Not only is the city of Santa Fe jam-packed this month with art events taking place around Indian Market but so are galleries, which are double-booking themselves with multiple, over-lapping exhibitions and sales. This is the case at Manitou Galleries where Palace Jewelers’ will host its two-night Indian Market Open House beginning on August 17, the same night as the opening of Prairie Visions, an exhibition of paintings by Isaiah Stewart (Lakota/Mohawk).
Stewart has long been fascinated by the history and culture of the Native cowboy, especially the era after the establishment of reservations by the United States government. Many Plains tribes and especially his, the Lakota, were made into ranchers and farmers and, Stewart explains, a lot of them took to it.
Isaiah Stewart (Lakota/Mohawk), Parade Days, oil, 36 x 36"
Isaiah Stewart (Lakota/Mohawk), Lakota Cowboy, oil, 30 x 30"
Stewart grew up with friends in powwow who also cowboyed. The ceremonial dances and dress combined Western and traditional Native elements, including hats and boots. “They’re closer than you think,” says Stewart. “They’re just ranch families. They know their way around a horse.”
Stewart, who lives in Lawrence, Kansas, also knows his way around horses. He has four and frequently practices natural horsemanship training methods. Stewart’s paintings serve as a reminder that cowboy and Native American culture are, and have been, historically more intertwined and complex than is often fully understood.
Prairie Visions opens with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on August 17 and runs through August 27.
On August 17 and 18, also from 5 to 7 p.m., visitors can take in Palace Jewelers’ special showcase Indian Market Open House. Among the featured jewelry artists are Diné artists Jennifer Curtis and Arland Ben, and Navajo-Hopi silversmith Curtis Pete.
Jennifer Curtis’ father was perhaps the most respected heavy-stamp silversmith of his time. Jennifer’s designs, techniques and uncompromising standards are a means of paying homage to her father and the past while pushing the limits of contemporary stamp design.
Arland Ben (Navajo (Diné)), sterling silver and Carico Lake turquoise Yei Be Chei designs cuff bracelet
“In keeping my father’s legacy shining, I always continue to use his stamps he left in my possession,” says Jennifer. “I try my best to make something that I think he would have created. My father had unimaginable creativity so it’s magic when I make something that even amazes myself.”
In addition to being a nationally recognized jeweler, Arland Ben is also a photographer and actor who has appeared in movies including Last of the Mohicans, Geronimo and Buffalo Girls. Arland, who specializes in rings, bracelets, earrings and bolos, is dedicated to making works that are entirely unique and original. “I just try to make every piece different than what I’ve made before,” he says, adding that he doesn’t buy anything off a shelf-—if he needs it, he makes it. Arland is known for his overlay petroglyph figures and designs inspired by those around his home in the Four Corners region. “I think of them as a message from the past,” he says. “It’s kind of like a newspaper from a different time. And I like the art—they’re really our Rembrandts and Van Goghs drawn on the rocks, and they’re still there today after thousands of years.”
Jennifer Curtis (Navajo (Diné)), sterling silver and 14k yellow gold ring with grasshopper turquoise
Curtis Pete (Navajo/Hopi): sterling silver and 14k yellow gold hummingbird pendant
Curtis Pete learned the techniques of silversmithing from his uncle, Robert Yellowhair. Over the years he also mastered working with gold and executing clean overlay and precise stamp-work. He is known for his ability to transform traditional symbols into distinctive contemporary designs.
Manitou Galleries
Indian Market Open House
5-7 p.m., August 17-18, 2023
Prairie Visions
August 17-27, 2023
123 W. Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 986-0440, www.manitougalleries.com
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