Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe’s Railyard Arts District holds its Annual Celebration of Native American Art during Native Art Week with a stellar group of artists including Dan Friday, Starr Hardridge, Chris Pappan, Maria Samora, Jody Naranjo, Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano, Hyrum Joe, Thomas Breeze Marcus, Avis Charley and Shonto Begay. A variety of media like glass sculpture, painting, ceramics and jewelry will be on display for collectors to explore.
Preston Singletary (Tlingit), Land Otter People, blown and sand-carved glass, 8 x 33½ x 10"
“I am very excited and looking forward to being a part of the Celebration of Native American Art at Blue Rain Gallery...It has always been an honor to be amongst a select group of talented artists in such an established and distinguished gallery,” says Samora. The Taos artist brings to the exhibition a pair of brilliant 18-karat gold cone fan earrings. “Having time to reflect on my work and this world these last few months has been very eye-opening. It has been a chance to reboot and redefine myself...Currently the work I have chosen to exhibit at Blue Rain is an expansion on my pyramid collection as well as my signature designs with a focus on minimalist one-of-a-kind pieces—creating jewelry that brings the wearer much joy,” she says.
Starr Hardridge (Muscogee Creek), Young Buck Allegory, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30"
“I’ll have a few paintings from an ongoing series celebrating Native American women today, bringing attention to our presence and the various avenues we take to remain connected to our cultures,” says Navajo artist Charley, who works in a variety of two-dimensional mediums. “These avenues could vary from participating in the powwow world, ceremony, academia, fashion to name a few. I’m currently working on several portraits such as a jingle dress dancer and a Native woman in an urban setting. My practice has always been depicting Native empowerment using the female form as my main subject.”
Maria Samora (Taos), Gold Cone Fan Earrings, 18k gold
Lisa Holt (Cochiti) and Harlan Reano (Santo Domingo/Kewa), natural clay and pigments, 17½ x 10½ x 10½"
This year Naranjo brings to the show three large pots—one covered with fish against a white background, a large Pueblo scene pot and an even larger oblong pot with kiva steps on either side. She adds that she’s had fun making “new little happy clay animals too.”
Dan Friday (Lummi), Feathered Owl Totem, furnace sculpted glass
Joe, who typically focuses on painting pre-1900 traditional themes, will be incorporating more contemporary subject matter into the upcoming exhibition. One of these includes “a scene where Navajos will be gathered at a Trading Post not sitting on their horses or donkeys but in their 1957 Chevy pick-up trucks,” he says. “I’m hoping to show a dozen works at this year’s show and will fill my paintings with more vibrant and exaggerated color.”
The Annual Celebration of Native American Art opens with an artist reception on Thursday, August 13 from 5 to 8 p.m. and runs through August 25.
Blue Rain Gallery
August 13-25, 2020
544 S. Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 954-9902, www.blueraingallery.com
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