Squash Blossom by Tony Abeyta |
By Margaret L. Brown
This special issue of Southwest Art takes you on a journey through more than a hundred years of Native American art, from early 20th-century legends such as potters Nampeyo and Margaret Tafoya to contemporary artists whose works demand new definitions and perceptions of Indian art. We begin with a look at the history of the Santa Fe Indian Market, which in its 80 years has grown from a humble display at the National Guard Armory to an internationally renowned, prestigious annual exhibition on the historic Santa Fe Plaza. Today’s Indian Market artists continue the traditions of excellence and creative exploration that have made Indian Market the premier showcase of Native American art.
Highlights of this issue include a survey of five generations of Nampeyo family potters, profiles of such leading artists as painter Tony Abeyta and sculptor Roxanne Swentzell, introductions to a number of emerging Native American artists, and a “work in progress” article that follows acclaimed potter Jody Folwell as she brings a new pot to life. In addition, we offer a 24-page section on Native American art museums from coast to coast, complete with exhibit previews. I highly recommend that Indian Market visitors make time to see two of these exhibits on view in Santa Fe in August: IAIA Rocks the Sixties at the Institute of American Indian Art and a 30-year retrospective of pottery by Dextra Quotskuyva at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.
Southwest Art is proud to have been selected by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts as the Official Indian Market Magazine. As we celebrate Southwest Art’s 30th anniversary with this milestone issue—the largest ever in the magazine’s history—we join SWAIA in celebrating the 80th anniversary of Indian Market.
Featured in August 2001