If I had to pick one word to describe Diné (Navajo) fashion designer Penny Singer, it would be "unique." She has a one-of-a-kind personality mixed with one-of-a-kind fashion sense. She effectively balances motherhood with work and creates fashion that is both beautiful and functional. In the last ten years, she has solidly established herself in the Native American art market and is a familiar face at all of the top shows. Her peers love her and she is a favorite in the Native art scene in Santa Fe. Did I mention that her laugh is infectious?
Singer is a master craftsperson with fabric and a thread and needle. She takes the basics of sewing and elevates them to fine art of the highest quality.
I ran into Penny at the 2010 Native Treasures show and finally managed to coax her to go on camera. She's a natural at talking about her work. What did she have to say? Find out HERE!
Did you know that the word "totem" came from the word "dodem?" In Ojibway, dodem refers "to the effigy or other symbol of a clan, family or social group that share a common ancestry or affiliation." Totem was the name given them incorrectly by anthropologists. I didn't know that, but sculpture artist Stephen Wall, Chippewa and Seneca, gave me the scoop and set me straight on that subject at the 2010 Native Treasures show in Santa Fe.
Father of Jemez Pueblo potters Kathleen and Marcus Wall, as well as Jemez sculptor Adrian Wall, Stephen Wall is a well-known artist in his own right and a member of of the faculty at IAIA in Santa Fe. He has been creating jewelry and art for the better part of thirty years.
He and his wife Laura Fragua-Cota developed the concept of the "Techno-Dodem" earlier in the decade. In the artist's words, Techno-Dodems "represent the fusion of modern technology and neolithic sensibilities." The incorporation of stone and woodwork with recycled components from phones, computers and other technological devices serves to create innovative, fun, and thought-provoking works of art.
WATCH a full interview with Stephen Wall about Techno-Dodems HERE:
A while back, we all met in person at an exhibition opening party at Legends Santa Fe and decided that the 2010 Native Treasures show would be the perfect place to make that happen. So, this past Saturday, with camera in tow, I sat down with two of the top "chicks" working in Native American ledger art today--MacKnight (Chippewa and Lakota) and Purdy Corcoran (Caddo and Winnebago)--to talk about the art form, it's history, how their work differs from their male counterparts' and their perspectives on how they fit into an area of Native art dominated by men.
I was surprised to learn that women have been doing ledger art since the beginning of the 20th Century. While a great deal of ledger art glorifies the past, these ladies' work honors tradition with reverence, but brings the form into the 21st Century with feminine beauty and softness, as well as humor.
Enjoy the interview with MacKnight and Purdy Corcoran HERE.
It has been nice to do plays instead of musicals lately. The production into which I have found my way this time is David Lindsay-Abaire's Wonder of the World at Albuquerque's Auxiliary Dog Theatre.
Cass finds out that her husband has a dirty little secret...deep down...way down, and so she leaves him to find the life that she thought she should have had. She ends up in Niagara Falls with a list of things she wants to do with her life, which includes wear a wig, wear overalls, have sex with a stranger, make friends with a clown and more. Along the way, she befriends a suicidal alcoholic named Lois, seduces Mike, Captain of the Maid of the Mist (that's me!), and even goes through group therapy with a cast of colorful characters. It's hilarious!
If you are in the ABQ between now and May 23, come aboard for the adventure that is Wonder of the World. The production stars Amy Suman as Cass and Kristín Hansen as Lois. Visit www.auxdog.org for more information.
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