Kelly Haney (Seminole), Standing His Ground, bronze, 21 x 16 x 13"A new exhibition at the Dancing Rabbit Gallery celebrates traditional and contemporary Native sculpture and the many ways that Indigenous artists have elevated the medium. From March 1 to April 30, the gallery will feature “emotional and evocative pieces of [sculptural] art” in bronze, stone, pottery, glass and other materials.
“Often, when we think of sculpture, we think of the large stone sculptures created by Renaissance artists like Rodin, or perhaps more modern American bronze sculptures created by artists like [Frederic] Remington,” says Katie McClain Richarme, owner of the Dancing Rabbit Gallery. “These images help us define a very fluid and amorphous category, as sculpture can be so many things to so many people.”
Maxine Toya (Jemez), Towncrier, clay and slip,9 x 3½ x 3½"
Cliff Fragua (Jemez), Sityaki Eagle, marble, 34 x 12 x 10"
Featured artists in the exhibition include Cliff Fragua, David K. John, Kelly Haney, Gene Smith, Roger Pino, Maxine Toya, Ira Lujan and Kim Seyesnem Obrzut, each artist bringing something vastly different to the table.
Since the turn of the 21st century, museums and government institutions have turned their attention toward the beauty and prowess of Native sculpture. The gallery notes that in 2005, Fragua’s 7-foot-tall statue of Po’pay, carved of pink Tennessee marble, was installed in the Emancipation Hall in Washington, D.C., and in Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma State Capitol is topped with The Guardian, a gargantuan 17½-foot bronze by Haney. The piece, according to the Dancing Rabbit Gallery, represents the 39 Native American tribes located in the state. 
Kim Seyesnem Obrzut (Hopi), Spirit of Creation, bronze, 10 x 10"
Kelly Haney (Seminole), Standing His Ground, bronze, 21 x 16 x 13"
Hopi artist Obrzut comments on one of her pieces, Place Where Butterflies Land, that will be part of the upcoming exhibition: “All live plants and animals have spirits. The butterfly is celebrated for its beauty and its contribution in pollinating plant life, which is highly valued in a region of high desert conditions with little rainfall, in which the Hopi have survived for a millennium, mainly through having a deep understanding of the natural cycles of the earth. The Hopi have a social dance in August and early September that is mainly comprised of young people. The dance is a petition for rain, good health and long life for all living things.” Obrzut has been casting bronze for more than 35 years.
Sityaki Eagle by Fragua is made of Italian “portoro” marble. “This is a form design inspired by a Hopi pottery, which was uncovered at the Sityaki archeological site in Arizona,” the artist comments. “In Pueblo culture, the use of eagle feathers is essential for our prayers for rain.”
Collectors can explore these compelling works of art in detail by visiting www.thedancingrabbitgallery.com. —
The Dancing Rabbit Gallery
March 1-April 30, 2022
(505) 850-2212
www.thedancingrabbitgallery.com
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