Institute of American Indian Arts to host the Spring Homecoming Powwow on May 8, 2010.

This is a periodic blog message by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person on the subject of tribal art. Aboriginals Gallery hosts web sites at Native JewelryLink,com, Native-PotteryLink.com and ZuniLink.com.

In what has become a tradition, the Spring Homecoming Powwow will be staged at the Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) campus in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The public is invited to browse the powwow grounds, visit craft and art booths, and purchase items from Native food vendors. Spectacular Indian dances also will be performed, which are open to viewing by the public. There is no admission charge to attend.

Dancing starts at 11:00 am with the gourd dance, followed at noon by the Grand Entry, which will be repeated at 6:00 pm.

The head man and head lady are Ensley Aquilar and Elizabeth Nevaquaya, respectively, both IAIA students.

The northern drum will be Red Road Crossing. The southern drum will be Zotigh Singers.

If you would like more information, you may call 505-424-2339.

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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.

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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.

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Summer is Native Art Season Check these shows

Yes, Summer is coming and with it comes the season of Native American Indian and other Tribal Art Shows and Auctions. Here are a few we know of. Save the dates.

33^rd Annual Benefit Auction at the Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe, NM

Thursday, August 21

Silent Auction and Live Auction Preview - 4 PM – 6 PM

Friday August 22

The Collector’s Table - 9 AM 10:30 AM

The Native “Art for Wear” Designer’s Showcase - 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM

The Live Auction Preview - 11 AM – 1 PM, Auction starts 1:00 PM

More information at Wheelwright.org

Whitehawk 30^th Annual Invitational Antique Indian Art Show El Museo Cultural, Santa Fe, NM

Monday August 18 - Gala Preview - 6PM- 9PM

Tuesday, August 19 & Thursday August 20 - Show - 10 AM – 5 PM

More information at WhitehawkShows.com

Bonhams & Butterfields Native American and Pre-Columbian Art Auction, San Francisco, CA

Friday June 6 – Monday June 9 - Preview

Monday June 9 - Auction - 12 PM

Timeless Beauty : Pueblo Women Artists of the 20^th Century Show,
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque, NM

Continues through June 14

More information at IndianPueblo.org

Sothebys, The James Ecónomos Collection of Northwest Coast American Indian & Eskimo Works of Art, Paris France

June 11 - Auction

More information at Sothebys.com

Box of Treasures Anniversary Exhibition Douglas Reynolds Gallery, Vancouver, BC, CA

Saturday June 7 - Opens - 5 PM

More information at DouglasReynoldsGallery.com

41^st Red Cloud Indian Art Show, The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School,
Pine Ridge, SD

June 1 – August 10

More information at RedCloudSchool.org

Glass Arts of Native America Show, Quintana Gallery, Portland Oregon

June 5 – July 31

More information at QuintanaGalleries.com

Mid-West Auction of Historic American Indian Arts, Lone Jack, MO

May 17

More information at DirkSoulisAuctions.com

22^nd Annual Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival, Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City

June 6, 7 & 8

More information at RedEarth.org

Making Wood Talk, Bill Henderson solo exhibition, Inuit Gallery of Vancouver

June 7 – 27

More information at Inuit.com

Brian Lebel’s 19^th Annual Cody Old West Show & Auction, Cody, WY

June 26, 27, 28

More information at CodyOldWest.com

Allard’s "Best of Santa Fe" Auction, La Fonda Hotel, Santa Fe, NM

August 16-17

More information at AllardAuctions.com

Seventh Annual Historic Indian & World Tribal Arts Show, Santa Fe, NM

August 14-17

More information at TribalAntiqueShow.com

If you are in the vicinity of any of these cities at these times, we encourage you to visit these shows and auctions. If you are not, may we suggest a visit to one of our web sites for a sampling of the same subject matter. ZuniLink features quality hand-carved Zuni fetishes and other tribal carvings. Native-JewelryLink is a treat of sparkling Native American jewelry in silver and gold, turquoise, coral and other beautiful stones. Native-PotteryLink is home to wide array of authentic, hand-coiled, traditionally fired Native American Pueblo Pottery. TribalWorks is an amalgamation of tribal art objects from Africa, Australia, Native America and the Arctic.

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More Native American Arts & Culture

Here are more events scheduled for the coming months.

Through August 25, 2007 – “Native American Women’s Creations” in exhibition at the Edward-Dean Museum & Gardens, 9401 Oak Glen Road, Cherry Valley, CA.

Through September 16, 2007 – “Voices in the Tall Grass: Native Women Artists of Oklahoma”. This exhibit is being presented at the Pioneer Woman Museum, Ponca City OK. The art work, in an exhibition curated by Rebecca Brave, includes contemporary and traditional media such as pottery, beadwork, basketry, ribbon work, sculpture, paintings and illustration.

July 11-12, 2007 - Mashantucket Pequot Museum Pow Wow and Festival. Admission to the Pow Wow is free with admission to the museum and for museum members. The museum is located at 110 pequot Lane, Mashantucket. For more information, call 800-411-9671

July 14-15, 2007 – 14^th Howard County Pow Wow at the Howard County Fairgrounds, Baltimore, MD

July 20-22, 2007 – Redbird’s Children of Many Colors Native American Intertribal Pow Wow, Moorpark, College, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark, CA. Admission is $2.00

August 4-5, 2007 - Bull Run All Nations Pow Wow, Riverfront Park & Candfield Island, Loyalsock Township, PA at the intersection of Bull Run Trail and Seshequin Trail.

August 24-26, 2007 - 33^rd Annual Pow Wow by the Baltimore American Indian Center at Patterson Park, Eastern and Linwood Avenues. Admission $5.00 Information: 410-675-3535.

This list is brought to you by William & Susanne Waites of Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and allied web sites, Native-JewelryLink.com, Native-PotteryLink.com, TribalWorks.com and ZuniLInk.com

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More August Indian Art Events in Santa Fe

Taking advantage of the visibility that surrounds SWAIA’s Santa Fe Indian Market, numerous other Native American art events are scheduled in Santa Fe in August 2007.

August 9-12 – b4rTIME, Inc. will present the Sixth Annual Historic Indian & World Tribal Arts show. 75 exhibitors will present items from American Indian, African, Asian, Other American, Oceanic cultures and Classical Antiquities. There will be a Charity Preview Reception on August 9, Thursday, from 6 pm to 9 pm. Advance tickets at $75 each are available now. The event will take place at the Shellaberger Tennis Center at the College of Santa Fe. Show hours are 10 am to 5 pm on Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday. Show passes are $12 per day with an unlimited pass available at $20.

August 10-12 – Whitehawk’s 24^th Annual Antique Ethnographic Art Show. A Gala Preview will take place on Friday, August 10 from 6 pm to 9 pm, with a $75 admission charged. Show times on Saturday and Sunday will be 10 am to 5 pm with a $10 per day admission charge.

August 13-15 – Whitehawk’s 29^th Annual Invitational Antique Indian Art Show. The Gala Preview will take place from 6 pm to 9 pm on Monday, August 13, with a $75 admission charge. Show times are Tuesday and Wednesday, August 14 and 15, from 10 am to 5 pm at $10 per day admission charge.

"There's no question but what Santa Fe is the center of the Indian and Ethnographic Art world, especially in August," according to William Waites, co-owner of Aboriginals: Art of the First Person. The author of this blog will be reporting 'live' from Santa Fe in August. So stay tuned.

In the meantime, Aboriginals' four web sites continue to offer superb examples of Native American fetish carvings at ZuniLink.com; beautiful Native American jewelry at Native-JewelryLink.com; authentic handmade Indian Pueblo pottery at Native-PotteryLink.com; and a pot pourri of African, Australian Aboriginal, Arctic and Navajo folk art at TribalWorks.com. All guaranteed authentic.

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Speaking of Prices – What’s going on in downtown Santa Fe?

We used to chuckle when people would visit our Sanibel gallery, Aboriginals: Art of the First Person, and comment that they loved our art but would wait until they visited Santa Fe, where the prices would be lower.

Obviously, those people had never been to Santa Fe. We have, and return regularly. It is a special place.

There is a certain cachet to buying tribal art in Santa Fe. But price isn't part of it.

We know that our prices, even when we had the physical gallery, were never higher than those in Santa Fe and usually lower.

We understand. Santa Fe is a high-rent district. Galleries there, as with all galleries everywhere, must pay their rent and their staff.

The money to do that must be baked into the price of every object of art they sell. There is no other way to do it.

Now we read in the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper that galleries and shops in downtown Santa Fe are in a crunch. Rents remain high but traffic is down, largely because of extensive construction downtown.

One gallery owner is quoted as saying, “Downtown Santa Fe has lost its vibrancy.”

We don’t want to dump on Santa Fe. We love the place. Its art, its culture, its dining and its climate truly make it “The City Different.”. We sincerely hope it recovers and quickly.

But rest assured that you don’t have to go to Santa Fe or even shop online with Santa Fe dealers to get quality, authentic, Native American jewelry, pottery, folk art and fetish carvings at excellent prices. And with service that you will tell your friends about.

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Iroquois Whimseys newly released

by William Waites
We have a number authentic Iroquois (Mohawk) beaded whimseys of museum quality that we are offering as a collection. These extraordinary works of beading and craftwork were created by Iroquois women, most usually Mohawk, for sale as souvenirs to visitors to the tribal areas. The finest of these were made sometime between 1880 and 1920 (estimated).

We have offered less excellent examples on our eBay store at Art of the First Person for lower prices. But this new collection is almost flawless and any beadwork collector should live to have it. We hate to let it go. But space is a cruel master.

If you enjoy beautiful beadwork enjoy these pictures.

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American Indian Art Magazine - Back copies

By William Waites
American Indian Art Magazine is one of the most respected, comprehensive and scholarly to cover the field of Native American Art. Back copies of this publication become collectors' items and treasured in public libraries.

We have a number of them available for purchase at our Tribalworks web site. We also have added two copies that were previously available from us. The summer 1996 issue, featuring Kiowa ledger drawings, and the Winter 1995 issue, celebrating 20 years, with a photo of Maria Martinez reading American Indian Art as a cover subject.We have plenty of others, including some duplicates, for as little as $6.50. That's just $1.50 over the cover the price at time of publication. For an out of print back copy.

Take a look. There may be an issue you missed and would like to have now.

By the way, we have a pair of framed rabbit skins that have been illustrated with ledger style art work. They are stunning, unique and 30% off through the end of April.

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Just nine days left to save 30%

by William Waites

If you have been out of circulation, or otherwise not visiting our web sites, Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink, TribalWorks and ZuniLink, you may be unaware that we have been offering 30% off through out the month of April. (We call it April Foolishness.)

Well, it ends in just nine days.

If you have seen something on one of our web sites that you have always wanted, now is the time to visit again and take advantage of our 30% discount sale.

Incidentally, this is not a sale price on an inflated regular price. You have access to some of the lowest prices for quality items in our day-to-day prices. This is a legitimate 30% reduction for one month only – with only nine days left.

We’ll leave a computer on for you.

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