Now open at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is Down Home: Anthony Lovato, which will celebrate the work of the Kewa/Santo Domingo Pueblo jeweler.
Earlier this year, Lovato was announced as the 2023 recipient of the Living Treasure Award, which is part of an annual tradition to honor Native American artists who have made outstanding artistic contributions to the field of Indigenous arts and culture. When he was announced, the jeweler joined a very exclusive club, which counts Virgil Ortiz, Kathleen Wall, Diego Romero, Maria Samora, Jody Naranjo, Dan Namingha and other important artists as members.
Buffalo Spirit Pendant, 2013. Courtesy of Eslee Kessler. Lovato started making spirit pendants in 1990. Made with Sleeping Beauty Turquoise, this night scene depicts a buffalo spirit.
Corn Clan Child, 2002. Courtesy of Kris Lajeskie. Held by a parent, the child depicted on this pendant is made of druzy (a section of a geode) and citrine. The mother holds a piece of pottery on her head, representing growth and nourishment of mother and child.
Down Home will draw from the MIAC’s permanent collection as well as from key lenders to the exhibition. Decades of work will come together to show museum-goers the power of Lovato’s jewelry and the mastery of his skills as a silversmith.
The artist was surrounded by jewelry as he was growing up, and first began working with metal in 1973. By 1984 he was a professional metalsmith. He attended the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and later worked at the Museum of Northern Arizona, also taking jewelry classes at Northern Arizona University and the University of Colorado. He has received dozens of awards—from the Santa Fe Indian Market, the Red Earth Nation Show, the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Show, the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market and many others—and has been featured in several magazines throughout the United States.
Cosmic Corn, 1997. Courtesy of Kris Lajeskie. “When I see this piece,” says Lovato, “I see a growth, warmth, heat, color, and cosmic power.” Holding multiple stories, this striking necklace includes imagery of the sun, moon, and stars, representing growth; corn, evoking family; and migration and emergence, tying the universe together. Celestial power—held in the opal—enhances the power of the necklace.
“Importantly, the exhibition focuses on Lovato’s interpretation of his own work. Visitors will leave not only with a deeper knowledge of jewelry making and tufa casting, but of Lovato as an artist, community member and storyteller,” the museum notes. “As a complement to his artistic practice, Lovato is dedicated to working within his community, serving as an advocate for language revitalization, education and the power of art to facilitate healing.”
Turquoise Corn Bracelet, 2002. Courtesy of Kris Lajeskie.
Polly Nordstrand, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture executive director, says Lovato is deserving of the award and exhibition. “Anthony Lovato is a champion for his community,” Nordstrand says. “His commitment to keeping traditions alive is admirable and the museum is honored to showcase his work.”
Gold Corn Ring, 2002. Courtesy of Eslee Kessler.
In addition to showing Lovato’s innovative work—including one-of-a-kind pendants, stamped necklaces, bracelets, rings, pins and sculptural items—the exhibition will also include the work of his grandfather, Leo Coriz.
Through May 3, 2024
Down Home: Anthony Lovato
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture 710 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 476-1269, www.indianartsandculture.org
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