Sorrel Sky Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has planned a unique series of exhibitions and lectures leading up to and during Santa Fe Indian Market.
Highlighting the week will be a show of “Three Titans” of the Native art world: Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Cheyenne), Kevin Red Star (Crow) and Ray Tracey (Navajo (Diné)). Shanan Campbell—who opened Sorrel Sky Gallery in Durango, Colorado, 21 years ago—points out that the titans are, respectively, 90, 80 and 70 years old.
The Three Titans: Ray Tracey, left, Kevin Red Star and Ben Nighthorse Campbell.
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Cheyenne), Four Bar Basketweave Bracelet, sterling silver with onyx, sugilite, coral, malachite, turquoise and opal, 7¼ x 1¾"
She comments that “they all came up in the early to mid-’70s. They hit the scene in a big way, doing different work that was very cutting edge,” she says. “They were trailblazers who continue to inspire up-and-coming artists. Ray is an actor and also very astutely understands the art business. When I opened the gallery, he taught me about gallery ownership.”
Tracey designs Navajo Old-Style jewelry and continues his cutting-edge designs. He says, “As I have gotten older, life has become more dear to me. I am now more in tune with intangible sources for my inspiration.”
Campbell was both a U.S. congressman and a senator from Colorado and kept his jewelry-making equipment in his Washington, D.C., condo. His daughter is Shanan, the gallery’s owner. He says, “What I do with my hands is really an extension of what the creator wills. The only person that can create is the creator.”
Red Star, who was in the first group of students at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe in the early 1960s, has been an innovative painter throughout his career. He says, “Indian culture has in the past been ignored to a great extent. It is for me…a rich source of creative expression. An intertwining of my Indian culture with contemporary art expression has given me a greater insight concerning my art.”
Kevin Red Star (Crow), Abstract Plains Tipi, acrylic, 48 x 60"
Ray Tracey (Navajo (Diné)), Turquoise Inlay Cuff Bracelet, sterling silver and turquoise, size 6½, 1¼" wide
The gallery has scheduled a series of lectures during the week on the subject of Native American art. Jackson Clark, owner of the Toh-Atin Gallery in Durango, will speak on “Threads Through Time: A History of the Navajo People and Weaving” on August 17 and on “Trading Posts and Traders: Their Influence on Navajo Weaving” on August 20. The famed potter Pahponee, a descendant of the Kickapoo and Potawatomi Nations, will speak on “Preserving Tradition: Defining Contemporary” on August 18.
To see a full schedule of events, visit the gallery’s website.
Sorrel Sky Gallery
August 17-20, 2023
125 W. Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 501-6555, www.sorrelsky.com
Powered by Froala Editor
