Surprisingly, this is the first painting by Manuel Trujillo (1927 -) Peen Tsa we have had in the gallery.  This one was painted while he was a student at the Santa Fe Indian School.  It bears the stamp of The Studio U. S. Indian School Santa Fe, NM on the back.  It is dated October 6, 1941 on verso and signed and dated 1943 on the lower right front.

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Gwen Sharon Setalla (b.1964-) Aȁs-kữ-Mana is a Hopi from the village of Mishongnovi on Second Mesa.  Her mother is Pauline Setalla from Mishongnovi.  They are of the Frog Woman and Feather Woman families.  The family lived on a ranch not far from Keams Canyon and Gwen spent her early childhood there.  She learned pottery making from her mother, starting as early as age 5 and began to take it seriously by age 21.  

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Barbara Polacca is a Hopi-Tewa of the Spider Clan who has been an active potter since 1970.  She is an accomplished potter known for making seed jars, cylindrical vases, bowls, canteens and tiles.  She painted the face of a katsina on this tile. Pueblo pottery tiles have been a popular collector's item for over a hundred years. The Hopi-Tewa potters have always been more prolific than the Rio Grande Pueblos in making them.

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This painting of a Buffalo Dancer was sold through the Hopi Arts and Crafts Shop at Second Mesa on the Hopi Reservation.  The Hopi Arts and Crafts Shop was the original outlet for works by the Artist Hopid. 

It appears that Kabotie failed to sign this Original Hopi Painting of a Buffalo Dancer, however it does have a Hopi Arts and Crafts tag taped to the back of the painting with the artist listed as Michael Kabotie so there is no doubt that he was the artist.  It is also unmistakably the work of Michael Kabotie (1942 - 2009) Lomawywesa.

"New Mexico Memories" is an apt name for this painting.  There is nothing more New Mexican that an adobe building nestled under or among cottonwood trees.  There is no manicured lawn or formal entrances to the home, just native plants growing without need of water or attention.  The two saddled horses are ready for a tromp down by the acequia.  The cottonwood trees are displaying their beautiful fall colors.  There is no memory of New Mexico more memorable that such a view as this.

Morris Rippel was basically a self-trained artist, having obtained an architectural degree from the University of New Mexico. He worked in that field for 15 years but then decided to see if he could make a living for himself and his family by becoming an easel artist. He succeeded and did so very well.

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Morris Rippel lived his whole life in Albuquerque.  He attended the University of New Mexico from which he earned a degree in architecture, a career he practiced for 15 years.  He decided to try his hand at fine art painting and took two paintings to a gallery in Santa Fe which sold them immediately so he decided to drop his architectural career and become a fine art painter. He had a very successful art career.

This watercolor of Romero Street is a very accurate portrayal of that section of Old Town Albuquerque.  The long adobe building on the right with two long and narrow windows and a door was the home of Adobe Gallery for 25 years!  We have fond memories of that building.

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This personage has been known by several names-Mudhead, Koyemsi, Clown, Tachukti, and has been referred to as a Katsina.  Barton Wright states that it is not considered a Katsina at Hopi and that Mudhead and Koyemsi are both nicknames and that Tachukti is the correct name but that he is not a clown in the sense we normally consider a clown.  It will, however, always be called a Mudhead as that name has existed for a hundred years already and is not likely to go away.

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Myron Denetclaw is a self-taught painter born on September 5, 1999 in Shiprock, New Mexico.  He resides in Shiprock with his parents, Milford and Mamie Denetclaw and brother Matthew.  His maternal clan is Táchiiníí and his paternal clan is Hooghanłání. 

Denetclaw developed his painting ability slowly through trial and error by practice of drawing.  He holds in particular esteem the naturalism of Bob Ross' work which is a significant force characterized by an ongoing determination to produce beautifully rendered gouache and acrylic paintings with a specific emphasis on Yeíí, the Diné Deities. Denetclaw's interest in the elegance of the spiritual world finds expression within his figurative subjects, the intimacy of which invites us to reflect freely upon their narrative content.  He paints in the style of the early Navajo painters Harrison Begay and Beatien Yazz.  There are not many young Navajo artists today who paint in this style.  His work is clearly influenced by his predecessors, while expanding on their style in a way that only a young artist would.  We are very impressed by this emerging artist's work, and are excited to be able to share it with our clients.

Learn more about Myron Denetclaw here.

Self-taught artist Myron Denetclaw paints in the style of the early Navajo painters Harrison Begay and Beatien Yazz.  Myron developed his painting ability slowly through trial and error by practice of drawing. He holds in particular esteem the naturalism of Bob Ross' work which is a significant force characterized by an ongoing determination to produce beautifully rendered gouache and acrylic paintings with a specific emphasis on Yeíí, the Diné Deities. Denetclaw's interest in the elegance of the spiritual world finds expression within his figurative subjects, the intimacy of which invites us to reflect freely upon their narrative content. 

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Jimmie Kootshongsie is best known by everyone as Jimmie Koots.  He was born at Hopi Pueblo on the Third Mesa village of Hotevilla during the period of World War I.  At a very young age, he and many other Hopi children were removed from their homes and taken to government schools where they were to be stripped of their Hopi beliefs and heritage and assimilated into the White man's culture.  Koots survived the five long years at the Bureau of Indian Affairs School and then returned to his native village.

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"When the time approaches for whipping the children during ceremonies in the kiva, a signal is given and the three Kachinas: the Crow Mother and her two sons, the Hú Kachinas, come rushing toward the kiva.  There they make four circuits of the hatchway creating as much noise as possible by beating the hatchway with their whips and bounding about to make their rattles sound.  At the end of the fourth circuit they enter the kiva and take their positions north of the fireplace.  The initiates are brought forward by their ceremonial god-parents and placed on the sand painting.  The Hú Kachinas advance and give them four strokes with their yucca whips.  As each candidate is struck the yucca whip is waived through the air with a wicked swish.  This is a gesture of purification.

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Tunei-nili is a Navajo-derived katsina.  He is the individual who looks after the Navajo or Tasap Katsinas and is usually called a side dancer for them.  He may not always appear with the Tasap, however.  He was inspired by the Navajo Rain Gods the Tone-nili, who appear on the sixth day of the Navajo Yeibichai Ceremony.  The name Tunei-nili Bitzai means "little wash" or "little river grandfather." He sometimes appears with the Velvet Shirt Katsinas also. 

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The Cricket Katsina (Susöpa) appears as a racer, although many Hopi will say that he appears only at night in the kivas.  This seems to be a difference among villages.  Usually this katsina appears with a black bandolier over his chest, represented here by a black yarn strip.  He is sometimes pictured with a tuff of small feathers in place of ears.  The ears on this carving are made from string.  Two bundles of grasses point upward from the ears but they are missing from this carving.

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Darlene James Nampeyo, who passed away in 2012 at the age of only 56 years, was a granddaughter of Rachel Nampeyo, great granddaughter of Annie Healing Nampeyo and great-great granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano.  She had been a constant winner of awards at the Museum of Northern Arizona's annual Hopi Show and was awarded the Fannie Nampeyo Memorial Award, Best of Division at the Scottsdale Native American Indian Cultural Foundation Show, and seven consecutive Santa Fe Indian Marketawards. 

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Alberta Adams is listed in Gregg Schaaf's book Hopi-Tewa Pottery 500 Artist Biographies but only the statement "active 1980-present: polychrome wedding vases, bowls" is included for her.  She is not mentioned at all in Messiers' book Hopi & Pueblo Tiles so there seems to be little biographical information on her as a potter even though she is acknowledged as having produced since 1980. She is from Hopi Pueblo in Arizona. 

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The Payik'ala - Three Horn Katsina appears in the Mixed Dance. Barton Wright says that there are Hopi who remember this Katsina being danced at Third Mesa before 1906. This is a good representation of this Katsina, and it is in very good condition. Harold S. Colton states that it was introduced from Zuni to First Mesa in 1921.

The Kachina has a black band across his eyes, three horns sticking upward from his mask and is bare chested.  He carries a bow in his left hand and a gourd rattle in his right.  The artist has presented a very good likeness of the Katsina.

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   Joseph R. Willis (1876-1960) is best known for his Indian photographs and paintings and southwestern landscapes.  Before moving to the Southwest, he had earlier traveled throughout the Southeastern part of the United States where he took advantage of the beauty of the region to paint many portraits and landscapes.

In 1917, he settled in Gallup, New Mexico, where he established a photography studio.  Then in 1931, he moved to Albuquerque where he settled for the remainder of his life. After leaving Gallup, Willis spent more time painting than photographing.  His style was realism, not unexpected since his eye was trained for photography.  His paintings are not photo realistic, but are softer in presentation.

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Corn Moquino is of Zia and Hopi heritage. He married into Santa Clara Pueblo and has been making Santa Clara style pottery since around 1963. He is one of the earlier potters to employ sgraffito style carving. 

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Ascensión Trujillo was from San Juan Pueblo (now Ohkay Owingeh). Like most of his contemporaries, he attended the Santa Fe Indian School, however, after the departure of Dorothy Dunn, so his work is not of The Studio style. He continued his education at the University of New Mexico.

Clara Lee Tanner stated that he "painted rather extensively at the Indian School, featuring native dances. He demonstrated potentials in good and clean outlines, modeling in lines, and in a pleasing handling of color; sometimes he produced a facial type which suggests the work of Tonita Peña."

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It was never the intent of the Hopi to share their secrets with the White culture as there generally was a distrust by the Hopi of the White.  The Hopi villages were thrust into turmoil in the early 20th century when the villages split among those who believed it was wise to follow the government's orders to send their children to white man's schools and those who were against.  However, in the late 1950s Oswald White Bear Fredericks convinced Fredrick Howell, director of the Charles Ulrick and Josephine Bay Foundation, to underwrite a history of the Hopi people. Howell approved the idea and, eventually, Frank Waters was chosen as the writer to work with White Bear.

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