Thomas Tapia, Tesuque Painter
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Thomas Tapia is an artist from Tesuque Pueblo. His grandfather was Tomás Vigil, an early Tesuque painter. Tapia was encouraged and mentored by Santa Clara artist Pablita Velarde, who saw and liked Tapia's work at one of his early Santa Fe Indian Market booth exhibitions. Velarde encouraged Tapia to continue working in the traditional "flat" style. He has done so successfully, winning first prize at his first Indian Market, and receiving many other notable awards. Tapia was recently featured in a profile in Native American Art magazine, which featured multiple works and described his process and inspirations in detail.