A PASSAGE TO INDIA: August 2007

What does it take to win an award at Indian Market

More Best of Class winners at Santa Fe Indian Market

IACA Spring MArket set for April 10-12 in Albuquerque

National Museum of the American Indian Holiday Art Market

Putting the "WOW" in Pow Wow - at Santa Fe Indian Market clothing contest

What to wear to a Pow Wow...

...as seen at the SWAIA 2007 Santa Fe Indian Market Native American clothing competition.This is one of the highlights of Indian Market, taking place on Sunday morning, the last day of the two-day event. Tribal members sign up to compete in the clothing and regalia of their tribes. They are judged by a panel of "experts" for completeness, authenticity, attractiveness and ingenuity.

Here are some photographs of the event, with commentary were helpful. The first of the photos relate to the youth divisions. So precious...

They were followed by the young girls as shown below Here we have the front and back views of a particularly complex young woman's outfitHere the MC points to a "cactus kicker" toes on the moccasins of a young woman, explaining that were included in order to allow the wearer to kick away a particular ball-shaped desert cactus with toxic needles. Here come the outfits of the more mature women. The outfit on the far left includes rows of tin cones that rattle when the wearer dances. Next to her is a complex outfit that is described by the wearer in the video that precedes this posting. In the center, is a woman whose outfit includes - on her right hand shoulder - a group of patches of military units stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. In her description, which we failed to record, she speaks of a trip to Iraq to visit the troops and how they reacted with gratitude for her desire to display unit their insignias and her support for the troops. To paraphrase, she said the only thing they asked was not to be forgotten.Here is a row of the male contestants in full regalia. Missing from this photo, but apparent in the one that follows is one Cherokee who competed dressed in the uniform of a Cherokee brave who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War.And, of course, every competition must have a "Best of Show" award. Here they are.

We hope you enjoyed this brief journey into the colorful and historic world of native American Indian clothing. Eventually, we will post additional photos to our web sites at TribalWorks, ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink and Native-PotteryLink. Thank you. WilliamErnest Waites and Susanne Waites.

Best of Show Announcement and the bead work that won

Black Eagle singers from Jemez perform at Indian Market Art Awards

SWAIA SANTA FE INDIAN MARKET BEST OF CLASS AWARDS

Dallin Maybee receives Best of Show Award at 2007 Santa Fe Indian Market.

Santa Fe, NM August 17, 20007: Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) tonight announced that the Best of Show winner of the 86th Annual Indian Market artist awards program for 2007 is Dallin Maybee, (Seneca/Norther Arapaho), whose winning entry was two panels of bead work done in ledger book style as the cover for a children’s book. One panel represents a mother and child and the second represents a father son, with horses as the theme because horses have been so important to native people. This entry also won Best of Classification for Bead Work & Quill Work.

Dallin Maybee with his Best of Show winning work.

Additional "Best of" awards were awarded to Philander Begay (Navajo), Artist's Choice - Peer award for exceptional innovative work in any media, for a silver concho belt; Ric Charlie (Navajo) for Best of Classification - Jewelry; Rainy Naha (Hopi) for Best of Classification - Pottery; W.B. Franklin ( Navajo) for Best of Classification - Paintings, Drawings, Graphics & Photography; Kevin Sekakuku (Hopi) for Best of Classification - Wooden Pueblo Figurative Carvings & Sculpture; Anthony Begay (Navajo) for Best of Classification - Sculpture; Melissa Darden (Chitimacha) for Best of Classification - Textiles & Basketry; Jamie Okuma (Shoshone Bannock/Luiseno) for Best of Classification - Diverse Art Forms; Chris Youngblood Cutler (Santa Clara Pueblo) for Best of Classification - Youth (17 years and under); Gloria Kahe (Navajo) for Helen Naha Award; Chandler Goodstrike (Gros Ventre) for Indian Arts Fund Award; and America Meredith (Cherokee) for IAIA Distinguished Alumni Award - for Excellence in Contemporary Native American Arts. Six of the winning artists were available at the presentation and announcement. They are pictured below. (L-R) Ric Charlie, Melissa Darden, Dallin Maybee, Jamie Okuma, Chris Youngblood Cutler, America Meredith

More pictures and Indian Market news will follow in subsequent blog messages. Thanks for your interest. Posted by William Ernest Waites, Eyewriter, and Susanne Waites, Aboriginals Gallery.

Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial Top Arts Winners

The top winners of the 2007 Gallup (NM) Inter-Tribal Ceremonial Arts and Crafts Awards were announced this week.Best of Show was awarded to Grace Nez for a large, any technique or style, over 45 square feet.Best of Class Awards were given by the judges to the following entries – Ron Bedonie for Metalsmithing/ Fabricated from sheet and wire/ Woman’s Belt. Ernest Benally for Lapidary Arts/ Mosaic Inlay/ Matched set, ladies. Edith Tsabetsaye for Lapidary Arts/ Needlepoint/ Ring. Rosanne Ghate for Tribal Arts/ Dolls and Utilitarian Items/ Dolls, beaded or quill. John King for Paintings/ Traditional Native American. R.H. Goodluck for Sculpture/ Stone Sculpture/ Stone, over 24”, largest dimension. This entry also received a Special Award. Damian Toya for Pottery/ Traditional Pueblo Carved Pottery/ Wedding vases, canteens, vases and traditional shapes not listed, any size. Linda Hendrix for Baskets/ Coiled Technique/Tohono O’odham, 3” to 15”.Best of Category awards were granted as follows:Lorraine Begay Manavi for Textiles/Tapestry/80 Threads or more per vertical inch - Hand-spun, Native Wool, Natural Colors. Elizabeth Begay for Textiles/ Tapestry/80 Threads or more per vertical inch - Natural-Like Colors. Ella Rose Perry for Textiles/Tapestry/Less then 15 square inches - Hand-spun, Native Wool, Natural Dyes. Ellen Begay for Textiles/Synthetic Dyes/Red Rug, 15 to 45 square feet. Helena Nez for Textiles/Pictorial/Sandpainting Rug, 15 to 45 square feet, also received a Special Award. Judy Marianito for Textiles/Innovations/Woven goods, Wool or cotton, Kilts, Dressss and Skirts.Lula Brown for Textiles/Minature Weavings – Any set of miniature weavings individually smaller than 12” x 12”. Jonathon C. Cordero for Kachinas & Carved Wooden Figures/Kachina dolls carved of cottonwood/ Figures over 12” in height/ Pueblo carvers only.Marlin Pinto for Kachinas & Carved Wooden Figures/ Non-Kachina figures carved of cottonwood/ Figure over 8”, but less than 12” high/Pueblo carvers only.Alfred Lomahquahu for Kachinas & Carved Wooden Figures/ Concept of cottonwood/Pueblo carvers only.Lawrence Jaquez for Kachinas & Carved Wooden Figures/ Non-Pueblo figures/Non-Pueblo carvers only/ Non-Pueblo figures/ Figure over 8”, but less than 12” high.Harrison Jim for Metal Smithing/ Tufa, Sand or Lost Wax Casting/ Squash Blossom, also received a Special award. Clarence Lee for Metalsmithing/ Overlay and Applique/ Belt.D. Cadman for Metalsmithing/ Flatware, Hollowware, Boxes/ Boxes with lid. Benson Manygoats for Lapidary Arts/ Channel Inlay/ Necklace or choker.Glenda Eriacho for Lapidary Arts/ Cluster/ Matched set, ladies.Jeff Tsalabutie for Lapidary Arts/ Lapidary Arts Not Mounted/ Fetish carving, less than 3”, largest dimension.Pearl Sewemaenewa for Baskets/ Wicker Techniques/ Hopi, 3” to 15” .Alberta Selina for Baskets/ Miniature Baskets/ Any item. Virginia Ballenger for Tribal Arts/ Wearing Apparel and Accessories/ Dresses, cloth, not beaded. Duane Dishta for Tribal Arts/ Ceremonial Items/ Drums, pueblo or plains.Randy Keedah, Sr. for Paintings/ Representational, all media/ Landscape.Peterson Yazzie for Paintings/ Contemporary Style, all media/ Landscape.James King for Paintings & Sculpture/ Miniatures, any media/ Animal subjects.Joe Ben for Paintings & Sculpture/ Sandpaintings/ Non-ceremonial subject matter.Charles Pratt for Sculpture& Pottery/ Metal Sculpture/ Cast metal, 18” to 36” .Troy Sice for Sculpture & Pottery/ Clay, Wood, Bone & Miscellaneous Sculpture Realistic or Impressiionistic .Joseph & Barbara Cerno for Pottery/ Traditional Pueblo Pottery, Painted/ Jars, Acoma, Laguna or Zuni, matte or polished surface, over 8”, largest dimension, also received a Special Award.Delores Curran for Pottery/ Non-Traditional Pottery/ Jars, over 2” largest. Thomas Natseway for Pottery/ Miniature Pottery Less than 2"/ Non-traditional forms. Susie Crank for Pottery/ Navajo Traditional Pottery/ Jars, over 2” but less than 8” largest dimension.Ralph Claw for Pottery/ Navajo Pottery, Non-Traditional/ Jars, over 2” but less than 8” largest dimension.Some 650 ribbons were awarded to these and other 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, making it impractical to post all the winners in this message. Nevertheless, each ribbon winner is saluted for their accomplishment.This report has been posted, based on information provided by the Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial organization, by William Ernest Waites, writer, tribal art collector and co-owner with his wife, Susanne Waites, of the online galleries of aboriginals: Art of the First Person, including ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink and TribalWorks

Intertribal Ceremonial 2007 – I Love a Parade

The parade is only one aspect of the Inter-tribal Ceremonial, with its home venue at Red Rocks State Park, just east of Gallup, off of fabled Route 66. Even more important to the Native American artists is the juried art show. Hundreds of categories and classes encourage potters, painters, jewelry makers, carvers, sculptors, weavers and basket weavers. We’ll be posting a list of the winners in a separate message.We already know that Jeff Tsalabutie took a best of class award for a bear fetish carving in in lapis lazuli. More about all this in the future.William Ernest Waites and Susanne Waites are in New Mexico for Indian Market. They made a side trip to Gallup and Zuni to celebrate at the Intertribal Ceremonial and to acquire new fetish carvings and jewelry from the artists at the incredibly productive and talented Zuni Pueblo. These will soon be posted to the ZuniLink and Native-JewelryLink online web galleries.Thank you for visiting.

Backstage at Santa Fe Opera : How do they do it?

On Tuesday afternoon, Susanne and I showed up for a tour of the Santa Fe Opera venue. Docents divided the 40-some guests that had arrived for the tour into three groups of twelve. Our docent and her docent-in-training assistant started us off in the big bucks seats. Down in the first few rows, they go $150 (est) each . Immediately in front of the first row of seats, separating them from the stage, is a open-top tank filled with water. The docent assures us that it is not a “moat” designed to protect the cast from the audience, or vice versa. It was installed when the original stage was in stalled and the entire opera “house” was open to the sky. The water provided a boost to the acoustic quality. Every seat back in the opera house has an electronic libretto display the presents a translation of the lyrics being sung in the theatrical language of the opera – Italian, Spanish, English, German, Russian or whatever language the opera’s librettist wrote in. Audience members may choose English or Spanish translations.The first Santa Fe Opera facility seated about 400. The current opera house, which was built to replace the original when it burned down, seats more than 2000. When rebuilt, a roof was added over the stage and the first floor of seats, also known as the orchestra. Later, a roof also was added over the mezzanine seats. But the open air quality of the venue was not completely abandoned. The stage can be opened at the rear so that the audience can view a performance against a scenic New Mexico backdrop.The orchestra pit is on an elevator that lowers the musicians out of sight. Similarly, there is a elevator behind the stage. It is used primarily for raising sets and props to the stage level from a loading dock. It also can be used as a device for raising cast members such as a chorus as part of a performance. The wings of the stage have a series of doors that can be opened to allow performers to enter and leave as part of the performance. They also allow sets and props to brought onstage, important because the stage has no fly-away space for sets.In the wings, each door has a light over it so that a performer can be cued when it is time to enter. The lights are controlled by the stage manager, whose station also controls other aspects of the performance including lighting.Off of stage right are the dressing rooms and make-up rooms for the performers. Male majors and female majors have separate rooms that include dressers and make-up artists. We visited when La Boheme was to be performed the next evening. The performers’ hats, labeled by the name of the performer and the role he or she was playing, were on manikin heads on shelves above the dressing table and make-up mirrors.The dressing rooms for the minor male and females, are larger rooms but do not include dressers or make-up artists. Each performer is expected to dress himself or herself and apply their own make-up. Behind the dressing rooms is the costume shop where are fabrics cut and dyed, costumes sewn, and stored between performances.Behind that is the wig room. As one would imagine, wigs play a large role in operas, with period pieces and extravagantly dramatic performances being staged. The wig master is not employed by the Santa Fe Opera but is a private contractor who is signed by the opera for the season. He has worked for several different operas. He does not have to solicit work since his reputation in the world of opera is such that the producers come to him. When his season is over at Santa Fe, he will takes his wigs to the Dallas Opera.While almost all his wigs are made with human hair, white wigs as used in roles for judges, diplomats and males of the 17th and 18th centuries, are made from yak hair. We are told that human hair deteriorates too rapidly when dyed white. For this season, with its variety of off-beat operas, the wig options are varied and colorful.At the conclusion of the stage and backstage tour, we are told about the adjacent building, which replicates the main stage area of the theater itself. It is used for blocking stage movements and for rehearsal when the next opera must be rehearsed while the current opera’s sets and props are still in place. It is also the scene for a series of free talks offered to ticket holders about an hour and a half before each performance. This allows the audience to have prior knowledge of many of the night’s performance, and fits the social nature of a night at the opera, wherethose attending he opera are encouraged to bring or purchase picnic lunches and dine al fresco before the night’s performance.William Ernest Waites and Susanne Waites, proprietors of online galleries at ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLInk and TribalWorks, are in Santa Fe for Indian Market, about which this blog will concern itself in the coming days. In the meantime, a visit to Santa Fe without a visit tothe Santa Fe Opera would be a shame. The Waites are scheduled to attend a performance in the next week.

Grace Wintle, owner of Blue Ridge Turquoise Mine passes.

Sunday, 8-3, in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The day began late, with an appointment to meet a customer, who lives in Santa Fe, to deliver a lovely small pot by Alice Cling, Navajo. (You can see more of her fine pottery here. Click on Navajo pottery.)The customer purchased on line just before we left for New Mexico. We offered to hand-deliver it at no cost since we knew we were going to be in Santa Fe within a week (not much longer than postal delivery time anyway). We arranged to meet in front of Hagen Daz on the plaza. Everyone knows where to find Hagen Daz. (Incidentally, we also offer personal delivery of any purchase of more than $200 value within 25 miles of our home base.)A personal delivery and an ice cream cone later, we strolled through the plaza. A craft show was underway, featuring various local artists. We found some Christmas gifts of the non-Native variety. One for Bill, which he is using already. The rest of you will have to wait until December.We did the portico walk at the Governor’s Palace. It was a little disappointing this day in terms of the number and quality of Native artists displaying, perhaps because of the craft show competition.Next was a visit to Keshi, one of our favorite Santa Fe shops offering Native American artwork. Salvador Romero’s friend Susan McDuffy, who is also a novelist, works there part time. They also carry Salvador’s work, one of very few galleries other than ZuniLink that does so. We always like to stop in and look around.While dealing in Native American art is highly competitive, we have felt from our beginning that the most important objective is to help customers find what they they are looking for. If that means collaborating with potential competitors and identifying an alternative source, we prefer to make it an operation that we know and trust.From there we wander up Don Gaspar Street past the Monroe Gallery of Photography, which catches our eyes for its remarkable exhibit, “Speaking Truth to Power”. It is not tribal in subject matter, at least, not as we would define it, but but speaks to the human tribe through photographs by Alfred Eisenstadt, Gordon Parks, Eric Smith, and others. The images cover everything from Selma, Martin Luther King, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Nelson Mandela and funeral services for Americans who died in Iraq and were memorialized by the Patriot Riders in services in small Michigan towns. It is a very moving experience, about which we will blog separately.A short stroll further up Don Gaspar, at the corner of San Francisco, is Andrea Fisher’s gallery. In our opinion, this is one of the most important collections of contemporary Native American pottery in the country. It is a crash course in the genre with some of the best pots by some of the most noteworthy potters of the pueblos, Navajo nation and Hopiland, plus an extensive showing of fine work from the Mexican Village of Mata Ortiz.We noted work by many of the same potters who are represented at our online pottery site, Native-PotteryLink.After that we drove up to Museum Hill to visit the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian and its Case Trading Post. One of the reasons we enjoy the Wheelwright is its very manageable size. Everything is historical and is displayed in a single room with a side gallery. The room is divided by partitions so that the focus is on an individual piece or group of pieces at any place in the room.The Wheelwright tends to lean toward textiles in its items on display, although other historical pottery, carving and jewelry items are included.The Case Trading Post also offers for sale authentic artwork by Native American artists, both the well-known and the budding. We always enjoy seeing the latest additions to their inventory and visiting with Rob, the manager, who has helped us many times when we were looking for a specific piece or information.We look forward to the weekend of Indian market, when the Case will host several of these artists. We will report more then.Finally, we stopped for an early supper at the French Café just off the lobby of the La Fonda de Santa Fe hotel. This is a pleasant little space offering its own French bread, dinner and desert crepes, sandwiches, coffee and, of course, French Onion Soup. Susanne ordered the latter with a house salad and I went for the chicken mushroom dinner crepe. All was more than satisfactory, and very affordable at less than $20 for the two of us, exclusive of wine, which is not offered.We invite you to return to the blog often as we report on doings in Santa Fe during august and Indian Market.William Ernest Waites is a free lance writer and a reporter in the field of Native American arts while also co-managing with his wife Susanne Waites, the online galleries at TribalWorks.com and Native-JewelryLIink.com

A PASSAGE TO INDIA

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