Emery Boone, Zuni fetish carver, joins our inventory

News about Tribal Art from William Ernest Waites, proprietor of ZuniLink.com, a web site featuring the carvings of top Zuni fetish makers.


During our recent Santa Fe trip, we acquired a number of new carvings by Emery Boone.

Emery Boone is known for his execution of an ancient Zuni fetish technique, inlay of traditional iconographic designs in jet and pipestone.

One of these designs incorporates turquoise in a motif known as the Chaco pattern. It is usually used in conjunction with frogs, where it spans the back. Frogs are associated with abundance related to being harbingers of rain and moisture.
Another design also relates to the benefits of rain. It manifests itself as a cloud with rain descending and appears on both the backs of frogs, when the Chaco design isn't used , and on the side of other creatures.
Third is the familiar heart line. It occasionally appears in Emery's work in conjuntion with the raincloud design.There is no question that Emery Boone has a style that is pretty much his own and easy to distinguish.

We have posted a several of his new jet and pipestone carvings to our ZuniLink web site on two pages devoted exclusively to his work. Take a look by clicking here. Be sure to click the link to page two while you are there.

Discover the Inuit Art Society

The latest in Tribal Art as reported by William Ernest Waites, proprietor of Tribal Art web sites at TribalWorks.com, Native-jewelryLink.com, Native-PotteryLink.com and ZuniLink.com

"Living is learning"

I don't know who said this, so I will take credit for it.

Today's lesson was the existence of an organization devoted to the study, appreciation and exchange of information about Inuit art. It's web site (www.inuitartsociety.org) says it was founded in 2003 and centers its activities in the geographic area of most of its members, the upper mid-western USA. There are said to be about 100 current members.

The news is the Inuit Art Society is holding its annual meeting in Indianapolis, IN from November 14th through the 16th. The meeting is being held at the Eiteljorg Museum in conjunction with the opening of a show of Inuit art at the Peabody Museum, entitled "Our Land".

We are told that the keynote speaker will be Lorne Balshine, president of the Arctic Art Museum Society of British Columbia. He will discuss the evolution of Inuit art, including observations from 30 years of watching Inuit art auctions at Waddington's.

An inukshuk will be built on the museum grounds by Peter Imiq, who also will demonstrate drum dancing. Kendra Tagoona and Charlotte Qamaniq will demonstrate throat-singing.

Membership in the Inuit Art Society is offered to all who share the organization's mission and interests and agree to abide by its rules of conduct. Details about membership, including a downloadable application, and about registering for the Annual Meeting are available at the IAS web site.

Perhaps someone in the area who attends the meeting can post a report of the proceedings to Tribal Artery. Simply click the comments button.

(A tip of the tip hat to Uncle Gene at IndianInuitArt Group at Yahoo Groups and to his source, Bill Phillips, for letting us know about this.)

Tribal Artery has been added to blogburst

We've been added to Blog burst.

Australian Aboriginal Art and Tourism - a good-bad fit

News from the world of tribal art from William Ernest and Susanne Waites, proprietors of TribalWorks, a website created by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person Gallery.

As someone who has had deep experience in, and deep affection for, both Aboriginal Art and tourism promotion, I was struck by a recent article from the Australia's Herald Sun.

It seems a.) that Tourism Australia has launched a new television campaign, to the tune of AU$40 million, promoting travel to Australia by promoting the uniqueness of Aboriginal culture and the rejuvenating effect of experiencing it - or at least, the outback in which it is created, and b.) at least one self-appointed critic has decided to mock it.

I have not seen the commercials, which were directed by the same Baz Luhrman who has directed the new feature flick, Australia, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

Such credentials should suggest a cinematic tour de force. And perhaps they will be.

The critic, however, takes Tourism Australia to task for using subject material that is obscure and remote. "Obscure" in that the settings for the commercial are parts of Australia that very few people have or ever will visit, comparatively speaking. "Remote" in that these places are very difficult to reach. No easy transportation will take you there from any major Australian port of arrival.

Now, I have lived in Australia, not in the outback but in a city every bit as cosmopolitan as cities anywhere in the world. I have traveled to the outback. More than once. It is a fascinating place. Although, it actually is so vast it is several places.

Getting there was anything but convenient.

I made the trip with Sue because of our pre-existing interest in Aboriginal art. Other than Ayers Rock (ULURU), a geologic oddity that has its own touristic attraction, I doubt that we would have traveled to many, if any of the outback locations, on a holiday. Even more doubtful that it would have been a destination we would have entertained for a holiday if we were not living in Australia.

On the one hand, I applaud an effort that promotes awareness and appreciation of this unique culture and its stimulating art products. I hope more people get to know about Australian Aboriginal art and the beautiful, talented people who create it. As an investment in cultural awareness, it certainly can be justified.

On the other hand, as a tourism professional, I know what attracts visitors in large numbers. I am afraid that it is not the esoterica of remote out-lands and unknown cultures. Some people will be attracted by having their eyes opened to this different world. But enough to provide an ROI on AU$40 million? Doubtful.

Seems to me that this is a exercise in touristic self-indulgence and "look-at-how-enlightened-we-are" national expression. Perhaps, it is a form of emotional reparations for the years during which the European invaders of Australia abused the native population.

But, if the idea is to get more people to visit Australia, I share the critic' s opinion that the tried-and-true attractions of beaches, urban attractions, scenery and travel that is not quite so challenging - as offered by Crocodile Dundee (aka Paul Hogan) - are likely to be more fruitful.

That aside, I am be pleased that Australian taxpayers are spending their funds to promote Australian Aboriginal art - if only by association.

It should be good for all of us who already know the art and love it enough to seek it out for its own sake.

Six directions carvings by Brian Yatsattie, Zuni Pueblo, tribal art carver

Images of six directions sets by Brian Yatsattie are posted below.

While in Santa Fe earlier this summer, we encountered the work of Zuni Pueblo Carver, Brian Yatsattie. We had not carried his work before. We were struck by the appeal of his six directions sets carved from antler.

Then, as we walked through the Santo Domingo Pueblo Market, we turned the corner to find him sitting in his booth with his young child on lap.

We were able to convince him to wholesale some of his work to us. After returning to Florida, we received a phone call that he was ready to send us some of his six directions Zuni fetish sets. Three of them later arrived in the mail. We purchased two of them, the third being very similar.

One of the the sets portrayed the six protectors with robes and feathers carved into the bases. The other set had the creatures wrapped in blanket-style robe carving.As background, six directions sets are carved by a few Zuni Pueblo carvers.

They include the eagle, protector of the sky; the bear, protector of the West; the mole, protector of the underworld; the badger, protector of the South; the mountain lion, protector of the North; and the wolf, protector of the East.

In Zuni belief, these animals represent the spiritual strength and power of the ancients. To have them on your side, is to protect yourself from harmful influences.

The eagle brings spirit, vision, truth, and connection withthe Great Spirit.

The mountain lion stands for leadership, traveler protection and success at the hunt.

The bear represents strength of soul, inner power, introspection and healing.

The badger is known for aggressiveness and perseverance.

The wolf is considered the teacher, the pathfinder, the source of clarity and survival.

The mole protects the crops.

Recently, at our request for a taller set, Brian Yatsattie sent us another set of six directional animals. Whereas the first two sets stood about 3 1/2" tall, the new set's creatures are 7" tall.Now, if you are interested in these sets, and in looking more closely at the individual pieces in each set, make a visit to our ZuniLink web site and click on the link to six directions carvings

Calvin Begay Native American Jewelry Added to Native-JewelryLink

Now is the time to start that "early-bird" holiday shopping.


So we have just completed an upload of several dozen new Calvin Begay works of Native American jewelry art.

There are gorgeous bracelets and pendants for your review at http://www.Native-JewelryLink.com. Simply scroll down on the home page to the links that go to Calvin's pages.

Click away and see the latest in great Native American Indian jewelry from one of the masters.

Buy shopping early,

> you get the best selection,

> you assure that your gift arrives in plenty of time for giving

> you get until January 5, 2009 to return any gift purchase that is not well received

> you save gas and time

> if you are not located in Florida, you pay no sales tax.

>And if you enter the code - "free shipping" - in the comments section of our secure order form, we'll ship your gift jewelry order free via USPS Priority to any US destination.

So, why not start now?

You can also visit our other Web sites at ZuniLink, Native-PotteryLink and TribalWorks for gift ideas for folks who have special collector interests.

We'll be looking for you.

New Salvador Romero Cochiti fetish carvings are online

We love Salvador Romero and his work. It's always a pleasure to see him, as we did again this year in Santa Fe. After a nice - too much nice- breakfast, Salvador opened his trunk and brought out the carvings he had created for us.

Here are a few examples, which have been added to Salvador's pages on our ZuniLink web site:

A Raven in Pueblo Stone

Here's a prairie dog, those denizens of the desert










Here's a family of bears, Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear








A horse, a horse. Salvador does a horse.







An eagle stands alertly, waiting for someone to claim it.













Here's a hawk in sandstone.









The badger is a fearsome protector among fetish animals. You can see why.






A wise owl materializes from Pueblo stone.










And there are more. Click on the images to go to the appropriate page at ZuniLink.

Heads-Up for Australian Aboriginal Tribal Art Collectors

If the Australian Parliament passes it, an Australian resale royalty plan for visual artists will become law, effective July 1 2009. The royalty (5%) will be payable on the sale of works of art sold through the secondary market. The requirement will apply to works acquired by the seller after the law takes effect.

If a seller sells an original artwork acquired prior to July 2009, a resale royalty will not be payable. Any work acquired by the seller after the effective date and sold on the secondary market will require the seller to pay the royalty. If a work is sold on the secondary market after the effective date and it was acquired by the seller prior to effective date, no resale royalty payment will be required.

This well-intended law will be enacted to protect the interests of artists, especially tribal artists, in their work after it reaches the secondary market. (Incidentally, we have been down the road of well intentions before and we know where it leads.) It is a reasonable concern that a work that is purchased from an artist for a low price, which is subsequently sold for a much higher price, deprives the artist of gains from his or her growing reputation, and places gain in the hands of the reseller.

As with all such efforts, has the Law of Unintended Consequences been considered? Will requiring a 5% royalty payable to the artist encourage resellers to buy less art directly from the artist, especially new, emerging artists? Will prices increase to cover the obligation of the royalty? Will the increase in cost to the reseller lead him/her to close due to insufficient net income? What then will happen to the market for the art of indigenous Australian Aboriginal artists?


Obviously, the Australian law may not be applicable anywhere else. I believe they will not be able to require it from us, since we are located in the United States. Although work that Australians buy from us to have shipped back to Australia, will fall within the law if they purchase it after the effective date (scheduled for July 2009.)

Bottom line for the readers of this blog is the warning that it is better to buy Australian Aboriginal art now instead of post-July, 2009. Such purchases will be protected from the requirement to pay 5% when they sell the art to another party. We have several beautiful works by well known Australian Aboriginal artists for sale on our web site at http://www.Tribalworks.com With our US location, we can serve clients all over the world without royalty charges.


Incidentally, Australian Aboriginal Tribal art is growing in popularity in the US, witness this article at http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/86698/australian-art-carving-out-a-niche-in-new-york/Default.aspx. And we at Aboriginals: Art of the First Person have just shipped several major pieces to a buyer in Europe.

Postpone your intended purchases at your peril.

It truly is a WorldWideWeb

Today, we shipped a major piece of Australian Aboriginal wood carving to Germany. This follows a shipment of dot paintings and Aboriginal baskery and other native artwork to this same customer

Monday we will ship several Zuni fetish carvings to a loyal customer in Australia.

We have shipped to Canada, Japan and the Netherlands.

And today a woman from out of town, staying on Sanibel Island, came by our house and acquired several Zuni carvings. She found us on the web through a keyword search.

What is going on here?

When we closed our physical gallery after 16 years of daily treks to it and entertaining visitors without end - which we loved - we were a little concerned.

We had been online for many years - 10 or more. Yet, one never knows what will happen when you no longer have a place 'on the ground.'

What actually has happened is that we have a world wide circle of friends and customers. They come to us via the web. They trust us and they buy from us. There is no way to tell you how special that makes us feel.

Then, occasionally, someone who has seen us on the web shows up in Southwest Florida - Sanibel is a tourism magnet for good reason. They call. They come by. We share experiences and our home. And we have gratification of yet another kind.

Life is good. Friends and customers are good. Beauty is good.

We are blessed to be in this business.

Gallup Inter-Tribal Announces 2008 Prize Winners

William Ernest Waites, reporting from New Mexico

I'm a little late getting this out. Actually it took a couple of weeks to even receive the results. Then, publication got caught up a gazillion other things connected with returning home and logging in new pieces we acquired.

But it's never too late. At least, not until the next Inter-Tribal, which is scheduled for August 12-16, 2009 in Gallup, New Mexico.

So here are the results for 2008 -

Best Lapidary – Benson Manygoats, Navajo (Reversible “Shush” Necklace - $45,000)

Best Pottery – Delores Curran, Santa Clara (Traditional clay pot sgraffito - $4,500)

Metal Smithing – Earl Plummer, Navajo (Squash Blossom with Turquoise - $11,000)

Baskets – Sally J Black, Navajo, (Coiled basket – yucca materials -$5,500)

Tribal Arts – J.T. Willie, Navajo, (Southern Dance Outfit -7 pieces- $5,000)

Katchina & Wood Carved Figures – Jon Cordero, Hopi/Cochiti, (Snow Maiden Spirit - $25,000)

Paintings – Sammy Myerson, Navajo, (Sandpainting “Emergence of 5 Worlds”-$390)

Sculpture – Charles Pratt, Cheyenne/Apache, (Laura Cannon - cast bronze-metal fabricate flowers) $6,500)

Textiles – Grace Nez, Navajo, Lena Nez, daughter, Old-style Ganado rug, custom spun, hand-dyed, churro wool, 8’ x 10’ - $24,000

Youth Painting – Fred Peters Jr., Navajo – 18 years old Yei Ba Chi Dancer (acrylic paint with needle, $480)

Poster 2009 - Tom Clark, Navajo – Sand painting – blue ribbon

We always enjoy the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial. The setting in Red Rocks State park, the night and daytime parades down Gallup's Route 66, all add up to a great experience.

If you are in the area next August, I'd put this event on my calendar.

You're invited to visit our web sites at ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink and TribalWorks over the coming weeks. We are adding new items as fast as we can photograph and upload them. It's not too early to start holiday/Christmas shopping. By the way, while we are adding new carvings, we are offering 20%-off our fetish carvings to loyal readers of this blog who ask for it. We anticipate the offer will end sometime in October. We recommend you not hesitate if you see something you like.

SWAIA Indian Market Correction

A reader of this blog as commented that the winning jewelry entry in the 2008 SWAIA Indian Market competition was not a pin, as previously reported, but was a sterling silver tufa cast seed jar. That information has been corrected.

It may be of interest that the confusion arose from:

a) an unnecessarily crowded announcement area - as previously mentioned,

b) a failure of SWAIA to announce the winning item by description beyond the Category name,

c) the natural tendency of this reporter to assume that a jewelry winner would, in fact, be an item of jewelry.

Unless someone wears a seed jar, I don't know how it could be considered jewelry.

It is just another example of category changes that need to be made at SWAIA.

This, of course, is the personal opinion of Wiliam Ernest Waites, whose interest in Native America art goes back 20 years. He also is co-owner of Native American art web sites at ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink and TribalWorks

Mary Small fans will love these three new pottery pieces

Whilst at Santa Fe Indian Market, we encountered one of our fav potters, Mary Small of Jemez Pueblo. She is a perpetual smiler and hugger.

Her pottery style is very distinctive, leading a to number of enthusiastic collectors.

For those fans, and others who would like to discover the wonderful work of Mary, we have acquired three new pieces. They are shown and described in more detail on the website, Native-PotteryLink.com.

Here are preview pictures:

PL98 is a small bear canoe with two occupants.
Oops. This beauty has already been sold.

PL99 is a buffalo with a turquoise nugget

PM01 is an angel storyteller.

You can learn more about these delights by clicking on the Jemez page at Native-PotteryLink.com

SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market gets mixed reviews

This is a report by tribal arts observer, William Ernest Waites, publisher of Tribal Artery, on his impressions of SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many aspects of this year's Santa Fe Indian Market were improvements over previous years. Some seemed to be a step backward. And many were business as usual, stuck in a tradition that is due for some changes, in my opinion.

First, the improvements. The crowds seemed to be smaller, both at the Friday night preview and the market streets per se. Granted, this is not all good news. Smaller crowds mean lower demand and many artists were feeling the pressure of lower sales. Exacerbating this and may be even part of the cause were economic conditions that have a lot of people worried, whether for cause or psychologically. It doesn't matter for the artist. When the wallets don't open, the artists suffer.

At least one well-known artist, who usually sells out by 10:00 AM, had a booth full of pieces when we walked by shortly before noon on Saturday. Other artists commented that things were slower as evidenced by tables filled with unsold work.

Of course the standard answer when you ask an artist , “How's it going?' is, “It's great!” So take my observations and add those evaluations, then stir with a dash of skepticism and a spoonful of optimism.

At the preview, apparently, there was a change in policy. The number of press passes was reduced, meaning that many media people who might normally attend and report on the event were not present for the awards announcement. Many of the writers and photographers from the press had to compete with the special guests and VIPs that were admitted to the preview at the same time.

(Ironically, because it was difficult for the Executive director of SWAIA to contact the Best of Show winner, the announcement had to wait for the artist to appear anyway.)

What do I consider a step backward?

As a matter of admitted self-interest, as one who was unable to enter at the preview room before the crowd, I felt like I was being discriminated against. I'm sure there were others who shared that feeling.

I don't think it is advantageous for SWAIA, especially in a year when the economy seems to be working against maximum success, to limit exposure of the event and news about it. The media, all the media, should be encouraged so that the news gets out quickly to those who are interested but unable to attend in person.

Many of those people do not read the local newspapers or watch the local TV stations. They are spread around the world. SWAIA needs to recognize that the web and the internet are the way many of these people get their information about tribal art. Ignoring or discounting the web as a way of disseminating information misses the fastest way to make your story accessible to the public. It also misses the opportunity to archive information for consumers who aren't paying attention when the news hits.

As for being stuck in tradition, it is time, in my opinion, for SWAIA to recognize that there are significant differences between a 4-inch high fetish carving and a 4-foot high marble sculpture. To keep them in the same judging category is unfair or, at least, inappropriate,. It's not as if new categories could not be created. Thes new categories could increase the number of opportunities for artists who decline to enter in categories that they feel may be stacked against them. The same thing can be said about the differences between stone sculpture and glass blowing, between painting and photography, between bead work and quill work, and between textiles and basketry.

I am particularly concerned about the discrepancy between fetish carving and sculpture. There is no rational reason for keeping both kinds of work in the same category when two categories could be created. The only possible rationale, to my view, would be that it makes it easier for SWAIA to organize . I have found when organizations focus on what is easier forthem rather than what is best for their clientele, they are looking through the wrong end of the telescope.

I'm told there are other interested parties with affinity for the little fetish gems, who share my concern. We should get together and give SWAIA the benefit of our thinking. Perhaps this blog can be a start. If you agree with this point of view, please give this blog a comment.

About the winners themselves. Of course, judging is subjective. I felt, however, that many of the lesser ribbons, the second-place and third-place winners, were more deserving than some of the entries that won first place.

Oh well! That's what makes horse races, and art competitions.

I'm including photographs of the Best of Show and Best of Classification, as best I was able to photograph them under the preview conditions.

Best of Show and
Best of Classification III. Painting - Sheldon Harvey

Best of Classification I. Jewelry - Rebecca Begay

Best of Classification II. Pottery - Linda Tafoya-Sanchez

Best of Classification IV. Wooden Pueblo Carving - Robert Albert

Best of Classification V. Sculpture - Sheldon Harvey

Best of Classification VI. Textiles & Basketry - Mona Laughing

Best of Classification VII. Diverse Arts - Jamie Okuma

Best of Classification VIII. Quillwork & Beadwork - Juanita & Jessica Growing Thunder

Best of Classification IX. Youth - Trent Lee

Tribal art - Tracking down Ira Lujan, Taos glass sculptor

We had been tracking down Ira Lujan, a Taos Pueblo artist who has broken new art ground by working with traditional Native American themes in glass.

We found him at Santa Fe Indian Market this past weekend and purchased some art objects from him. As we talked, he mentioned that his studio is located at Jackalope on Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe, which also happens to be an expansive marketer of ethnographic material, principally from Mexico but including many other exotic countries .

We filed away that information in the memory file, where it promptly was lost. Then we visited Jackalope as one stop on a quest for a special gift for a friend. As we walked through the grounds, we spotted the sign for Prairie Dog Glass studio. We looked inside. There was Ira, working on a glass creation.

It turns out that Ira has use of the studio in trade for blowing glass items of a more commercial nature for Jackalope to sell. Among the items that are popular are hummingbird feeders, decorative glass balls (doubling as ornaments), flower-esque rain catchers, glass bulb drip irrigators, glass vases and other decorative accessories.

The real treat, however, is that you can actually watch Ira and his colleagues, including Okey Owinge artist, Robert "Spooner" Marcus, at work.

Ira explained that the basic furnace is fired at high enough temperatures to make glass material molten and hold it in that state. It burns 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, since it is more costly to stop and restart the furnace than to sustain the heat needed to work the glass.

There also is flash furnace used to reheat the glass objects as they are being worked. Various tools, such as tongs and torches, also are used.

The process starts by inserting a long metal tube into the glass furnace and allowing a glob of molten glass to collect on the end of it. This clear glass is withdrawn from oven and rolled on a metal slab, on which grains of colored glass have been spread. The molten glass picks up the colored grains and the color begins ot suffuse the mass of hot glass.

The glass glob now is rolled, swung and blown by mouth to shape it. One of the fascinating aspects of this process is the smoothing of the glass item, which is done with a water-saturated thickness of folded newspaper. You read it right. Newspaper is used to rub and form glass that is hot enough to burn through it if it was not thick and wet.

Another key step in the process is periodically returning the object to heat, this time in a flash furnace, to maintain its malleability. Curves, twists, bends and trim are created by alternately heating the areas to be formed with a torch and pulling the molten glass in the form and shape desired.

Finally, the items are "cured" in a kiln so that they will be less fragile in final form.

You get to sit and watch the entire process, as I did recently. I had asked Ira to interrupt his commercial production to take time to create a glass corn maiden. It was in process as we returned to the studio to watch it taking shape. Ira was working with Spooner. Together they were making an object of great beauty. (Ira refers to the process as glass sculpting instead of glass blowing.) Such teamwork is required when working with molten glass, that can take on a behavior of its own if not attended to at all times.

The body had taken shape. The head, which had been created earlier, was now added to the body, by melting the collar at the neck, and attaching the pre-formed head. The point of joining must be repeatedly reheated to make sure it fuses together.

It was close to the final step as the bottom of the body was being
torched to be removed from the tube.

BANG!

The entire piece exploded. After all that work.

"I've have never had that happen!" exclaimed Ira. "I've lost pieces but
never had one explode like that."

Spooner joined in, philosophically, saying, "That's glass."

Both workers had been hit on the chest by small shards of glass.

"That's why we wear safety glasses", added Ira.

So, we agreed it was necessary to start over again. It will e a few
more days. But Ira and Spooner assured me that it will be done.

When completed, it will join the other Ira Lujan works of glass art that we have acquired. Look for it on future issues of theis blog and on our website at http://www.Native-PotteryLink.com .

The connection between culture and art

I'm interrupting coverage of Indian Market, which will continue shortly, with some thoughts inspired by an essay I just read from another site called Aboriginal Art Directory.

You can access it directly through this link.

http://www.aboriginalartdirectory.com/documents/AboriginalArtDirect_e6.pdf

That said, it does have some relevance to Indian Market.

The essay discusses the connection between native or tribal art and the world outside it. While specifically applicable to Australia, where the separations between aboriginal communities and urban centers are even more extreme than they are (for the most part) in the United States, the observations have some resonance with all tribally created art and the people who appreciate and acquire it.

Years ago, we used to make buying trips to the Southwest during which we traveled to the artists' peublos and homes, where we would sit and chat and admire the work in its natural environment. We still do that with Zuni artists. It is a rich and rewarding part of acquiring art, in addition to the art itself.

For the last three years, we have been coming to Indian Market. Here, all the artists come to one place and set up in their booth/tents to sell to the world of the Native American art collector. As Santa Fe is an urban center, even though many artists live in and around Santa Fe and Albuquerque when they are not home on the pueblo or reservation, Indian Market is the equivalent of bringing the artists to us instead of going to them.

I don't want to diminish the importance or excitement of Indian market, or of its significance in facilitating economic support for the artists. All that is true.

But post-market today, I was feeling a little melancholy. It seemed something had been missing. The activity had not been as intense or personal as when we sat in an artist's living room and became part of his or her life in addition to buying his or her art.

After reading the essay linked to here, I began to appreciate what was happening to us and, I presume, the artists. It is something different to stand and talk with an artist while a dozen others stand by and watch, listen or compete for attention. It is the same art. But it s not the same relationship.

We have often believed that people who acquire tribal art do so for more than the aesthetic appeal of the art. They are buying the story behind it, the traditions embedded in it and the personality of the artist who created it.

I think this is some of what the essay is talking about.

So, next year, we may resort to the old ways. If we come to Indian Market at all, it will be as tourists. But our acquisition of art will be one-on-one in the artists homes or on their pueblos. We will be on their turf, not ours. We will be acquiring more than the art.

Indain Market winners announced

The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) announced the Best of Classification and Best of Show Awards winners in the 2008 competition. In addition to these awards we also have special awards categories listed below including the new "Innovation" award.

Best of show: Sheldon Harvey - for a painting
Best of Classification
I. Jewelry: Rebecca Begay - for a sterling silver tufa cast seed jar
II. Pottery: Linda Tafoya-Sanchez - for a blackware, incised pot
III. Painting: Sheldon Harvey - for a painting
IV. Wooden Pueblo Carving: Robert Albert - for a intricate wood carving
V. Sculpture: Sheldon Harvey - for a tradition-breaking carving
VI. Textiles & Basketry: Mona Laughing
VII. Diverse Arts: Jamie Okuma
VIII. Quillwork & Beadwork: Juanita Growing Thunder
IX. Youth: Trent Lee

2008 Special Awards
Adult Smile Award: Ryan Singer
Youth Smile Award: Tulane John
Eric & Barbara Dobkin Award for Innovation: Marla Allison
Institute of American Indian Arts: Peterson Yazzie
Sidney & Ruth Schultz Award for Miniatures: Rebecca Begay
Andrew Smith/Andrew Smith Gallery Award for Photography: none
Jean Seth Award for Traditional Basketry: Griselda Saufkie
(also 2008 lifetime achievement award recipient)
Jean Seth Award for Traditional Painting: John I. King
Indan Arts Fund, Excellence in Traditional Arts: Joseph Lugo Youngblood

I attended the awards announcement and have some additional thoughts on this year's competition, photos of award-winning entries and some other notable awards. Come back tomorrow for more on SWAIA's Santa Fe Indian Market awards.

A day on Santa Fe's Museum Hill

Today was Museum Hill day.

Our first stop there, where several of Santa Fe's museums are located, was a return visit to the Case Trading Post at the Wheelwright. Several artists were there with their work. It was good to renew acquaintance with Samuel Manymules, Fabian Tsethlikai, Michael Kanteena, Alicia Nelson and Elizabeth Manygoats. A new acquaintance was Mangas Slinkey, a Navajo/Lakota jeweler. We were impressed by the innovation in his work and will look forward to representing him in the future.

From the Case, we shuttled to the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. A state museum with extensive and varied exhibitions. In the order we visited, Here, Now & Always was our first stop.

This sensitive exhibit traces the origins and development of native peoples in the Southwest. To quote, “Three simple words—Here, Now and Always—tell the story of the Southwest’s oldest communities. From elder to younger, each generation has taught the next: We are here, now and we will be here always.”

Coming up from the Earth and into the exhibition hall, the visitor traces, step-by-step, the path of the Southwest’s people. The exhibits carry you to the story of each Native community. This permanent exhibit includes more than 1,300 artifacts from the Museum's collections.

As we journeyed through the communities, we were deeply moved by the struggles, the ingenuities and survival strategies of our nation's first people.

Our next stop was the Buchsbaum Gallery of Southwestern Pottery. Focusing exclusively on the pottery and potters of Southwestern Pueblos and tribes, it is a crash course in the finest examples of this 2000 year old tradition.

The process of pottery making is the ultimate combination of the material and the spiritual. The clay comes from the earth, the same earth that nurtures with food. Extraordinary work goes into gathering, drying, grounding, sifting, straining, removing water and tempering. Then the pot is carefully coiled and built by hand, then scraped, slipped and polished. Finally, comes the test by fire. Firing the pot puts the work to that point at maximum risk. Many pots are lost in the firing.

When a pot was completed, it was used to store, carry and prepare the sustenance of life.

Pottery, which now often is created for sale to collectors, retains this spiritual quality, which the Buchsbaum exhibit dramatizes so effectively.

The next stop was in a temporary exhibit on the light side. Comic Art Indigene presents the relationship between comic art and the expression of native sentiments and sensibilities. We recognized many of the comic book and comic strip characters from our youth. The exhibit also points out that comics, with their very graphic character were a natural medium for a peoples who were not literate in the dominant language. One nice touch about the Comic Art Indigene is the invitation for visitors to create their own comic art using comic strip and skate board templates.

Speaking of visitor involvement, an entire room is devoted to the tools and toys for children to share the experience of native art and culture.

The next stop on the way through was the Spider Woman's Gift, featuring an extraordinary display of more than 40 exquisite Navajo weavings dating from between 1860 and 1880. Spider Woman was said to give Navajos the gift of weaving, and instructing Spider Man to build the first loom. With wooden vertical and horizontal beams it was said to represent the relationship between the earth and sky.

Admittance to the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture requires membership in the Museum of New Mexico Foundation.

After our immersion in Native American art and culture, we stopped at the Museum Hill Cafe for early dinner. With the kitchen closing at 3 PM, we probably were the last order in. We always enjoy the Cafe. The seats are outside under a ramada type roof and fabric umbrellas. It is pleasant just to sit and watch the sky change while enjoying a cool beverage. You order at a counter and your choices are delivered to your table. A 10% surcharge is added for service (less by half than we usually tip). Our orders of quesadilla and quiche were generous and well prepared.

After supper we headed back to the Wheelwright for their silent auction. We don't normally bid. Actually, we don't normally win bids. I have a habit of finding items I like and placing early low bids. The strategy is that I might luck out and at least I am established as a bidder and, if I don't win the bid, I keep it going up for the auction sponsors. Well, we got lucky on four out of six bids and ended up taking those objects at the opening low bid.

So, all in all, it was a very good day.

African Tribal Art Auction Alert - Munich, Germany

Our African collectors should know that an auction of African Tribal Art from two collections has been scheduled for September 2, 2008 in Munich, Germany.

The catalog is now online at http://catalog.quittenbaum.de/object_gebiete_african_art_Quittenbaum_
Kunstauktionen__Afrikanische+Kunst__M_074__eng

(If the above link does not work, cut and paste the link information into your browser.)

The price estimates, quoted in euros, seem reasonable, although current economic conditions in Europe may make it difficult for these estimates to be realized, giving bidders some breaks on cost - eve with a 19.5% buyers' premium.

Be sure to click the English language flags to see the catalog in English, if that is your language of choice.

While we have done a brief survey of the items, this alert is in no way an endorsement as to quality, authenticity or value. As with all auctions, it is caveat emptor and you are on your own.

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Brought to you by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person, trading in African Tribal Art at http://www.TribalWorks.com

Fritz Scolder Retrospective at IAIA

Based on last evening's opening at the Institute for American Indian Art, a show featuring the works of Native American artist, Fritz Scholder, will please art lovers of all persuasions.

It was a pleasant evening in the gallery at IAIA. Cool temperatures encouraged attendees to mingle in the inviting IAIA courtyard. Jeans and polo shirts mixed with formal-skirted women and escorts in jackets-and-ties. A table of canapes satisfied any peckishness that guests brought to the event.

But the real satisfaction came from an extensive array of Scholder's lithographs, etchings and paintings, reflecting his unique view of the relationship between contemporary America and its indigenous people. According to his biography, Scholder was not raised as an Indian. He was born in Minnesota in 1937, attended high school in Pierre, South Dakota and graduated from Ashland High School in Wisconsin. Scholder's Indian heritage was one-quarter Luiseno, a Calfornia Mission tribe.

After moving to California with his family in 1957, he began an artistic journey that included numerous shows, five honorary degrees, and participation jn exhibitions around the world. Along the way, after receiving a Masters in Fine Art in 1964, he joined IAIA as Instructor in Advanced Art and Painting, where his tutelage encouraged scores of beginning Native Artists to develop their talents. He left IAIA in 1969.

But the IAIA never left him. This connection was the motivator for IAIA to mount this extraordinary retrospective of Scholder's work. Scholder passed in 2005. His artistic legacy, focusing on the national cliché' about American Indians and the guilt of the dominant culture in reference to its relationship with the land's original owners, lives on with freshness and vitality.

If you have a chance to visit the Fritz Scholder show, which runs through February 19, 2009, you will find it a stimulating view of Native American sensibilities. By the way, be sure to spend some time in the IAIA's gift shop. It is in its own right an expressive survey of the fine works of many very accomplished Native American artists.

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Brought to you by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied online galleries at Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink and Zunilink.

Telstra Aboriginal Art Entries and Winners - Tribal Art at Tribal Artery

Following on from an earlier article announcing Telstra winners for 2008, here is an address to access the full range of entries. Links within this home page will take you to all entries in all categories. A slide show also is available.

http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/museums/exhibitions/natsiaa/25/gallery/htmlversion/index.htm

Brought to you by William and Susanne Waites, whose website at TribalWorks.com offers examples of Australian Aboriginal art from their collection.