5 Tips to Go from Spectator to Collector at the 2012 SWAIA Indian Market

AS SEEN ON KASA FOX 2'S "NEW MEXICO STYLE!!!"

Watch it HERE!

Okay...you've heard it before--original art can be affordable!  It's true, and nowhere is it more true than at SWAIA Indian Market.  Visitors to New Mexico will have the opportunity to find that out for themselves as the "City Different" gears up for the 2012 SWAIA Indian Market, which takes place on the historic Santa Fe Plaza August 18 and 19.

I have always thought of Indian Market as two markets. Obviously, visitors to Santa Fe will find the usual array of finely made Pueblo pottery, Diné (Navajo), Hopi and Zuni jewelry from the Southwestern region of the United States.  What many may not know is that SWAIA Indian Market, now in its 91st year, offers spectators the opportunity to see work by over 1000 juried Native American artists from around the country as well as Canada.  Indian Market gives them a lesson in the diversity of indigenous cultures and art forms from all over North America. From basketry, to beadwork, to jewelry, clothing, painting and sculpture, Indian Market offers the average person exposure to all the colors, textures and artistic processes that are inherent to many groups they may never have heard about.  SWAIA Indian Market is a wonderful teaching moment for adults and children alike because it's like taking a vacation to a whole bunch of regions in one place. 

So, you say that the economy is tough and spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on art just isn't in the budget? Don't let that keep you from enjoying and appreciating the beauty of all the art around you.  There is so much to see and learn.  After taking it all in, you might just decide to bring a little piece of Santa Fe and Indian Market home with you! Regardless of whether you are a spectator or collector, I have all the information to make this year's visit to SWAIA Indian Market memorable.

Tips for "Going from Spectator to Collector" at the 2012 SWAIA Indian Market:

1. Support Native American art in any way you can!  It doesn't matter if you're buying or not. Go because it's fun and FREE! There are fashion shows, dancing, exhibits, food and more.  There's lots to see, but don't be overwhelmed.  You have two full days to take it all in.
2. Determine your budget and stick to it!   SWAIA Indian Market offers exposure to the work of over 1000 artists.  You don't have to spend a lot to buy a piece of original art.  Many artists offer smaller pieces that cost under $100. In most cases, you can find your Indian Market memento for $10 to $50.  The key is to arrive early to find the best selection (and parking!). I like to arrive before 7 a.m. just as artists are settng up their booths to really get an idea of what to add to my "want" list.
3. Plan for the future! It's been said that in this tough economy, original fine art is providing better returns on investments than investing in the stock market. In most cases, fine art holds its value and may continue to appreciate.  Even if you are not in the market to buy pieces from established artists, you can always look for emerging artists, whose work typically sells for less. Since a great deal of Native American art is generational, many artists have children or grandchildren who are potters and painters "in training" and are the stars of tomorrow.  You can invest in them now and grow with the artist as he or she gets better and better.  This is a great way to build a valuable collection.  Most importantly, buy what you like. Names are great, but at the end of the day, you have to live with the art on a daily basis.
4. Politely ask if you may handle the art and feel free to ask questions!  While larger objects make this practice difficult, most artists encourage you to handle the art because they know if you hold it and love it, you'll probably buy it.  They are also very interested in sharing a part of their traditions and cultures with you. Shy away from questions about religious practices. This is your chance of a lifetime to connect with someone different from you, find common ground and learn a whole bunch in the process.
5. Instill an appreciation of art early in your child!  Introduce your child to the concept of collecting art at Indian Market.   There is something for every member of the family at Indian Market.  Give your child a spending allowance of $10 and let them explore.  Chances are if they find something they love this year, they will want to come back year after year to add pieces to their collection.

Again, SWAIA Indian Market offers something for every budget.  Here is my list of great finds for 2012:

CATCH A RISING 'STAR':

Calm Blue Morning 6" x 6" original acrylic  on canvas
by Marla Allison,  Laguna Pueblo ($100)

Very few of the top painters at Indian Market offer smaller pieces for newer collectors, but Marla Allison is all about accessibility to good work.    Marla is a highly sought after artist with works in the permanent collection at the Heard Museum in Phoenix and in top galleries across the Southwest.  Much of her work celebrates her Laguna/Hopi heritage and the nature found in Paguate Village where she lives. Take home this rarer small piece entitled Calm Blue Morning, which features a blue bird and Marla's new, colorful style. For more information visit www.marlaallison.com.  (SWAIA Indian Market Booth # 708 LIN-P)

DISCOVER THE 'OTHER' INDIAN MARKET:



Carol Emarthle-Douglas coiled waxed linen "Lightning Design" lidded basket
(4" high X 4" wide--Traditional coiled technique, one rod hemp twine core, wrapped with waxed linen thread, embellished with abalone shell bead on lid) ($450)



Colied waxed linen miniature "Women's Traditional" Basket
(1-3/8" high X 1-3/8" wide--1 millimeter round reed wrapped with natural
and dyed raffia. Embellished with silver size 13 cut beads) ($350)

Northern Arapaho/Seminole basket weaver Carol Emarthle-Douglas is an artist unto her own.  Her diverse knowledge of varied styles is as impressive as her precision. Being recognized for her precision is actually what motivates her to make basketry.  She is also credited with leading the rally to secure contemporary basketry its own category at SWAIA Indian Market, elevating it from craft to fine art.  While Carol was raised in Oklahoma, she didn't learn basketry until well into her adult years.  A basketry class in Seattle, where she currently lives and works, solidified her passion for basket weaving.   Many Native weavers work within only one weaving tradition.  Since Carol didn't grow up restricted by one style, she learned how to weave in the forms of many traditions, including the Skokomish and Haida of the Pacific Northwest and the Pomo of California.  Her work is made by utilizing the coiling method, a technique employed by many indigenous groups including the Northern Arapaho and Seminole people.  Carol creates "traditional-contemporary" baskets in many sizes incorporating contemporary materials such as color waxed linen with traditional weaving methods.  These are just two examples of the work you will see at her SWAIA Indian Market booth #516-SF.  Contact Carol directly via Facebook or at cemarthle (at) comcast (dot) net.

"Southeast Swirl" pen and ink by MaryBeth Nelson of the Cherokee Nation
(5" x 8" image matted in 11" x 14" frame) ($75)

MaryBeth Nelson has been painting for the last 13 years, but 2012 marks her very first SWAIA Indian Market.   A Cherokee artist with a strong following in Oklahoma, MaryBeth is essentially an "emerging" artist in the Santa Fe Native American art scene.  Her career is gaining momentum, though, and her work was most recently included in a Native American art exhibition in Paris, France. SWAIA Indian Market provides the opportunity for collectors to purchase  her larger and smaller works, including this "Southeast Swirl" design pen and ink piece. It comes matted and framed for easy hanging.  The designs pay homage to the Southeast Mound Builder culture through the use of sun circles, references to the four directions, as well as the use of the eye representing a door to the afterlife. For more information visit MaryBeth's art site HERE or email her at moonhawkart (at) gmail (dot) com. (SWAIA Indian Market Booth # 409 WA-E)

WEAR YOUR ART ON YOUR SLEEVE...OR EARS...OR HANDS:

Charlene Holy Bear Chevron Design micro-seed beaded earrings ($225)

A resident of Nevada, Charlene Holy Bear is an award-winning beadwork artist and doll maker known for her exquisite handmade, lifelike depictions of Lakota Sioux jingle dancers.  Her jingle dancer dolls with cellulose clay heads and handsewn and handbeaded clothing, juxtapose traditional and contemporary materials creating a unique "approach to Plains style traditional doll making."  These pieces can take nearly two years to complete, and while they can be exhausting to create, the end result is stunning, museum-quality work.  This year, Charlene will feature smaller jingle dancer dolls at the 2012 SWAIA Indian Market, but she has also been working on some wearable art, translating designs from her doll work for pieces for actual people.   At Indian Market you will find these stunning handbeaded micro-seed Chevron design earrings.  Visit www.charleneholybear.com for more information.  (SWAIA Indian Market Booth #408 WA-E)



Stainless steel and stingray cuff by Pat Pruitt of Laguna Pueblo ($450)

Pat Pruitt of Laguna Pueblo has single-handedly changed the judging criteria of jewelry on the Native American art market circuit.   It wasn't that long ago that the same collectors who now scramble to lay their claim to his pieces, once misunderstood his work fashioned from unlikely metals such as stainless steel and titanium. He also utilizes a computer and machinery to create them. That said, each piece, is completely hand-finished in the traditional way and embellished with a variety of natural and traditional materials.  His one-of-a-kind pieces, such as this gorgeous stainless steel cuff inlaid with stingray, have made discriminating collectors sit up and take notice.  For more information visit www.patpruitt.com. (SWAIA Indian Market Booth # 708 LIN-P)

GO BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL:

Black stone polished pot with turtle and fish motif

by Glendora Fragua of Jemez Pueblo

(Approximately 3" high by 2" wide) ($250)

Glendora Fragua of Jemez Pueblo is no stranger to traditional Jemez pottery making.  As a matter of fact, she comes from a prominent pottery making family.  She even learned early on how to handcoil, paint and stone polish a pot from her mother, Juanita Fragua.  Later on, Glendora ventured to California to study fashion design.  Willing to push  the envelope and make Jemez Pueblo pottery her own, Glendora returned and moved towards the style we see today, which incorporates delicate naturalistic themes such as birds, insects and turtles as can be seen in this black stone polished and etched pot with turtle and fish designs.  The etching is known as sgraffito. This smaller piece measuring 3" by 2" is found at the low end  of the price range for her work.  Every year, Glendora is sure to offer a wide array of pots with varied prices.  For more information, visit Glendora's Facebook page here or her SWAIA Indian Market Booth #652 PLZ.

I hope you find something here that you like.  Attend 2012 SWAIA Indian Market. Buy original art. See you there!

© 2012 All rights reserved (Paul Niemi and Uncle Paulie's World)

(*Paul Niemi is a compensated spokesperson for all of the products and services contained herein)

Thrift Store Art Finds: Authenticating Cryptic Northwest Coast Basketry

It's no big secret that I love Native American art. Throughout the last fews years, my interests have shifted from jewelry, to pottery, to paintings, and now my passion is basketry.  While purchasing historic and contemporary Native American basketry can be very expensive,  there are terrific pieces just waiting to be found in your local thrift store.  Since I seem to be a magnet for excellent thrift store finds, I have decided to periodically blog about them and share the information that I learn from the experts!

In the last few months, I have been a frequenter of thrift stores along the I-5 corridor in Washington State.  A couple of weeks ago, I was in a store in the Skagit Valley.  There amidst baskets of all types were three terrific baskets (one, which I think might be Cherokee, but goes unauthenticated as of yet, one from South America, or so I believe from the design and the materials employed, and one from the Northwest Coast).  When I first set eyes on the pictured basket, the plaiting and the twining on the piece led me to think that its origin was Makah.  The material appeared to be bear grass combined with cedar, which looked faded in color.

After forwarding photographs to a curator in British Columbia, I was able to learn that it is indeed Northwest Coast.  To her, it appears to be woven from bear grass and some kind of raffia--not cedar.  She also said that the base suggested Salish basketry, but that the plaiting (the square center weave as seen in the images) and twining (the weaving surrounding the plaiting) on the base led her to believe it was Makah style.  While the basket seemed somewhat hard to place, she said that it was likely made by either a Makah or a Quileute weaver.  My guess is that it could be early to mid-20th Century, but that goes uncorraborated. Regardless, it is a beautiful, compelling and decorative basket!

Did you know that both the Burke Museum in Seattle and the University of British Columbia have ethnology collections available for online viewing?  You can search by style of basket, tribe and other criteria and can enlarge photos to help you see crucial details. Check them out!

Contemporary Art Goes to the Birds in Vancouver

"I spent most of the last year making photographic, collage-based stop motion animation and installation work. With this body of work I’ve returned exclusively to painting as a way to reintroduce it amongst the other ideas I’m exploring..."--Jennifer Mawby

Regulars in the Vancouver, British Columbia art scene are familiar with the work of visual artist Jennifer Mawby.  This evening, Quinary Projects Pop Up Gallery will host an opening artist reception for a theatrical installation of expanded paintings by Mawby.  

What if an artist created a story in her head about what the outcome would be she went hunting, caught and skinned a painting and hung the pelt to dry? The end result?  The Aviary. 

Imagine walking into a large bird cage, over which a closed-eyed birdwatcher ironically keeps watch. Overall, the installation is a psychological landscape of what exists inside the mind of this silent film star-like protagonist.  

With many forms that have been cut out so as to appear like bricolage or photo-collage to "render them less precious and more animated," the oil paintings are created on loose canvas and clear Duralar.  Some assemblages take the form of Asian fighting kites and some are like hunting trophies. The Duralar pieces resemble single, cel (celluloid) animation frames. Both sides of the image are revealed through the material and the installation.  

The show will continue at Quinary Projects (Curated by Wesley Yuen and hosted by Dominion Grand Development)  with limited hours from July 19-21: Thursday, July 19th - 5pm to 8pm; Friday, July 20th - 5pm to 9pm; Saturday, July 21st - noon to 4pm. The gallery is located on the west side of Richards Street at Pacific in Yaletown (next to Trees Organic) in Vancouver. 

For further information contact Jennifer Mawby at 604.783.7178 or jjtmstudio@gmail.com.

Stonington Gallery Presents New Works and Lecture by Northwest Artist Barry Herem

Barry Herem and some of his pieces
(Photo: Stonington Gallery)

A lifetime of living in the Pacific Northwest and traveling up and down its coast will give a person an intimate familiarity with the people and the folklore that is so closely tied to them.  That's what artist and Northwest Coast scholar and lecturer Barry Herem has developed through his travels throughout the region, getting to know the indigenous populations and learning from his friendships with the likes of Bill Reid, Robert Davidson, Bill Holm and others.

Barry Herem's "Butterfly"
(Photo: Stonington Gallery)

Indigenous and indigenous-inspired art is always evolving keeping intact the traditional meaning, but pushing the envelope to expand how those meanings are conveyed.  In a new show at Seattle's Stonington Gallery, Barry Herem unveils a new body of work created using metal, glass and wood, which continues his formline experimentation with mixed media.

The exhibition and sale Beyond Beyond: A Barry Herem Solo Exhibit opens this evening July 5 with an artist's reception (6 p.m. - 8 p.m.) and continues through July 28.  On Sunday, July 8 at 6 p.m., Herem will present am illustrated lecture at Stonington Gallery entitled Received Boundaries: Stasis and Change, in which he will discuss his half-century love affair with Northwest Coast art and his numerous travels via canoe visiting remote locales in the coastal Northwest. 

"Raptor Gates" by Barry Herem
(Photo: Stonington Gallery)

"For most people the zeitgeist of world-wide iconoclasm and boundary breaking, i.e. liberation, is old hat, almost old school, except that it's still going on in many areas. Looking back on nearly 50 years in the modern 'renaissance' of Northwest Coast Indian style art - which lies below the beat of both modernism and post modernism in North American art generally - we can see where it had to go, and has. I want to show you something of how, what, when, where and right now. Also something about my work."

--Barry Herem

Stonington Gallery is located at 119 South Jackson Street in Seattle. For more information about Beyond Beyond: A Barry Herem Solo Exhibit or Herem's Sunday lecture call 866-405-4485 or visit the gallery web site at www.stoningtongallery.com.

Thought for the Day...

Progress is discovering that what once filled you up full doesn't, and it's time to move on to something else. It is tough, so have a good cry over it and then try something new!

'There's No Business Like Show Business' on Bellingham Bay

Angela Mills-Watson as "Annie Oakley" and
Paul Niemi as "Frank Butler" in Bellingham Theatre Guild's
Annie Get Your Gun  (Photo: David Cohn)

There really is "No Business Like Show Business," and now's your chance to get to see a great production of Annie Get Your Gun at the Bellingham Theatre Guild in Bellingham, Washington.  It's so seldom that there is an opportunity to tout one of my performance adventures, but since I am currently playing the role of Frank Butler in this production, I am going to risk all blogger credibility and do so.

(L to R) Robert Muzzy, Angela Mills-Watson,
Leon Charbonneau and Paul Henderson in
Annie Get Your Gun at Bellingham Theatre Guild (Photo:
Jeff Braswell)

Annie Get Your Gun is the fictionalized account of the ups and downs in the relationship between famed sharpshooter Annie Oakley and the love of her life and competitor Frank Butler.  In the show, Annie's star rises fast overshadowing Frank's.  The competition causes some great dramatic friction and results in fantastic duets like "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)" and "Wonderful." This classic show, with a score by Irving Berlin is one of the best musicals in the American music theatre songbook.

After a two-year hiatus from the theatre, and seven years away from BTG, I am grateful to have the opportunity to perform with such a terrific cast.  This show has been both an emotional and vocal challenge for me, and I hope that I have stepped up and mastered the task at hand.  Frank Butler is a role for which I never thought I would ever be selected, but I find him somewhat familiar and comfortable in many ways. I'm enjoying him breathing life into me.

The cast also stars Angela Mills-Watson as Annie Oakley, Kathy Peacock as Dolly Tate, Paul Henderson as Charlie Davenport, Leon Charbonneau as Buffalo Bill, Robert Muzzy as Sitting Bull, Brian Watson as Pawnee Bill, Dale Sharp as Tommy and Zoe Schackel as Winnie. There will be times when you can scarcely believe that this is community theatre.  Director Judith Owens-Lancaster has assembled a very talented group of people, most especially the ensemble, whose singing and dancing are a pivotal part of bringing this story to life.

Annie Get Your Gun opens June 15 and continues through July 1 (Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.). For more information visit www.bellinghamtheatreguild.com. For tickets call 360-733-1811.

WATCH A PREVIEW VIDEO HERE!

Feeding the Inner 'Spirit' with Kwakwaka'wakw Art in Seattle

A Spirit Within by Rande Cook
(Photo: Paul Niemi)

This past Saturday, Steinbrueck Native Gallery in Seattle sponsored a very special cultural event at the Seattle Art Museum. Owners Elizabeth and Matthew Steinbrueck hosted the Copper Maker Dancers, a Kwakwaka'wakw dance, song and drum troup led by Chief Calvin Hunt and his wife Marie.  The group, which hails from Fort Rupert Village in Port Hardy, British Columbia,  also included artist Rande Cook.  Legendary ethnographer and art historian Bill Holm and his wife Marty were honored guests, and took a prominent place onstage amidst the drummers, singers and dancers.

Rande Cook Beats a Drum as the Copper Maker
Dancers Perform Traditional Dances
(Photo: Paul Niemi)

For me, the highlight of the performance was witnessing the dance of the Tso-no-qua or "The Wild Woman of the Woods" mask.  The tale of the woman who combs the shoreline looking for young boys and girls to eat is, perhaps, my favorite in the Northwest Coast story lexicon mostly because of her mystical and dark presence.  Numerous dances, including some very sacred ones, were accompanied by glorious singing and drumming.  The performance culiminated with an invitation to the audience to participate in a group dance onstage.   This was a marvelous opportunity for people from all walks of life to come together and be healed by a sense that we are all one. 

A Member of Copper Maker Dancers Performs
the Dance of Tso-no-qua
(Photo: Paul Niemi)

Afterwards, everyone headed over to the Steinbrueck Native Gallery for the opening of works by Rande Cook in "A Spirit Within."  This exhibit is breathtaking and represents everything lovers of Northwest Coast First Nations art have come to expect.  Cook works in a variety of mediums including jewelry, which are just as captivating as his masks and other carvings.

Kwakwaka'wakw Artist Rande Cook
Speaks to a Collector About His Work in
"A Spirit Within"
(Photo: Paul Niemi)

Cook commented on how Northwest Coast masks mean nothing without the dances and songs that they were created to bring to life.  It was thus fitting and an extraordinary experience from a continuity standpoint to see and feel the dances, songs and music and then view the exhibition.  The exhilaration aroused by the performance filled the gallery show with incredible energy, vibrancy and relevance to what spectators had experienced a couple of hours earlier.

"A Spirit Within" continues through June 10 at Steinbrueck Native Gallery in Seattle. For more information, visit www.steinbruecknativegallery.com.