM) - The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is entering a new partnership with the National Museum of the American Indian and Santa Fe's Center for Contemporary Arts, to expand the annual Native Cinema Showcase, adding an additional downtown venue directly accessible to Indian Market patrons and additional programming.

This will mark the eighth year of the Showcase, presenting new and classic films and videos introduced by the filmmakers, panel discussions, and media workshops for young people. The films celebrate the growing presence of Native cultures and indigenous media on the global stage, and explore issues of common concern to indigenous people worldwide.

Native Cinema Showcase will take place August 21-24, 2008 at the Center for Contemporary Arts and at a new state-of-the-art video venue, the Cinema at Cathedral Park, located just one block from Santa Fe's historic plaza. The Cathedral Park venue will feature family-friendly films that are free-of-charge to the public. Bringing the Native Cinema Showcase to a venue so close to Indian Market creates an opportunity for more people to experience Native culture(s) through a different lens.

Native Cinema Showcase Program partners also include WGBH, the Indigenous Language Institute, the New Mexico Film Office, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and the Institute for American Indian Art. Native Cinema Showcase will screen more than 25 works from the Arctic Circle to Brazil, directed by filmmakers from more than two dozen tribes and Native nations.

The full program, in PDF form, will be available July 15 at www.nativenetworks.si.edu.

This information is provided by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its partner web sites at Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink, TribalWorks and ZuniLink. Proprietors Susanne and William Ernest Waites will be blogging from Indian Market again this year.

SWAIA announces Buffalo Thunder Resort's sponsorship

Native enterprises working together to promote Native arts and culture

(SANTA FE, NM) The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is proud to announce the alliance of two great entities, the Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino and SWAIA, in a unique title sponsorship for the Santa Fe Indian Market. . This three-year sponsorship is symbolic of the Pueblo of Pojoaque's commitment to Native American artistic expression and tradition. Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino is Santa Fe's largest destination resort, brought to fruition by visionary Pojoaque Governor George Rivera, and will feature a Hilton resort and spa, restaurants, convention center, golf courses and casino.


Governor Rivera stated, "Buffalo Thunder Resort's sponsorship of the Santa Fe Indian Market represents a significant commitment on the part of the Pueblo of Pojoaque to Native arts and to the communities and pueblos of New Mexico. The new resort is a stunning realization of pueblo arts and culture combined with Hilton hospitality and we are proud to align it as the title sponsor of Santa Fe's most cherished event."


Governor Rivera, a long time supporter of the arts, has commissioned several Native artists to produce work for the resort and that list includes Mateo Romero, Roxanne Swentzel, George Toya, Kathleen Wall and Lonnie Vigil to name a few. These distinguished Native artists and many others are showcased throughout the facilities to provide visitors with an opportunity to see the excellence and diversity of contemporary Native creative expression in several mediums. SWAIA is interested in the prospect of creating more exposure for Native artists through this partnership and the possibility of future collaborations with Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino.


Comanche artist and SWAIA Board member Nocona Burgess said, "This is a collective use of resources that benefits Native families and communities. We should form practical coalitions. This is certainly one of them." This partnership strengthens local relationships, brings communities together, and provides economic stimulus back to Native enterprises. Burgess remarked, "I think this is a good thing for SWAIA, Native artists and our community. We have to help ourselves and lend support where we can. I see Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino doing that." Burgess noted that many Native artists who exhibit in the Santa Fe Indian Market have contributed to the art and aesthetics of the new resort. Burgess also stated, "There will be many different people who will go to the resort for events, conferences, vacation, etc. These people will be exposed to Native arts and culture through the art and artists represented."


Sponsorships are an essential part of the revenues raised each year to stage the renowned Santa Fe Indian Market. SWAIA, a non-profit organization, takes absolutely no percentage of sales from Indian Market artists. The Santa Fe Indian Market costs, like everything else in our lives, continue to escalate -from the rentals of 650 tents for the artists to the various other costs of converting the Plaza and downtown Santa Fe to a premier showcase for Native arts. Buffalo Thunder's sponsorship will provide much needed support and will help pay for the planning and presentation of Indian Market. This auspicious sponsorship also represents a type of a mutually beneficial partnership that recognizes the centrality of the Santa Fe Indian Market to the Native fine arts movement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This information is provided as a public service by William Ernest and Susanne Waites, proprietors of Aboriginals: Art of the First person, a business member of SWAIA, and its Native American Indian arts and tribal art web sites at ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink and TribalWorks

Unique Concho Belt offered in SWAIA fundraiser

Over 50 and Fabulous!

Concho Belt Inspired by Indian Market Traditions

Ten jewelry stars of the Santa Fe Indian Market have come together to make one extraordinary piece: the “Over 50 and Fabulous” concho belt that will be sold to the highest bidder at the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts’ (SWAIA) annual fundraising auction.

Inspired by the collaborative concho belt created in 2001 (which featured up and coming jewelers and also holds the title as the first collaborative piece SWAIA made available) this belt instead honors a group comprised of “over 50” jewelers who have earned reputations as some of the finest jewelers in the country.

Each concho reflects the unique style of each artist, but when placed together form a one-of-a-kind, museum quality piece. Artists include Martine Lovato (Santo Domingo Pueblo), Gibson Nez (Navajo), Richard Chavez (San Felipe Pueblo), Naveek (Navajo), Jake Livingston (Navajo), Jennie Vicenti (Zuni Pueblo), Harvey Begay (Navajo), Victoria Adams (Southern Cheyenne), and ranger set by Michael NanaPing Garcia (Pascua Yaqui). Edith Tsabetsaye (Zuni) will also be donating a concho.

Michael NanaPing Garcia, Vice-Chair of the SWAIA Board, thought of the idea as a member of the auction gala committee. “This gives someone the chance to purchase a piece by some of the master jewelers of the 21st century, while also supporting the organization that sustains the livelihood of over 1100 artists nationwide.”

This is a once-in-a lifetime chance to bid on this amazing piece! For more information on the SWAIA auction gala and how you can attend, please call 505.983.5220. Tickets are $135/person or $1250/table of ten and sell out quickly. To preview the concho belt, plus additional items that will be available at the auction, please visit: www.swaia.org/live_auction_items.php.

Aboriginals salutes the SWAIA poster artist 2007

Our congratulations go to Marvin Oliver (Quinault/Isleta) for his selection as poster artist for the 2007 SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market.

Oliver is the first glass artist to receive this honor. An example of his work will appear on the poster promoting this year's Indian Market.
Entitled, "Shaman Tells the Raven's Tale", the work combines classic Northwest Coast style with traditional Southwest color palette.

In addition to his art, Oliver also serves as Professor of American Indian Studies and Art at the University of Washington, serves part-time at the University of Alaska-Ketchikan, serves as Adjunct Curator of Contemporary Native American Art at the Burke Museum and maintains a gallery, Alaska Eagle Arts, in Ketchikan. He was the first non-Italian artist to be commissioned for a public art piece in Perugia, Italy, Seattle's sister city.

This year's Indian Market will take place in August again. As usual, William & Susanne Waites, owners of Aboriginals Gallery, and its allied Web sites, ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink and TribalWorks, and publishers of Tribal Artery will be blogging from there with the latest news about winning artists, events and general observations about Santa Fe and the Market.

If you would like to be among the first to know about Indian Market news, why not subscribe now to a feed for the blog. You'll find the various feed possibilities in the sidebar at the right. Then, when the news comes, you will get an alert that it has been posted to the Tribal Artery blog.

For examples of the coverage from last year, look at our postings from August/September 2006 in our archives.