A PASSAGE TO INDIA: August 2007

What does it take to win an award at Indian Market

Not everyone artist who enters the Indian market awards program wins an award, although with Best of Classification Awards, First Place Awrds, Second Place Awards & Third Place Awards, there are plenty of opportunities for recognition.

We couldn't photograph them all. Here is a random selection of the top winners. (And, at the end, a look at the crowds and booths that fill the streets and plaza of Santa Fe for two days of Indian Market.)

More Best of Class winners at Santa Fe Indian Market

As promised, here is more visual information about the Best of Class winners that were not included in the original posting on the winners.

Here is a video of Melissa Darden's comments. She is a Chitimacha Indian and won in Basketry.

Here is a still close up of her award-winning basket.

Here's video of the presentation of Jamie Okuma's Best of Class Award.

Here are some stills of the wearing blanket.

Please note that the last photo, which shows Jamie's award-winning blanket on display in her Indian Market Booth, includes a photo from the Albuquerque Journal featuring Jamie's blanket being worn by her. Look closely at the photo in the newspaper and you will see yours truly, William Waites, standing in the background. (Proof that I was there?)

And here is the conclusion of the previous video with Chris Youngblood Cutler holding up his award-winning pot with stopper.

Finally, here is photo of Philander Begay, whose silver concho belt received the peer award as voted by other artists and only artists on the competition judging panel. Philander was not at the presentation so we are showing his photo here.

We hope you are enjoying these reports from Santa Fe.

We'll post more photos of winners that were excellent if not Best of winners.

We'll put those stills up shortly.

Thanks for your interest and attention.

IACA Spring MArket set for April 10-12 in Albuquerque

The Indian Arts & Crafts Association has announced that its Spring Market will be held in the Creative Arts Building at Expo New Mexico (aka the FairGrounds) on April 10 through 12, 2007.

The first two days, Friday and Saturday, will be a wholesale show restricted to licensed resellers. Sunday's show will be open to the general public with prices adjusted to retail levels.

Aboriginals: Art of the First Person is a member of IACA and adheres to its standards of ethics and accurate representation of authentic Indian art goods.

Visit our web sites as linked in the sidebar.

Thank you.

National Museum of the American Indian Holiday Art Market

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian will hold its annual Holiday Art Market on December 8th and 9th, 2007 at the NMAI on the National Mall, Washington, DC and at the George Gustave Heye Center in New York City.

Invitations have been issued for artists to participate, with a deadline for application of September 16, 2007.

Artists may download applications from the NMAI website.

If you can't make it to either holiday market venue as a buyer, try the websites at ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLInk and Tribalworks to shop online with guaranteed authenticity and delivery before Christmas.

Thank you.

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

One of the most popular events at Indian market is the native American clothing contest. It takes place in the Sunday morning of the last day of market at the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe.

Tribal members dress in traditional Pow Wow garb and regalia, and compete for cash prizes as judge by a distinguished panel of "experts". Winners are selected based on completeness of outfit, authenticity to the instant tribes traditions and general attractiveness.

As you look at these outfits, you might be tempted to say that they put the "WOW" in Pow Wow.

We offer the following videos, shot in two parts in order to meet the maximum length allowed by YouTube, where they are hosted. For more close-up stills, after viewing the videos scroll down tothe last preceding postings.

We hope you enjoy the show as much as we did. Of course, there is no substitute for being there. If you didn't make it this year, perhaps in 2008?

Here's part one.

Here's part two.

Thanks for your interest and attention from Susanne Waites and William Ernest Waites, proprietors of native American art web sites at Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink, TribalWorks and ZuniLink. Come visit us.

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 outfit

Here 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. William
Ernest Waites and Susanne Waites.

Best of Show Announcement and the bead work that won

You already know that Dallin Maybee, Seneca/Arapaho, won Best of Show in the 86th annual SWIAI Santa Fe Indian Market art awards.

But have you seen the announcement? Click on this video to see it.

Have you had a close look at the work itself. Click on this video to see a pan across the beautiful bead work that won.

These video "snapshots" from Santa Fe Indian Market 2007 are presented by William Ernest Waites, co-owner with Susanne Waites of Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and the galleries associated web sites at ZuniLink, for outstanding Native American "fetish" carvings, Native-JewelryLink, for beautiful Native American Indian jewelry, Native-PotteryLink, for the finest in hand-made Native American and Pueblo Indian pottery, and TribalWorks, for Navajo folk art, arctic art, and Australian Aboriginal art and African Tribal Art.

Black Eagle singers from Jemez perform at Indian Market Art Awards

Among the highlights of the SWIAI 2007 Santa Fe Indian Market Awards presentation was this blessing by the Jemez Pueblo Black Eagle singers.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. We have often heard singers and drummers from a distance at various pow wows. It is something more moving to be standing on the edge of the circle.

SWAIA SANTA FE INDIAN MARKET BEST OF CLASS AWARDS

As promised, here is a video (partial) of the Best of Class Awards being announced at the Santa Fe Indian Market Art Awards. This partial video includes

IAIA Distinguished Alumni - America Meredith (Cherokee),

Jewelry - Ric Charlie (Navajo),

Pottery - Rainy Naha (Hopi).

Painting, etc - William B. Franklin - Navajo,

Wooden Pueblo Carvings - Kevin Sekakuku (Hopi),

Beadwork/Quill Work - Dallin Maybee (Seneca/Northern Arapaho),

Helen Naha Memorial Award - Gloria Kahe (Navajo) (Picture not available).

More Art Award videos will be coming in future blog messages. Thank you for your attention.

This coverage of Indian Market 2007 is brought to you by writer, William Ernest Waites, who also co-owns Aboriginals Gallery with Susanne Waites, and associated web sites at ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink and TribalWorks

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.

We have received word that Grace Wintle, who owned the Blue Ridge Mine in Lander County, Nevada, with her husband, Jay, has passed on.

Grace was a legend in turquoise mining. She, inherited the mine from her father, Orvil Jack and mother, Bessie Jack. Blue Ridge was famous for beautiful blue spiderweb turquoise and for the even more striking green turquoise that took on the name of Orvil Jack. It is highly treasured among jewelry makers and lapidarists.

Grace said that her father , who moved to Nevada in 1956, didn’t really value the green turquoise early during his mining activities. She is reported as having described green turquoise as rarely found in the early years of the mine and her childhood. When it was found, it usually was thrown away.

It was only later in life that Orvil came to appreciate the beauty of the green turquoise that was named after him. That change of opinion coincided with the discovery of the a particular area with the most beautiful green stones., the bulk of which he kept in the mine’s possession, selling very little of it. Ovil passed away in 1986.

With turquoise playing such an important role in Native American jewelry, Grace’s passing represent a loss to the art and all who have used turquoise in their jewelry.

Grace Wintle will be missed by all who love turquoise, especially the beautiful Orvil Jack variety, and by all who knew her and enjoyed her stories of the early days at Blue Ridge.

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

More Zuni carver pictures from Waites at ZuniLink

It occurs to me as I post this that the blog software will put this in reverse order from the blog that preceded it. This accounts for why "more"comes before the "original" list.

Not to worry. The point is to show you photos of most of the carvers we bought from this week.

Floyd Tekala

Jeff Tsalabutie
(More news about Jeff to follow)

Jeremy Peina

Kevin Soseeah

Leland Boone

Michael Mahooty

Pernell Laate

Tyrone Poncho

We also purchased carvings from a number of other artists whose photos we already have and are shown on the ZuniLink web site or who were not available for a photo at the time. Included are pieces by Lena Boone, Lynn Quam, Jayne Quam, Dee Edaakie, Emery Eriacho, Todd Westika, and Navajo Sammy Smith.

We were unable to buy from Gibbs Othole. He is the Zuni Rain Priest and between his pueblo duties and carving for Indian Market, he was not available. Bryan hattie, Jeff Tsalabutie's brother, also was not available as he was off fighting wild fires.

We will have more to report about Zuni and our new carvings at ZuniLink. Please make a point to drop by the Web site.