Blue Rain Gallery’s Santa Fe location prepares for one of its most popular events of the year, known as the Annual Celebration of Native American Art. During this vibrant celebration, running from August 14 through 18, guests can expect to see artist demonstrations, profound lectures, solo shows and the ever-popular Group Exhibition that presents more than 50 artworks by renowned Native American artists.
Jesse Littlebird (Laguna and Kewa Pueblo), Enlightened Buffalo Souls, mixed media on canvas, 60 x 48"
“Blue Rain Gallery has a reputation for producing stand out shows, presenting viewers with some of the highest-level offerings and most celebrated artists working today,” notes Leah Garcia, director of marketing. “The gallery’s Annual Celebration of Native American Art is no exception…The week begins with the Group Exhibition, with an artist reception on Thursday, August 15, from 5 to 8 p.m., and features artwork by Dan Friday, Chris Pappan, Jody Naranjo, Starr Hardridge, Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano, Helen K. Tindel, Raven Skyriver, Hyrum Joe, Ryan Singer, Jesse Littlebird, Gabriel Mozart Abeyta, and Russell Sanchez.”
Lisa Holt (Cochiti Pueblo) and Harlan Reano (Santa Domingo/Kewa Pueblo), Untitled Pot, acrylic paint on native clay, 11¼ x 10½"
The first demonstration for the event also begins August 15, and the following day, with a painting demo by Navajo artist Hyrum Joe, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. August 16 will also see a painting demo by Laguna and Kewa Pueblo artist Jesse Littlebird, as well as glass-blowing demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 3 and 4 p.m. respectively. “Tlingit artists Preston Singletary and Raven Skyriver, along with Dan Friday (Lummi Nation), will be exhibiting their glass-blowing techniques for the public,” Garcia explains. “Enjoy some intimate time to watch each of these artists create examples of their work from start to finish.”
Just prior to the Group Exhibition, opening on Wednesday, August 14, is the lecture “Raven 2.0,” held by Preston Singletary at 11 a.m. The lecture is an RSVP event, with signups available through the gallery website. Singletary’s solo exhibition follows, from August 16 through 31, with an artist reception on August 16 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Chris Pappan (Osage/Kaw/Cheyenne River Sioux), Sovereign 3, pencil, graphite, gouache, gold leaf and copper leaf on tax ledger, 28 x 17"
For the Group Exhibition, artists like Littlebird, working out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, offer a unique glimpse into their creative world. “As a place-based artist, I see it as both a privilege and a duty to my people to engage in the acts of creation,” the artist shares. “Rooted in my understanding of systems and intuition as a member of the Laguna and Kewa pueblos, I strive to present ideas that resonate with the history of settler colonialism, disrupt conventional narratives, reclaim and revise them. Colonization is an ongoing process and I want my audience to join me in the discussion of dismantling it…”
His colorful and emotional show piece, Enlightened Buffalo Souls, is part of a series the artist sought to “confront and evoke the interplay of human intervention in place and history,” he says. “The piles of buffalo skulls [in this painting] mark the profound losses caused by the settler-colonial expansion. The near extinction of the buffalo, crucial to our Indigenous way of life, caused extreme scarcity and hardships. The figures in this painting are reflections, and represent the enduring resilience and continued spiritual renewal of these cultures despite such devastations.” The narrative unfolds further in another of Littlebird’s series titled Promisedland, where he confronts and critiques themes that Indigenous people face today.
Preston Singletary (Tlingit) and Raven Skyriver (Tlingit), Generational, blown, sculpted and sand-carved glass, 21 x 34 x 14"
Visit Blue Rain Gallery’s website for additional details to join in on the celebration. Head to www.blueraingallery.com/event/artist-lecture to RSVP to the Singletary lecture.
Blue Rain Gallery
August 14-18, 2024
544 S. Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 954-9902, www.blueraingallery.com
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