|
Peter & Dinah Gasper
Zuni Fetish Carvers
Peter and Dinah Gasper are credited with being the first carvers at Zuni to inlay their fetishes with heartlines. Another innovation they developed is a method of signing fetishes that involves inlaying a small circle of silver on each piece that bears their hallmark.
Peter and Dinah carve fetishes in the traditional style for which Dinah's family has become known. Dinah Gasper is the daughter of Edna Leki and the granddaughter of Teddy Weahkee. Like her mother, Dinah assisted Weahkee with his fetish carving. As a teenager, Dinah helped by drilling shells and assembling fetish bundles. Peter originally studied painting at the Santa Fe Indian School in the mid-1950s under the tutelage of Geronima Cruz Montoya. After meeting Dinah and returning to Zuni, he applied his artistic skills to jewelry and fetish carving and eventually taught silversmithing at the Zuni Craftsmen Cooperative Association.
At one time, Peter and Dinah carved mostly water creatures (frogs, turtles, tadpoles, fish, etc.), but they have also produced a wider range of animals, including wolves and bears. They are known for their highly detailed fetish necklaces, some produced in rare materials such as amber or fossilized ivory. They have been the recipients of numerous first place awards at the Santa Fe Indian Market and the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial. Peter and Dinah's daughter, Debra Gasper, and their sons Braden (deceased), Elroy, and Peter, Jr., have carried on the family tradition of fetish carving.
 View More Fetishes...
|
 |
|
MNMF Shops Gift Cards
Perfect for any gift giving!
Take a look at our great online shops:
|
|
|
|
|
Indian Market
The 91st Indian Market takes place in Santa Fe this weekend. As the largest cultural event in the southwest, this market attracts 100,000 visitors to New Mexico! Quality and authenticity are hallmarks of this gathering. From jewelers to sculptors to potters and painters, the range of Native American art from all corners of North America are represented! This special market takes over our central Plaza and surrounding streets and the wealth and depth of traditional and contemporary arts and crafts is not to be missed! Here are a few special artists and their exceptional work that we carry in our museum shops and on our website. Enjoy!
|
|
Peter Ray James - Navajo Folk Art
Peter Ray James lives a life that is both traditional (he still herds a flock of sheep) and contemporary. He spends a great deal of time creating art, such as his shaman and Navajo Folk Art dolls. He is able to imbue a spirit of creativity and connectedness to his culture through the making of his art.
"I am known among my Navajo people as Nahat'a Yilth Yil Wood one who delivers the message. It is my Navajo name that braids many generations of prayers, symbolism, tradition, honor, knowledge and love. I truly believe my destiny is to be a story teller through my artist endeavors. I am always honored and respectful to represent my family name in my homeland and abroad".
"Art is my life, life is art. there is no other way to live among the spiritual beings in this world except to create art for reverence and posterity. My Navajo tradition is a path abounding with power and energy. I am enriching my life with remembrance. This is my artistic individualism on a spiritual path and a powerful tradition in transition".
View More Native American Folk Art...
|
|
|
Alvina Yepa - Jemez Pottery
Alvina was born at Jemez Pueblo just north of Albuquerque and southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico between the Jemez and Salado Rivers. She is a member of the Jemez Sun Clan. Alvina was eight years old when she began helping her mother, who was a potter, paint and polish pots. She has been known as an award winning Jemez potter for over 20 years.
Alvina's pots are all made using the traditional coil method. She digs her own clay on the Jemez Pueblo and prepares it by hand for the body of the pots and the slips. She fires in the traditional manner using cedar wood. She achieves her finish by polishing the clay body with a stone until it is smooth and glossy. This means hours of work to achieve the finish, after the pot is formed, and before it is fired. It is the process of firing that changes the grey-brown clay to the soft red seen in the finished ware.
Her red polished melon bowls with teardrop shaped openings are unique to this artist. She also created a style of pottery with a radiating feather motif incised on the upper body of the jar. The lower body of the jar may be painted in a fine line geometric pattern or incised. She signs her pottery "Alvina Yepa, Jemez".
|
|
Veronica Benally - Navajo Silversmith
 Award-winning Navajo designer, Veronica Benally approaches each of her jewelry designs with a motherly perspective that is deeply rooted in her respect for her own family and culture. Her designs combine Native jewelry traditions with the whimsical spirit of nature. Her designs gleefully experiment with color combinations and materials that others often put aside, creating a unique, contemporary style of Native American jewelry that she considers a reflection of her place in life.
Veronica would first learn the art of jewelry making from her husband, Ernest. Dedicated to her family, it was an opportunity to provide for her children in a way that still allowed her to remain close to them at home. Working alongside her husband for several years, Veronica developed her own distinctive style and approach to jewelry design that melds tradition, culture, color and nature. She describes her design process as similar to having a child: each individual piece contains a seed of her in it, it takes on life as the design moves from paper to metal and stones, and once the piece is polished and ready to be seen it brings her a sense of satisfaction that only a mother can truly understand. View More Bracelets...
|
|
|
Have You Joined the Museum of New Mexico Foundation Yet?
|
When you do, you will receive 10% off all purchases made online and at our shops. Plus, you will receive the Museum of New Mexico Foundation Newsletter, which is your source for Member News and Events. You will also receive a subscription to El Palacio magazine, the oldest museum magazine in the United States! Click here to join.
|
|
|
