Heard @ The Heard 2010: Kewa Potter Thomas Tenorio Bringing Innovation One Coil at a Time

"The Santo Domingo pottery...the Kewa, I should say, is ready to be taken to another level...and I believe I am gonna do it."  --Thomas Tenorio, Kewa potter

It’s no secret to those who know me that before I came to New Mexico eleven months ago, I knew next to nothing about Native American pottery. My collection consisted of a 1920s Hopi vase that belonged to my mother’s great aunt and a contemporary Jemez pot that I picked up at an antique store in the Pacific Northwest. Ironically, it is a pot by a veteran potter whom I am now proud to call a friend. That has been the cycle of my experience in the Southwest—I hear a name, say to myself “I should meet him or her!” especially if I love their work.  And, as an arts advocate, it’s a sure bet that if I see someone’s work and I love it, I’m bound to talk about.

Actually, that’s how Uncle Paulie’s World began three years ago. Lately, I've found myself yapping about a lot of artists, so, nearly a year later, I’m finally being blessed with the opportunity to meet all the people I wanted to meet. My philosophy has been, let the Universe take care of arranging the meeting, and voila! they come into my life. I guess serendipity is really on my side. And out of it all has come some extraordinary friendships.

With all this serendipity flitting through my life, it was no surprise that I would eventually meet Kewa (formerly Santo Domingo Pueblo) potter Thomas Tenorio.  Did you know that Thomas does not come from a family with a long history of pottery making?  Self-taught, his popularity at SWAIA Indian Market has been growing in the last few years.   He has also taken what he's learned and instructed other pueblo members and his children how to create works in the traditional way.

This past August, I passed his Indian Market booth, which was mobbed by appreciative collectors, and decided I would put off introducing myself until a more appropriate time. I remember saying “I’m sure we’ll meet soon, anyway.” "Soon" took longer than I imagined, but flash-forward to two-and-a-half weeks ago when I was having lunch at Andrews Pueblo Pottery and Art Gallery in Albuquerque’s Old Town. Thomas Tenorio was out on one more wholesaling trip just prior to the Heard Museum Guild’s Indian Fair and Market the following week. One of the gallery associates introduced us and it was nice to connect in a more informal and less chaotic way than at Market.

A huge Santo Domingo pottery fan, I was first introduced to it when I hit Albuquerque’s flea market at the fairgrounds last summer. A Santo Domingo husband, wife and daughter were selling a variety of items from the back of their pickup, including some small, traditional pots. They were nice, but my eyes were drawn to a beautiful three inch-wide pot made out of red clay and delicately painted with intricate patterns on all sides. I picked it up and looked at the bottom to find that it was signed and dated “1989 Thomas Tenorio.” I remembered hearing or reading the name Tenorio in one of my books, so I asked the price. “Fifteen dollars,” they told me. I wasn’t so green that I didn’t know this was a bargain on so many levels. And that is how this lovely Thomas Tenorio pot made it into my collection, which has grown to contain more than fifty pots of various sizes.

During our first meeting, we agreed that I would interview Thomas at his Heard show table. Possessing a great sense of humor, it is obvious that he has led an interesting life and is an artist very comfortable in his own shoes.  That's why I decided to post my interview without any edits. It was conducive to showing his true personality and it was a lot of fun for both of us. His hilarious cousin and cartoonist Ricardo Cate, who was sitting at his side, set the tone from the beginning.  It was Nudge. Nudge. Wink.Wink. Giggle. Giggle. from the outset. 

Hindsight, as you watch my interview with him HERE, notice how Thomas emphatically refers to the Santo Domingo Pueblo “Kewa” name change that was officially announced just a few days after the Heard show. Also, Thomas talks about how he will be introducing some stylistically new and interesting work at Indian Market this coming August.  The artist is very confident that he will take the Kewa pottery to the next level. We look forward to market, which is sure to be an exciting weekend for his collectors.

Heard @ The Heard 2010: Distinctively Fashionable Native Designer Pilar Agoyo

“ I mainly work in vinyl, a little bit of leather as well, but...for some reason, it’s a lot of vinyl.”—Pilar Agoyo, Native fashion designer

Pilar Agoyo is one of my favorite new artists. My background is in fashion PR, and it is always easy for me to appreciate someone with a unique vision.

While I have heard her name uttered several times from friends we have in common, Pilar and I met for the first time last weekend at the 2010 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend last month's successful fashion show “Thunder Run” in which she participated at Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino.  I was thrilled, however, when I found out Pilar was showing her designs at the Heard. My friends who know and have worked with her love and respect her. Native American jewelry collectors might also know her because she is the wife of master silversmith Cody Sanderson.

Pilar’s fashions have been called many things—“cutting edge”, “goth”, “punk”, “chic”, “elegant” and even “risqué”. Based on the pieces I saw at the Heard show, I would even add to that a little “retro.”  However you label her style, the fact remains clear that Pilar is cool, calm, collected, well-spoken and adorable, in my opinion. She is very approachable and I was excited that she was willing to talk to me about her designs on camera.

Perhaps my favorite thing about Pilar is that she costume designs for film. She shared that many of her collections come to her as a result of working on a particular project. This is inevitable, since films, especially period pieces, require such attention to detail.  These images fill a designer’s mind and are hard to let go of. The day we spoke, Pilar was showing a dress that was made of a wool plaid embellished with vinyl leaves—very cool!

Remarkably, Pilar chooses not to use the traditional clothing pattern, rather, she cuts and lets a piece become whatever it may. She is also known for her unconventionality when it comes to her materials of choice. In addition to utilizing a hodge podge of textiles including silk and velvet, Pilar makes pieces her own with everyday items such as newspapers, masking tape, hangers and more. Green before it was hip to be green, Pilar explains that she embraced this design philosophy while still in college. Aren’t we glad she did!

Get to know Pilar by watching my video interview with her on the closing day of the 2010 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market here.

Heard @ The Heard 2010: Zuni Jewelry Artist Colin Coonsis Merges Tradition and High Style

I first met Zuni jewelry artist Colin Coonsis, now age 28, on a social level, but I admit that I am just now getting to know him. Professionally, what I do know about him is that he comes from a well known Zuni jewelry-making family and his work is both gorgeous and affordable—two adjectives that frequently don’t go hand in hand when talking about contemporary Native American jewelry.

The more I learn about Colin, whose work now resides in the Heard Museum’s permanent collection and sells in major galleries throughout the Southwest, the more I realize that this young, hip urbanite artist is really an old soul. He has, perhaps, even more respect for the past and where he comes from than for the present and where he is headed. I should also mention that Colin Coonsis will be BIG, especially if last weekend's Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market sales are any indication. Colin sold every piece that he brought to market this year!

While Coonsis is comfortably confident about his work, he also pays high homage to those that have gone before him—for instance, his father Harlan Coonsis, and most especially his mother Rolando Haloo, whom he credits with keeping him interested in creating jewelry. Coonsis, who has finally accepted the fact that he is a true artist in his own mind, is also extremely gracious when it comes to the talent he has been given. In the artist’s own words, his responsibility is to “fulfill a powerful legacy that has been preserved through many generations of Native American artists.”

Colin was more than willing to let me chat with him at the Heard show, and what I most appreciate about him, and was surprised to learn about him during our interview is that he is an artist who understands that he is a work in progress.   Charmingly vulnerable, Colin wholeheartedly acknowledges on camera that while he believes silverwork to be merely the canvas for his inlay work, he has much to learn in his journey to becoming a master craftsperson. In the meantime, we all will just have to sit back and enjoy the style and beauty that Coonsis currently brings to his work.

Watch my interview with Colin Coonis here. He is subject #3 in my 14-part series Heard @ The Heard 2010 featuring top Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market artists whom you are sure to love.  Tomorrow stay tuned for Cochiti and Santo Domingo Pueblo fashion designer Pilar Agoyo.

Heard @ The Heard 2010: Adrian Wall Jemez Pueblo Sculptor

“My focus is on the Pueblo experience, whether it be capturing the solace of a song or prayer in stone or the playful mischief of a Koshari, these are the images that inspire me.” --Adrian Wall, Jemez Sculptor

When I think of award-winning Native American sculptor, Adrian Wall, I think of an artist bursting with talent. He is also, perhaps one of the most nice and humble artists you will meet.  Wall's substantial sculptures teem with life and spirit and you find yourself wondering how someone can create something so spectacular out of a piece of alabaster. While stone is usually his medium of choice, he does work in clay and bronze.

Along with Wall’s talent, comes an innate understanding of the business of art. This has allowed Wall, who comes from a family of successful artists (Kathleen Wall, Steve Wall, Fannie Loretto), to reach a level in his career where his pieces are highly sought out by museums and private collectors. Hailing from Jemez Pueblo, Wall is also part Chippewa and Laguna.  He has been sculpting since he was in his late teens, and is constantly on the cutting edge of Native American art, always exploring new ideas.

An engaging speaker, Adrian Wall is one of the most articulate artists I have ever met. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to attend his lecture at Santa Fe’s SAR, where he spoke about a major project that he hopes to cast in bronze. A 2009 Rollin and Mary Ella King Native Artist Fellow, the work is a multi-piece sculptural hanging that represents Pueblo life and emcompasses "perceptions of environment, spiritual beliefs, and subsistence. "  At the Heard show, I noticed that he was selling a piece reminiscent of the SAR piece.   The sculpture, made from various types of stone, is part of a series he has been working on for the last two years centered around thunderstorms.

In the last six months, I have crossed paths with the artist numerous times, but hanging out at his Heard Museum booth lent itself to coaxing him into talking more in detail about his work. Here is interview #2 in my 14-part artist interview series Heard @ The Heard 2010.

Heard @ The Heard 2010: Ed Archie Noisecat "Best of Show" Artist on His Work and Artistic Life

What does it take to win "First Place" at the Heard Museum's Indian Fair and Market? Well, it takes the extreme talent of Interior Salish Contemporary Sculptor, Jeweler and Graphic Artist, Ed Archie Noisecat.

At the 2010 Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market, Noisecat, along with his wife Jhane Myers-Noisecat, not only took "First Place" in the Sculpture "Other Media" division, but he also won "Best in Class" and "Best of Show" for his Native take on the marionette, in a piece entitled "Coyote As Champion." Myers-Noisecat, a traditional Buckskin dancer designed the puppet's clothing.

Having grown-up in the remote, mountainous interior of British Columbia with his mother’s people, the Canim Lake Band of Shuswap Indians, Noisecat is influenced by the Shuswap plateau culture.  He also draws from the Stlitlimx, his father’s people.

As luck would have it, on Saturday, Ed and I parked right next to each other, which allowed for a brief conversation and the opportunity for me to convince him to let me interview him for Uncle Paulie's World. He agreed, and even did a demonstration with his prize-winning puppet!   Have a look for yourself here.  Be sure to stayed tuned for the next 13 days as I will feature a new Heard show artist every day!

Heard @ The Heard 2010: Uncle Paulie Hits the Road to Phoenix for Native Art

When my friend and award-winning Jemez Pueblo potter Kathleen Wall insisted I head out to the Heard Museum's Indian Fair and Market this past weekend, how could I say no?  She even made arrangements for me to stay on the Gila River Pima reservation at her mother, Fannie Loretto's  house. Loretto is a Jemez and Laguna mask artist . 

That was a thrill because I had the opportunity to see the wonder and the stress of getting ready for market.  As most artists do, Loretto and Wall were putting the final touches on their pieces in preparation for Saturday and Sunday well into the wee hours of the night after Friday's preview party and auction at the Heard.  I got to stay up with them to help and admire their dedication and craftsmanship.

Of course the preview party was fun because I got to hang out with some of my favorite people Jody Naranjo of Santa Clara Pueblo, Glendora Fragua from Jemez, Navajo clothing designer Penny Singer, Kathleen, and my roadtrip companion Taos potter Suann Davin.   Suann and I traveled all the way to Phoenix from Albuquerque together, and I was amazed when I finally saw her unique, contemporary, geometrically-exciting micaceous pottery on Saturday morning.  The show seemed well-attended, and with over 700 of the finest Native artists selling their work, it was a huge learning opportunity offering one of the best times I have ever had, both visually and culturally.

Last August, I attended SWAIA's Indian Market and didn't know a soul.  This time around, I saw so many people I knew, it was like all of New Mexico was in Phoenix!  I really enjoyed spending time getting to know Santo Domingo cartoonist Ricardo Cate, Thomas Tenorio, Colin Coonsis, Peter Boome, as well as making other new friends like Pilar Agoyo, Phillip John Charette and Ed Archie Noisecat.  I finally got to meet Chris Pappan, Nocona Burgess as well as Mateo Romero.  I even got to hang for a bit with my friends, award-winning Navajo painter Sheldon Harvey and Marian Denipah and Steve LaRance.  In spite of the rain and the three snowstorms I had to drive through to get back to Albuquerque, it was completely worth it.

The best part of all was that many of the fine artists in attendance took the time to talk to me about their lives, their art and inspirations.  This week I begin a video interview series entitled "Heard @ The Heard 2010".  I hope you will join me for these special portraits of artists who are making their unique marks in the world of Native American arts. 

Uncle Paulie's World to Feature Art Series "Heard @ The Heard 2010"

This past weekend, I attended the Heard Museum's Indian Market in Phoenix, Arizona. I had the opportunity to interview 14 prominent Native artists about their work. Check back in the next week, as I will be featuring a different artist each day. In the meantime, here is a teaser to whet your appetite. Enjoy!