A PASSAGE TO INDIA: May 2008

Sad News - Navajo Code Talker Passes

Stolen Art Alert

More Native American & Ethnographic Art Shows

SWAIA announces Buffalo Thunder Resort's sponsorship

Native enterprises working together to promote Native arts and culture

(SANTA FE, NM) The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is proud to announce the alliance of two great entities, the Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino and SWAIA, in a unique title sponsorship for the Santa Fe Indian Market. . This three-year sponsorship is symbolic of the Pueblo of Pojoaque's commitment to Native American artistic expression and tradition. Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino is Santa Fe's largest destination resort, brought to fruition by visionary Pojoaque Governor George Rivera, and will feature a Hilton resort and spa, restaurants, convention center, golf courses and casino.Governor Rivera stated, "Buffalo Thunder Resort's sponsorship of the Santa Fe Indian Market represents a significant commitment on the part of the Pueblo of Pojoaque to Native arts and to the communities and pueblos of New Mexico. The new resort is a stunning realization of pueblo arts and culture combined with Hilton hospitality and we are proud to align it as the title sponsor of Santa Fe's most cherished event." Governor Rivera, a long time supporter of the arts, has commissioned several Native artists to produce work for the resort and that list includes Mateo Romero, Roxanne Swentzel, George Toya, Kathleen Wall and Lonnie Vigil to name a few. These distinguished Native artists and many others are showcased throughout the facilities to provide visitors with an opportunity to see the excellence and diversity of contemporary Native creative expression in several mediums. SWAIA is interested in the prospect of creating more exposure for Native artists through this partnership and the possibility of future collaborations with Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino. Comanche artist and SWAIA Board member Nocona Burgess said, "This is a collective use of resources that benefits Native families and communities. We should form practical coalitions. This is certainly one of them." This partnership strengthens local relationships, brings communities together, and provides economic stimulus back to Native enterprises. Burgess remarked, "I think this is a good thing for SWAIA, Native artists and our community. We have to help ourselves and lend support where we can. I see Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino doing that." Burgess noted that many Native artists who exhibit in the Santa Fe Indian Market have contributed to the art and aesthetics of the new resort. Burgess also stated, "There will be many different people who will go to the resort for events, conferences, vacation, etc. These people will be exposed to Native arts and culture through the art and artists represented."Sponsorships are an essential part of the revenues raised each year to stage the renowned Santa Fe Indian Market. SWAIA, a non-profit organization, takes absolutely no percentage of sales from Indian Market artists. The Santa Fe Indian Market costs, like everything else in our lives, continue to escalate -from the rentals of 650 tents for the artists to the various other costs of converting the Plaza and downtown Santa Fe to a premier showcase for Native arts. Buffalo Thunder's sponsorship will provide much needed support and will help pay for the planning and presentation of Indian Market. This auspicious sponsorship also represents a type of a mutually beneficial partnership that recognizes the centrality of the Santa Fe Indian Market to the Native fine arts movement.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~This information is provided as a public service by William Ernest and Susanne Waites, proprietors of Aboriginals: Art of the First person, a business member of SWAIA, and its Native American Indian arts and tribal art web sites at ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink and TribalWorks

Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival - THIS WEEKEND

Zuni Festival at Museum of Northern Arizona

This is the weekend for the Annual Zuni Festival of Arts and Culture at the Museum of Northern Arizona in flagstaff.

In its 18^th year, the festival will be held on Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25 as a collaboration of the MNA and the A’shiwi A’wan Museum and Heritage Center at Zuni.

The Zuni Pueblo is one of New Mexico’s largest, covering more than 600 acres. More than 11,000 Zunis exist in and around the Pueblo, with about 80% of the families involved in some artistic endeavor. These include the creation of everything from pottery to carvings to jewelry and two-dimensional graphic art. Some families also create beautiful beaded figures, such as the one by Jeannette Dewesee, shown to the right.

The following artists and craftspeople are schedule to exhibit and/or demonstrate at the festival.

Colin Coonsis―inlay jewelryKenneth Epaloose―potteryRolanda Haloo―jewelry,Silvester Hustitio―paintingOtto Lucio―jewelryClaudia Peina―fetish carving,Lynn Quam―fetish carvingOctavius and Irma Seowtewa―needlepoint jewelryMargia Simplicio―beadworkNoreen Simplicio―potteryRaylan and Patty Edaakie - silver and inlay jewelryLorandina Sheche - fetish carvingsTodd Westika - fetish carvings

According to A:shiwi A:wan Director, Jim Enote, the Zuni Festival of Arts and Culture is “…more than an event about Zuni, it is a very public gesture, acknowledging Zuni presence and influence on the Colorado Plateau.”

Robert Breunig, director of the Museum of Northern Arizona agrees, “The Zuni culture is an integral part of the Colorado Plateau, with close cultural connections to the land and ancestral villages in southeastern Arizona and western New Mexico. The spiritual and ancestral landscape of the Zuni or A:shiwi includes the San Francisco Peaks or Sunha:kwin K'yaba:chu Yalanne in the west, Steamboat Wash in the north, Mount Taylor in the east, the Salt and Gila River Basins to the south, and of course, the Grand Canyon, the Zuni place of origin. By creating a collaborative relationship with the Zuni Tribe, MNA is able to ensure that the dialogue and cultural exchange about the Zuni people and their lifeways comes directly from the source.”

More information about the event is available at the Gallup Independent newspaper website and the website of the Museum of Northern Arizona.

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This message is brought to you as a public service in support of all tribal arts by William and Susanne Waites, proprietors of online galleries featuring Zuni carving, Zuni jewelry and Zuni pottery.

A Review of Jonathan Batkin's new book

Kachinas: Their history and appeal

It's not too late ...

Acoma Pueblo: Above it all.

The Pueblo of Acoma has a long and illustrious history in New Mexico. It is said to the longest continuously inhabit village in North America, with its founding dating back 1200 years. Part of its survival and prosperity can be traced to its physical location on a mesa high above the New Mexico desert. For decades it was resistant to inroads by Spanish colonials. Eventually, however, the Spanish infiltrated the village, converted the inhabitants to Catholicism and, in 1641, built the San Estaban Mission Church.

(Right above: an Ansel Adams photograph of theSan Estaban Mission Church)

Some of this history has been chronicled in an article in the current, May 2008 issue of Smithsonian Magazine.

Another cornerstone of its success has been the incredible talent of the Pueblo’s pottery makers.

(Left: an Edward Curtis photo of Acoma women carrying pots )

Among the most prominent contemporary pottery artists at Acoma Pueblo are Sharon Lewis, Diane Lewis, Carolyn Lewis Concho, Rebecca Lucario, Judy Lewis and Marilyn Henderson. These “sisters in the clay” are not related to the legendary Lucy Lewis. But they have created their own reputation based on their own beautiful work.

They often create small pots known as seedpots. They are recognizable by the small hole that traditionally was used to insert seeds and shake them out at planting time. The small hole was a feature designed keep out hungry rodents and insects.

The earliest versions of the seed pot were plain and utilitarian.

Over time, the designs became more detailed. Exterior painting began to become polychromatic, with details of various creatures that are important to life among the Acoma people. Three dimensional elements are added to bring even more appeal to these charming pots. With new aesthetic features, these decorative pots have seen their seed holes become smaller, just large enough to allow the inside of the pot to breathe during firing.

These sweet, whimsical creations, often carry price tags that cause new collectors to hesitate. How can such a small pot cost so much?

Let’s start with the raw material. It is dug from special clay deposits miles from the pueblo village. They are only accessible by foot, requiring long and tiring journeys before any refinement of the clay begins.

The clay comes from remote locations that are miles from the Acoma Pueblo village. Potters can only get to them by walking long distances over difficult terrain. When harvested, the clay is in chunks that are hard as slate. The chunks must be broken up by hand. Sometimes the clay is dry. Other times it is damp and requires drying for several days before it is sifted and winnowed to filter out unwanted elements. The clay is then crushed and ground fine with a smooth stone. Then temper, in the form of finely ground potsherds from old broken pots, is added to the clay. The temper binds the clay to give it the strength and pliability required for trouble-free firing. This results in pottery walls that are very thin, yet quite strong.

The next step is the process by which the dry clay becomes workable so that it can form a pot. The dry, tempered clay and water are mixed slowly with more temper added until the potter’s experience tells her it has the right texture and consistency to be made into a pot.

A pot begins by placing the clay in a half-gourd, a shallow basket or another bowl to support the base as coils of clay are added around the upper edges. This work requires delays to let each coil “set” enough to support the next coil. Eventually the shape is defined and the scraping of the surface begins. A gourd is used to scrape the walls smooth. This scraping takes place in stages, allowing for drying to take place, until it is as thin as the potter wants. Finally, it is burnished with a smooth “sanding” stone.

Even with the brilliant white clay that Acoma potters start with, a slip of fine white kaolin clay is applied over the pot’s surface. This achieves a bright white finish. It creates an ideal surface for the fine designs the potter will apply. After several coats of slip have been applied and allowed to dry between applications, the surface is again polished with smooth stone.

The paints that Acoma artists use are, in fact, new clays combined with vegetable binders and mineral pigments. These plants and pigments are an integral part of the vibrancy and beauty of Acoma pottery. Experienced potters determine when the combined pigment, binder and water are of the proper consistency. If it is too thin, the paint may flake when the pot is fired. If it is too thin, it may fade.

Traditional painting is done with a sliver of yucca that has been chewed to a single strand. The finely detailed painting is even more impressive when considered in this context.

The final step is the firing. In the early days, the pots were fired in open outdoor fires. Changes in weather and temperature would cause frequent breakage, after hours of work had been invested in the unfired pot. The more delicate the form, the more vulnerable the pot.

As a result, sometime in the 1970s, Acoma pottery became to be fired in electric kilns. The more consistent, higher temperatures provided by a kiln, allow thin-walled Acoma pottery to emerge in beauty and strength. This also has encouraged the kind of whimsical touches that now appear in the charming seed pots created by the Lewis “sisters”.

(At left: a typical Carolyn Concho seed pot.Note the 3-dimensional lady bug being serenadedby a painted kokopelli.)

Special Note: There seem to be some Acoma people who have succumbed to the temptation of using pre-formed, molded pottery, or “greenware” as a cost saving measure. We do NOT knowingly carry greenware pottery in our online gallery at Native-PotteryLink.com. If you encounter Acoma pottery that is priced surprisingly low, ask the seller if it is greenware. You may be perfectly happy with buying it, but please be aware of what you are buying.

Newly Posted Acoma Seedpots by Carolyn Concho and Rebecca Lucario

Nine rules to keep from getting fleeced when you buy tribal art.

As more and more people become interested in the fascinating world of tribal art, more and more novice collectors stand at the edge of decisions that can be extremely rewarding, or equally disappointing.How do you make sure that you don't get taken when you start buying tribal art? At least, how do you recoup if you do get taken?First. Know who you are buying from. We live in a fly-by-night world. Buying from a stranger or someone with an uncertain reputation is asking for disappointment. You are left without recourse if you have been told something that isn't accurate. Check out the seller. Is he a member of a professional organization such as the Indian Arts and Crafts Association, the Antique Tribal Arts Dealers Association or even a local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau. You also can search the dealer's name and you may find web sites that praise or complain about him or her.Second. It is not unreasonable to ask for references, especially if you are considering an expensive piece. The experience of other buyers can give you a feel for the legitimacy of the person you are buying from. But be fair and check more than one so you don't make your decision on the basis a single disgruntled customer or vendor.Third. Know your subject matter. The internet is filled with sources of information about tribal art. There are more discussion groups, blogs and web pages with background information than can be listed here. Just Google some terms like tribal art, African art, tribal masks, Native American art, Zuni art, etc. Read the sites and learn. You will be amazed at quickly you can become familiar with the field.Fourth. Know the provenance. Unless you are buying directly from a contemporary artist, you have a right to know who owned the item before the seller and who owned it before that. If you can get a contact name and number, it's all the better.When you get the provenance, check it out. Don't just take the seller's word for it. Even if a previous owner has past to attic in the sky, secondary research with auction catalogs and other editorial material can help you identify or confirm previous owners.Fifth. Check comparative prices. Another boon from the internet: it is possible to compare prices for similar items. I say similar because there almost never are exact duplicates of tribal art objects. Almost by definition, each item is one of a kind. But you can get some feeling for value by looking at how similar objects are described and priced.This advice may strike you as peculiar coming from a person that sells on line through sites such as Native-JewelryLink, which sells the very items it is encouraging you to shop around for. In fact, we are not unique. Most dealers in tribal art are happy to have you compare their offerings and prices with each other. The more you know, the better buyer you will be. And the more you will value the companies you buy from.Sixth. Be very skeptical at auctions. Whether live or online, most auctions are "as-is" sales, with the exception of outright fraud. Even then, good luck if you bought something that turns out be different than it was described. Few things in life, are as final as the auctioneer's hammer.On the other hand, if you are comfortable with your judgments and ability to separate the phony and fake from the real and valuable, auctions are excellent places to find good pieces at bargain prices. Just don't be intimidated by the auctioneer or the appearance of quality and authenticity. See key #2.Seventh. Don't buy without a formal, detailed receipt or certificate of authenticity from the seller. Sure certificates can be faked. After all, they really are nothing more than the word of the seller. But at least they are the written word. Few sellers will commit outright lies to paper. If you must take or send the item back, you have a document to back up your claim. The certificate also will help if you take the item to third party for an opinion. You will not be in the position of having to remember exactly what you were told.Eighth. Don't buy online unless the seller has an inspection and return policy. It doesn't have to be for along period. Seven to 10 days should be adequate for you to hold the object in your hand, see its true condition, feel its texture, measure its size and so forth. There is nothing wrong with showing your purchase to other authorities. Let them tell you what they think of it before you show them any documentation. If they dispute what you were told, don't be reluctant to tell the original seller and ask to return it. But don't be cowed into sending something back that you actually like simply because someone else doesn't think it is so hot. (And always remember that other dealers have an interest in proving how "smart" they are, and separating you from what you like.)Ninth. Don't buy for investment alone. Any piece art, tribal or fine, may appreciate over time and may be easy to liquidate for cash. Or not. The most successful collectors and dealers I know only buy items that they would be content to keep in their permanent collection if they fail to sell. There are few things as frustrating in the art world as buying something you don't love in the expectation that someone else will love it and buy it. When they don't, you have to look at each day.

About the Author

William Ernest Waites and his wife, Susanne, are owners and operators of four online galleries offering tribal art, ZuniLink, Native-PotteryLink, Native-JewelryLink and TribalWorks.

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5 more days 'til Sotheby's Spring Tribal Art Sale

Summer is Native Art Season Check these shows

New York Internet shoppers - Beware; the tax man cometh

According to the media, the State of New York is in the process of requiring Amazon to collect sales tax on all sales sourced from New York residents, and remitting those taxes to the State. If the buyer lives in New York City, City taxes also will be attached to Amazon sales. That would add up to a surcharge of more than 10% on every purchase a NewYorker makes from Amazon.I'm not a lawyer but I know a little something about WHY you don't pay sales tax when you but from an internet merchant who does not have a "nexus" in your home state. (Nexus is a fancy word for a presence or connection.)Something called the Interstate Commerce Clause says that individual states can not interfere with trade between the states. In a court case called "Bellas Hess", the Federal courts decided that states could not require catalog merchants who did not have offices in, or a connection to, a State to collect taxes on behalf of that State. Take our gallery, Aboriginals, and Florida as an example. If you live in Florida and you buy from us, we must, as a Florida company, collect 6% sales tax from you and forward it to the State tax collector. But if you don't live in Florida, we can't be required to charge you the sales tax for the State you live in.To require us to do so would put your state right between us and you, a violation of the Interstate Commerce clause.A disinterested party, that is, one who isn't paying the tax, might ask, "why is that so bad?" Well, there are 50 different states. If we, or any other internet merchant, had to calculate, collect and forward different State taxes for all of them, and for every taxing jurisdiction within them, we would not be able to stay in business.The losers would be our customers, you, and the people who rely on us to pay our tax, based on our income.What does all this mean to you?If you live in New York, make sure to check the tax collection status and policy of whoever you are buying from. Make that a consideration about doing business with them. If you decide to buy anyway, order now, before the tax starts being collected.If you live in any other state, check if the merchant you are dealing with has a "nexus" in your State and what their tax collecting policy is. And lobby your State government not to follow New York's lead.On the good news side, many legal authorities believe that New York State doesn't have a prayer of winning if this goes to the Supreme Court as a Constitutional challenge.Stay tuned. You are the one that pays this tax.

A PASSAGE TO INDIA

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