Tiny Treasures

This holiday season Blue Rain Gallery will present its popularand collector-friendly Annual Miniature Works Show. The event, which takes place at the Santa Fe location from November 28 through December 9, will showcase many gallery artists, among them Hyrum Joe (Navajo (Diné)), Karen Clarkson (Choctaw), Chris Pappan (Osage/Kaw/Cheyenne River Sioux), Helen K. Tindel (Santa Clara Pueblo), Tony Abeyta (Navajo (Diné)), Ugly Pie (Taos Pueblo), Jesse Littlebird (Laguna Pueblo/Kewa Pueblo) and Starr Hardridge (Muscogee Creek). Collectors can expect a diverse selection of Native and non-Native artwork in the show—all 12 by 12 inches or smaller.

Tony Abeyta (Navajo (Diné)) and Ugly Pie (Taos Pueblo), Navajo Fry’s, oil and acrylic on canvas, 10 x 8 in.

One special piece in the show is a collaboration between Tony Abeyta and his son Gabriel Mozart Abeyta, who works under the artist name Ugly Pie. A highly contemporary rendering of a box of fries against stylized skies, the painting combines Abeyta’s spiritual geometry with Ugly Pie’s street art aesthetic.

“This piece was a really fun collaboration between my dad and me,” says Ugly Pie. “When he first handed me the work to continue, I’ll admit I felt a bit intimidated—it already carried his vision and energy. But I told him, ‘If I’m going to do this, I have to do it in my own style.’ He watched what I was doing at first and said, ‘Wait, hold on…,’ but then stepped back and let me take it in my direction. When I showed him the final version, he was thrilled. It became this perfect blend of both our creative voices—a conversation in paint between two generations.”

Hyrum Joe (Navajo (Diné)), Navajo Jeweler, oil on canvas, 10 x 10 in.

Jesse Littlebird (Laguna and Kewa Pueblo), I think of Heaven, oil on panel, 12 x 10 in.

Hyrum Joe will be represented by works like the 10-by-10-inch oil Navajo Jeweler, which continues in the artist’s tradition of rendering scenes of Navajo daily life in a style that blends realism and impressionism. Shifting away from historical events and scenes, Joe’s newest work explores more recent times. “I’m particularly fascinated by the trading post culture, for example,” he explains, “which is a more modern development. I enjoy exploring the relationship between the Navajo and the white man, and how they’ve grown together through the experience of becoming trading partners. I like seeing people from different cultures working together, rather than against one another.”

Other highlights include I Think of Heaven, a Southwestern landscape by Littlebird, a multimedia artist and filmmaker known for an abstract expressionist approach to Western and Indigenous themes and subject matter; and Hardridge’s truly miniature 4-by-4-inch Radiant Pollinators. The up-close view of a bee and flower is painted in a pointillist style reminiscent of Indigenous beadwork.

Starr Hardridge (Muscogee Creek), Radiant Pollinator, acrylic on canvas, 4 x 4 in.

Find these small gems and so many more at Blue Rain Gallery’s Annual Miniature Works Show, which opens with an artist reception on Friday, November 28 from 5 to 7 p.m.

“We’re proud to present our Annual Miniature Works Show, featuring many of Blue Rain Gallery’s renowned artists,” says marketing director Leah Garcia. “This exhibition is a wonderful opportunity for collectors to acquire new pieces or find meaningful gifts for loved ones…These small-scale works highlight the remarkable mastery and creativity of our artists in an accessible and intimate format.” —

Blue Rain Gallery
November 28-December 9, 2025
544 S. Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 954-9902, www.blueraingallery.com