Masterglass: The Collaborative Spirit of Tony Jojola, an exhibition at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe, New Mexico, honors the late Isleta Pueblo artist and his contributions to contemporary Native art.
Tony Jojola (Isleta Pueblo, 1958-2022), glass bears. Photo by Additon Doty. Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.
Jojola (1958-2022) was introduced to glassmaking at the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe in 1975, a year after Dale Chihuly had built the school’s first glass furnace. Jojola later worked on Chihuly’s team at Pilchuk Glass School in Stanwood, Washington. In 1999, Chihuly helped him establish Taos Glass Workshop. Early on he learned about the teamwork required to make glass. This collaborative spirit was a significant element throughout his career.
The Wheelwright’s executive director, Henrietta Lidchi, notes that Jojola was among the first to see the relation between ceramic traditions and the possibilities of glass to transform them. The exhibition contains vessels, totems and fetishes that echo traditional forms. They are transformed by the translucency and transparency of glass and the vivid colors inspired by the colors of the high desert.
Tony Jojola (Isleta Pueblo, 1958-2022), Untitled, blown glass. Photo by Additon Doty. From the Collection of the Wheelwright Museum.
Among the pieces in the exhibition are a collaboration between Jojola and Santa Clara Pueblo ceramic artist Rosemary Lonewolf, and another collaboration between Lonewolf and Ohkay Owingeh glass artist Robert “Spooner” Marcus. Marcus had apprenticed with Jojola at Taos Glass Workshop.
Jojola and Lonewolf collaborated on the 30-foot-long glass and clay Art Fence at the Heard Museum in Phoenix.
Tony Jojola (Isleta Pueblo, 1958-2022), Untitled, blown glass. Photo by Additon Doty. From the collection of the Wheelwright Museum.
Commenting on her collaboration with Marcus for the current exhibition, Lonewolf states, “I see this as a continuation of the evolution of that initial collaboration, and it is especially meaningful because Robert “Spooner” Marcus was a mentee of Tony’s. It is a tribute to that connection. In a sense, I am still working with Tony through his legacies.”
Marcus comments, “Honoring Tony’s legacy, I worked alongside Rosemary Lonewolf, merging his spirit with my own aesthetics. Keeping Tony’s vision alive and carrying it forward is a vital aspect of our shared journey.”
A trio of glass works by Tony Jojola. Photo by John O’Hern.
He continues, “Collaborating with Tony deepened my understanding of the craft, his mentorship guided and taught me the art of hand blowing. His emphasis on originality and personal expression challenged me to infuse my work with imagination and nuance. It was a transformative experience that shifted my perspective from being a mere maker to an artist.”
The exhibition continues through June 9.
Open through June 9, 2024
Master Glass: The Collaborative Spirit of Tony Jojola
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, 704 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 982-4636, www.wheelwright.org
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