Four Winds Gallery 35th Anniversary

October 16, 2009 Four Winds Gallery celebrated 35 years as one of the finest galleries in the country devoted to Native American Art. In 1974, John Krena left the security of his job at a Weirton steel mill and set out with friend Jody Vignale to pursue a passion for Indian art. Opening at 5535 Walnut Street as Four Winds Trading Post, the gallery has grown to represent today's top Native American artists and is respected internationally for the presentation of exceptional historic materials. In 1981, the gallery moved across the street to its present location at 5512 Walnut Street and in 1991 expanded its walls and formally changed its name to Four Winds Gallery. Through many changes to Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood, Krena continues to own and operate one of the oldest successful, independent businesses in

the area.

Friday night was the opening of an extraordinary exhibition of major works specially created by contemporary Native American masters as well as important historical selections provided by the nation's top dealers. Old friends joined us from as far as San Francisco, Santa Fe, and Phoenix to commemorate the milestone. Renowned Navajo metalsmith Cody Sanderson flew in with a suitcase full of incredible new jewelry and a handmade sterling silver lava lamp, his ode to the 1970s. Long time collector and Four Winds fixture Keith Kappmeyer made a surprise appearance. Fifth-generation Indian trader Jed Foutz and Tad Anderman, owner of Silver Plume Trading Company also made the trip for the special celebration. Anderman was so impressed he raved, "no where has a collection with this much range and quality been exhibited before. These are the highest level works by so many different artists in so many different mediums..."

In addition to showcasing works by such artists as Fritz Scholder, Maria Martinez, Kenneth Begay, Charles Loloma, Roxanne Swentzell, Michael Naranjo, McKee Platero, Pat Pruitt, Maria Samora, Keri Ataumbi, and on and on (and including Bob Haozous, who has not made work for a gallery in over a decade)... a video documenting the 35 years of Four Winds was screened.

Click on the arrow in the bottom left corner of the movie players below to view the video in sections.

Four Winds Celebrates 35 Years

Part 1: 1974-1981

Part 2: 1981-1990

Part 3: 1990-1997

Part 4: 1997-2000

Part 5: 2000-2009

To request a DVD of the video, please contact the gallery (info@fourwindsgallery.com)

Pictures from the 35th Anniversary show weekend can be viewed on flickr

Annual Sidewalk Sale!

Four Winds Gallery is currently gearing up for our one and only sale of the year....
Wednesday, July 29th through Sunday, August 2nd. Please stop by and see what we have available!

Sheldon Harvey

Four Winds Gallery is thrilled to be carrying  the work of Navajo artist Sheldon Harvey.  At a mere 29 years of age, Harvey has already made a huge name for himself throughout the art community.  Winning multiple awards as Best in Show at Indian Market in both painting and sculpture, Sheldon paints traditional Navajo subjects and legends in a style influenced by European artists such as Piet Mondrian and Paul Klee.   Four Winds has recently acquired several pieces from Harvey's "Shooting Way" series,  based on the traditional Navajo ceremony.  

What is that, Coral?

No, not quite!  Many of our Native American artists use a type of sea shell called "spiny oyster shell"  also known as "spondylus."  Archaeologists have found evidence for jewelry being made from the shell as early as the Neolithic period, 5000 years ago.  The shell comes in a variety of colors, ranging from red, purple, orange and yellow.  In jewelry, we can  distinguish the shell from other stones (as well as the commonly confused coral) by the white variation found throughout.   

Featured above are just a few of our very popular contemporary artists who frequently use the beautiful shell:  Squash blossom earrings by Tammy Nelson, Turquoise and spiny shell necklace by Cheryl Yestewa, Square sterling silver and spiny shell earrings & turquoise and spiny cuff by Mike Bird-Romero, and Sterling silver and spiny cuff by Harry Begay.  

Famous Pottery- Unique Paintings

Four Winds Gallery is proud to add this exceptional work by San Ildefonso Pueblo artist Tony Da (1940-2008).  Grandson of Maria and Julian Martinez (famous for reviving San Ildefonso pottery and elevating it to a highly collectible art-form during the mid-1920's)  he followed in their footsteps by creating new, innovative works of art.  Inspired by the work of his father, Popovi Da, Tony is well-known for being the first artist to extensively use turquoise inlay in his pottery.  Like his pottery, this original casein painting features exceptional, high quality Morenci turquoise.   Painted in 1978, Tony Da's use of casein paint demonstrates his dedication to using traditional techniques for the creation of new designs.  

New Latin American Collection

Four Winds Gallery is very excited to have acquired a wonderful collection of Latin American artwork, including several pieces by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo.  

Rufino Tamayo (1899- 1991) is considered to be the "fourth great" Mexican painter of the twentieth century.  While his contemporaries were utilizing their paintings and murals in the hopes of inspiring radical political change, Tamayo wanted to create an "art for art's sake."  He is known for innovating the technique of the mixograph, which combines relief painting with lithography to create a rich, three dimensional surface.  

Stop by the Four Winds soon to see our new collection of paintings by Tamayo as well as other highly lauded Latin American artists.   

Special Thanks

Four Winds Gallery would like to thank everyone who came out to the opening of Born of Fire: The Life and Work of Margaret Tafoya at the beginning of the month!  We were honored to have Tafoya family members Toni Roller and Nathan Youngblood showcase their work and share this longstanding and revered Santa Clara Pueblo tradition with us.   We were also very excited to have author Charles King present - his comprehensive book on Margaret Tafoya's life and work enriched the exhibit even further.   

To add even more to the experience, Kiowa jeweler and artist Keri Ataumbi unveiled some of her latest and most innovative designs.  

Four Winds Gallery extends a special thanks to these artists and all that contributed to make this event possible. 

Stop by Four Winds to catch a glimpse of more Tafoya family pottery, Charles King's Born of Fire, and new works by Keri Ataumbi!

Born of Fire: The Life and Work of Margaret Tafoya continues through January 4, 2009 at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 

Back From Indian Market

This years 33rd Santa Fe Indian Market was a great success for our gallery. We wanted to focus on picking up new artists that reflect contemporary directions in Native American Jewelry and we succeeded. Maria Samora, Taos Pueblo, Fritz Casuse, Navajo and Pat Pruitt, Laguna Pueblo are all extremely talented artists who have received wide recognition for their skill and design.

We purchased several necklaces, earrings bracelets and a ring of Maria's. Her work has very organic and geometric forms and she uses texture and patinas to show the depth on the surface of her work. She works in both gold and silver with diamonds as accents in some pieces. Her work is quite elegant.

Fritz's work is characterized by amazing structure and engineering.  His unique designs are put together with great skill that create light yet strong jewelry with beautiful textures and stones. The are like jewelry sculptures.

Pat's work is bold and modern in design yet highly wearable. He uses stainless steel which he carves, combines with stone and sandwiches with silver. It is stunning in it's minimalism and suitable for both men and women.

Please call the gallery for more information on additional work not shown here and keep checking our website for this and other new work coming soon.

Contemporary Mosaic of Charlene Sanchez Reano

Charlene Sanchez Reano of San Felipe Pueblo is a fabulous mosaic jeweler who started making jewelry at age 18. She is the sister-in-law of Angie Reano Owen and Rose Reano and the daughter-in -law of Clara Lovato Reano, all from whom she initially learned jewelry making.

She is known for her "sandwich"  necklaces such as the one above with the shell blank sandwiched between two different colored mosaic designs. The first step in the process is cutting the blanks out of shell.  Then she attaches the small mosaic pieces to both sides of the blank in their rough form. Finally she grinds the glued mosaic pieces flush then polishes them to a high shine.                 

Jorge Lovato Carving

There is something truly entrancing about Jorge Lovato's miniature carvings. Done from a single piece of wood, they are simply carved but with so much expressiveness. His work is prized by collectors and includes animals such as horses, birds, dogs and buffalo as well as Native American figures and creche figures. Lovato holds a BFA from the University of New Mexico but his work seems even more influenced from his childhood near Taos. These are sculptural treasures you can hold in the palm of your hand yet they have a presence that's larger than life. Contact us for info on our large collection of his work.

Old Pawn Turquoise and Silver

The first Native Americans of the Southwest to learn silver smithing were the Navajo, whose knowledge of silver came initially from the Spanish during the 1500s. It was not until 1870, however, that silver work really took hold in the American Southwest. After basing their technique on original Spanish methods, the Navajo began to adapt designs to incorporate traditional cultural meanings and their own sense of artistry.

During the 1880’s, Navajo silver smiths began setting stones in their pieces, specifically turquoise and other tribes such as the Zuni followed with their inlay style. For them, turquoise symbolized the sky and water and was associated with healing and protection. The American Southwest is an ideal environment for turquoise, which is a mineral generally found at higher elevations in semiarid regions.

After being marginalized as a culture due to Western expansion, native artists were able to use these locally mined stones and their skilled craftsmanship for monetary survival. Despite constraints on Native culture, jewelry design and innovation flourished.

Born Of Fire

Regarded as one of the great masters of Pueblo ceramics, Margaret Tafoya (1904-2001) is known for her trademark large black polished ceramics, decorated with traditional imagery of rain clouds, water serpents, bear paws, and other symbols. An award-winning artist, she was recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, and a National Heritage Fellowship.

Four Winds Gallery is proud to be a part of this amazing book written by Charles King. The gallery's Tafoya collection is featured in the book with stunning photographs by Pittsburgh photographer Duane Rieder. This collection will go on exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History on October 3, 2008. Stay tuned for more detailed information. Visit our web site to purchase.