Four Winds Gallery

Indian Market East

2011-11-21T14:25:00.001-05:00

Friday, December 2

6-8pm

Saturday, December 3

10:30am-5:30pm

Four Winds Gallery is excited to welcome Kiowa jeweler Keri Ataumbi, Navajo painter Rhett Lynch, Kiowa beadworker Teri Greeves, and noted pottery scholar and author Charles King who will present contemporary Native American ceramics. If you can't make it to the gallery to meet the artists, many of the works will be available online beginning Friday, December 2.

Indian Market is a 90-year Santa Fe tradition which brings the most gifted Native American artists from across the United States together with thousands of visitors and collectors. Indian Market East will extend this cross-cultural dialogue to the Pittsburgh region. Centered on Native self-expression, Indian Market reflects the work of generations of artists and ranges from time-honored traditions to cutting edge contemporary art.

Four Winds will present a program of lectures and demonstrations that will reveal the vitality and excellence of today's Native American arts.

Events will be held at
Four Winds Gallery
5512 Walnut St
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

We hope you will join us!

Join us for the return of First Fridays, May 6 with new paintings by Rhett Lynch!

2011-05-02T16:38:00.014-04:00

Four Winds is excited to present the work of acclaimed Navajo painter Rhett Lynch, opening May 6, 5-8pm

Inspired by the exhilaration of Mexican bull fights and the passion of Picasso's flamboyant lifestyle, Lynch paints with a delightful vivacity. Vibrant and spiritual, his paintings have captured the imaginations of collectors worldwide. To view one of Lynch's paintings is to be drawn into a world of ever-deepening color and mystical multi meaning. On May 6, Four Winds will unveil a series of paintings that embody the native belief that knowledge presents itself in many forms, even that of the tiny hummingbird; our responsibility is to be willing to listen.
We are also excited to kick off this summer's First Fridays with a special event to benefit the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. In honor of Mother's Day we will be donating part of the proceeds from all sales May 6 to benefit victims of abuse. This includes online sales... so start shopping and help out! And as always, Friday from 5-8pm join us in the gallery for refreshments and entertainment!

Meet Frank Buffalo Hyde

2010-11-04T13:52:00.014-04:00

Four Winds is excited to welcome acclaimed painter Frank Buffalo Hyde to the gallery. Come meet him Friday, November 5 from 6-8pm!

Frank Buffalo Hyde has won acclaim juxtaposing commonplace objects with Native iconography, wryly commenting on the depiction of his heritage; it is often treated as no more than a brand, complete with logos. Tracing his roots to the Nez Perce and Onondaga people, Hyde deals with the “fragmented contemporary life” of a Native American U.S. citizen in his complex paintings. A typical composition includes a depiction of a Native figure or artifact alongside a mass-produced object, floating amid a field of dots or bright color. The results are hectically layered motifs, equal parts humor and anger.

Born in Santa Fe, Hyde grew up in central New York, and then returned to New Mexico to study at the Santa Fe Fine Arts Institute and the Institute of American Indian Arts. He has been exhibiting his work for over 15 years – since he was 18 – showing in many Santa Fe galleries as well as in Chicago, New York and San Francisco. In 2009 he was awarded a solo exhibition

Carol Krena in Whirl!

2010-10-29T14:29:00.011-04:00

Check out this great feature of exceptional metalsmith Carol Krena's work in Whirl Magazine

Special thanks from Four Winds!

2010-10-26T15:40:00.015-04:00

Four Winds Gallery would like to thank everyone that came out this weekend for the opening of Guardian Spirit!

Mira, Carol and Roxanne each brought us some fantastic pieces, showcasing their immense talent! Special thanks also to Ken and Dan LeDonne for making us some great wooden display stands that really showed off Carol's work! To see the Guardian Spirit pieces, visit our website and check out our Flickr page for more great photos of the event!

Guardian Spirit

2010-10-13T11:59:00.012-04:00

Four Winds Gallery is excited to announce the opening of our next exhibition, Guardian Spirit!

New and retrospective works by ceramicist Roxanne Swentzell, woodworker Mira Nakashima, and metalsmith Carol Krena will be presented in our Walnut Street gallery on October 22-23, 2010. The exhibition is a first time collaboration, featuring an assembly of career-spanning pieces. The skills of each artist illuminate the personalities of each piece of wood, metal, stone and bit of clay, letting forms arise in their adept hands. This honoring of material and tradition moves beyond the functional limits of furniture, figural sculpture, and jewelry. We are honored to have the opportunity to share their illuminating work, and hope to see you there!

Meet the Artists:
Friday, October 22
6-8pm
Saturday, October 23
11am-5pm

Four Winds Gallery 35th Anniversary

2009-10-26T15:34:00.011-04:00

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!

2009-06-14T15:08:00.003-04:00

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

2009-04-02T14:25:00.009-04:00

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?

2009-02-27T15:03:00.004-05:00

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

2009-01-27T12:12:00.004-05:00

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

2008-12-07T14:34:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-27T16:24:00.006-04:00

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

2008-09-03T16:22:00.006-04:00

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

2008-08-13T12:50:00.005-04:00

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

2008-07-21T16:15:00.011-04:00

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

2008-06-11T14:07:00.005-04:00

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

2008-05-19T11:49:00.004-04:00

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.

Perry Shorty

2008-05-05T14:34:00.005-04:00

Perry shorty is a young Navajo jewelry maker who has found his niche in the classic period which began in the late 1920's and early 1930's. He's a stickler for quality and won't sacrifice it for quantity. He began making jewelry after working in a store in Gallup selling materials to artists and seeing what they were getting for their work. What started out as making a few extra dollars has become a career for this 43 year old Pentecostal preacher. He doesn't produce as much as he used to but spends more time preaching fire and brimstone. See our web site for more of his work.

Cody Sanderson Awarded Best of Show

2008-04-19T14:00:00.000-04:00

Navajo, Cody Sanderson, was awarded Best of Show at the 50th Annual Heard Museum Show for "Outside The Cube" which showcased his unique talent. This amazing piece is a working, silver smithed version of the Rubik's cube with different designs for each side of the cube.

Contemporary Southwestern Jewelry

2008-04-02T11:56:00.000-04:00

Four Winds Gallery is pleased with the release of the book "Southwestern Contemporary Jewelry" by Diana F. Pardue. Carrying many of the artists featured in this amazing publication is an honor for us. For information on purchasing the book see our web site. The following is from the inside flap and perfectly describes the book.

Challenging the traditional look of Native American turquoise and polished silver, a group of contemporary Southwest artists are creating stunning jewelry using rough metals and stones of all kinds. Abstract configurations twist through wristbands, weave through necklaces, and transform the art of jewelry making. Beginning in the early 1950s, Hopi artist Charles Loloma, Navajo silversmith Kenneth Begay, Mexican/Mission jeweler Preston Monongye, and others emerged with a new style of Native American jewelry. Contemporary Southwestern Jewelry delves into their lives, allowing us to better understand their revolutionary motives, methods, and sources of inspiration. Native American jewelry of today, though carved, cast, and stamped much differently from its predecessors, still celebrates the freedom and beauty found in nature that have been interpreted by American Indians for thousands of years.

Diana Pardue is author of Shared Images: The Innovative Jewelry of Yazzie Johnson and Gail Bird (2007) and The Cutting Edge: Southwest Jewelry and Metalwork (1997). She has written articles about jewelry for Ornament, American Indian Art, and Frontdoors magazines. She is curator of collections at the Heard Museum, where she has worked since 1978.

Keri Ataumbi

2008-03-15T15:58:00.003-04:00

We are pleased to announce the addition of jewelry by Keri Ataumbi to our gallery. Keri's says of her work that it "is in the unique category of wearable art. In creating this type of jewelry the artist develops a concept and design, addresses the relationship between object and the body and thus engages in and deepens the discussion of fine art. My jewelry falls into the category of ‘wearable art’ as it has a conceptual narrative exploration at its core. This enquiry happens through an exploration of imagery and materials to create a small sculpture complete upon its own, as well as worn on the body. Informed by current visual culture, the history and theory of modern art and my personal aesthetic, my goal is to create work that strives to embrace contemporary jewelry making strategies by applying artistic methodologies that are different from traditional design processes. Different in that their dynamic comes from a content-based enquiry rather than ‘tried and true’ design, marketability or a traditional form."

Edward S. Curtis

2008-02-19T16:13:00.007-05:00

Edward Sheriff Curtis was born in 1868 in Wisconsin, and at the age of 19 moved to the Puget Sound. After constructing his own camera he began photographing the Native Americans of the Washington state waterfront. He went on to photograph on a major expedition with naturalist John Muir and ornithologist John Burroughs. On this trip he photographed his first major series of Native Americans. George Bird Grinell, the editor of Forest & Stream magazine, had Curtis spend a season with the Piegan and Blackfoot tribes of northern Montana, and Curtis began to realize he was viewing the passing of a great race and set himself to the task of preserving it through photographic documentation, and ethnological notes.

This process began in 1897 with his first exhibit in 1904. The first nine years of his work were self-financed until he met President Theodore Roosevelt who introduced him to J.P. Morgan. All told Morgan and his estate contributed half of the total $1,500,000 cost of Curtis' life work. Curtis focused on the Native Americans west of the Mississippi beginning in the southwest with the Apache, Jicarilla, and Navajo. He tried to participate in the daily life of the tribes he photographed, and in 1922 he became a Snake Priest in the Hopi Snake Ceremony.

Curtis and his assistant W.E. Myers documented over 10,000 native songs as well as biographical studies such as Crow Bull Chief's tracing Crow history through ten chiefs. He studied the Little Big Horn Battlefield with three Crow scouts who guided Custer's command and interviewed Sioux participants about their memories of the battle. What became a thirty year project and included the study of over eighty tribes, yielded 40,000 photographs, a twenty volume set of books with 500 editions entitled "The North American Indian" each with 300 pages and a total of 1500 photogravure prints. Each volume also had an accompanying portfolio of 36 or more copperplate photogravures totaling 722 plates.

Curtis died in 1952 at the age of 84 with little acclaim and nearly penniless, but he succeeded in capturing images of a way of life drastically changing by the time he completed his work in the 1930's.

Four Winds Gallery is lucky to still have in it's collection two goldtones, over 60 signed original platinum prints, over 100 portfolio gravures and over 100 volume gravures. Please see our web site for information or contact us.

Repousse

2008-01-22T15:19:00.000-05:00

We wanted to take a moment to explain a term that appears quite a bit on our web site for those of you who aren't jewelry makers or sellers. The term is repousse, (pronounced rupoosay). It is the process or the product of ornamenting metal with designs in relief pushed or hammered out from the back. The metal is pushed but, its thickness remains the same. The process is of ancient origin, having been employed by most early civilizations. Above is repousse work done by Cody Sanderson. Cody often stamps the outline of the raised area and darkens it as well. Visit our web site for more examples by artists such as Thomas Curtis, Alex Sanchez and Harry Begay.

Zuni Knife-Wing

2007-12-13T10:58:00.000-05:00

The Zuni Knife-wing figure was a favorite among tourists during the early 1900's. As described by anthropologist Frank Hamilton Cushing, who lived with the Zunis from 1879-1884:

"This curious god is the hero of hundreds of folklore tales, the tutelary deity of several societies of Zuni. He is represented as possessing a human form, furnished with flint knife-feathered pinions, and tail. His dress consists of the conventional terraced cap (representative of his dwelling place among the clouds)... His weapons are the Great Flint-Knife of War, the Bow of the Skies (the Rainbow), and the Arrow of Lightning. His guardians or warriors are the Great Mountain Lion of the North and that of the upper regions. He was doubtless the original War God of the Zunis."

Zuni silversmith Horace Iule is credited with creating the first knife-wing design in the late 1920s. His first one was cut and filed out of wrought silver. Loved by Indian traders, they asked him to make more. Later, the knife-wing became one of the first designs that the Zuni jewelry artists inlaid with stones.

Exhibit Opens Friday

2007-11-28T21:29:00.000-05:00

Pictured above is a stunning Helen Hardin painting and a small taste of the jewelry that will be on display and for sale in this exhibit. Please join us if you can or contact us for inquiries about the collection.

Upcoming Event

2007-11-08T13:10:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to announce the opening of our exhibit, "Tradition And Innovation, Masterworks In Native American Art". This event includes paintings by R.C. Gorman, Helen Hardin and Fritz Scholder as well as the jewelry of Charles Loloma, Leekya and John Gordon Leak. These are only a few of the masters of Native American arts included in this recently purchased collection. We feel honored to offer these works to the public and invite you to view them on site or on our web page following the exhibition's opening on November 30, 2007.

Cody Sanderson Goes To The Heard Museum

2007-10-20T15:42:00.000-04:00

This unusual piece shows the amazing range of Cody Sanderson's metal smithing and design ability. It is a tea infuser that opens when you pull up on the lower handles, and the movement is so smooth. We sold this infuser quite some time ago to a loyal customer of ours and now the piece is going to the Heard Museum for an exhibit entitled "Young Jewelers." Cody will by one of eight prominent jewelers in the exhibit, and we are so proud to carry his work, especially an amazing design like this.

Our Space

2007-09-24T12:19:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have never been to our gallery in Shadyside, Pittsburgh, we though we would share a view of our wonderful space with you. It's a great place to visit with so many beautiful things. Come by when you get a chance.

Leekya Deyuse

2007-09-20T11:59:00.000-04:00

Leekya Deyuse's work draws the highest prices of all Zuni fetishes. Because of it's historic and artistic value, authentic Leekya Deyuse fetishes and jewelry are eagerly sought by Museums, Institutions, and collectors alike. While Leekya was a prolific artist, much of his work has not survived and rarely do new pieces come to market. Leekya Deyuse prices have been steadily rising. Fetish carvings from Leekya Deyuse sell for $2,000 - $40,000. His work is even sold at Sothebys.

Cody Sanderson

2007-09-06T14:52:00.000-04:00

The joys of Cody Sanderson's work are many. Cody creates solid pieces that don't skimp on the silver. He embellishes the inside and the outside of his work putting the wearer in tough with the design in both a visual and tactile way. Cody uses traditional patterns and design while mixing them with contemporary ones. His work is stunning and will blend with other Native American Jewelry as well as non-Native American Jewelry. He is an extremely versatile designer and an equally amazing person.

Norbert Peshlakai

2007-09-05T16:29:00.000-04:00

We first met Norbert in the late 1970 and were immediately taken with his use of traditional techniques and handmade tools, (Norbert makes all his own stamps and dies where as others buy theirs). Norbert's work is completely different and immediately recognizable. His style is all his own. For example, the s curves in his bowls are made by hammering steel guitar strings into the silver. He is a true artist and we are so happy to have not only a large collection of his work, but the new pieces pictured here.

New Web Site

2007-09-04T19:41:00.000-04:00

We have been working on a new web site design which will be ready to launch some time in September. This is an early stage mock-up of the site, but many design changes have been made since this version. We don't want to give away the surprise completely. We are quite excited about the changes which include not only a new look but more of our amazing gallery stock for you to view. As the world moves forward into a more technological place, Four Winds Gallery is doing more than ever to keep up. This blog is a part of that effort. Our hope is that you will have a better feel for what we have to offer as well as a better understanding of the culture of our art. Access is everything, and we will try to give you better access to the amazing world of Four Winds.

Indian Market

2007-08-27T16:39:00.000-04:00

John has just returned from his 32nd Santa Fe Indian Market and was amazed at the overall quality and depth of the work. In addition to the pieces by Four Winds established designers, John purchased work from several young, up and coming artists who he felt were doing innovative and modern work that is still linked to their native roots. John was buying from Eileen Rosetta, whose work is features at the top, and looked into the next booth and saw Vickie Tortalita , a jeweler that John had done business with years ago and lost touch with. Eileen, Vickie's daughter, was a little girl then, running around the market and now is a jeweler in her own right.

Alex Sanchez, whose work is featured below Eileen's, is a new Navajo jeweler that we purchased from this year. his work is a bit more traditional and stunningly done. The prices are very modest as well. Stop by the gallery to see more by these artists or give us a call at 421-682-5092. You can always purchase by phone at Four Winds.

New George Nakashima

2007-08-08T10:47:00.000-04:00

Four Winds Gallery is proud to announce the recent acquisition of a large collection of stunning George Nakashima furniture. Pictured here is a Free Edge Coffee Table in English Walnut. This piece is classic example of George's later work with the stunning wood grain, organic free edges and gorgeous burled texture.

In conjunction with the acquisition of this new collection and the August 31st - October 28th Nakashima Revealed Exhibition at Carnegie Mellon University, Four Winds Gallery is hosting An Evening With Mira Nakashima, the current Artistic and Business Director of the Nakashima legacy. Mira is an amazing furniture designer in her own right as well as George's daughter. For more information contact Four Winds Gallery.

Loloma Cuff

2007-08-02T23:50:00.000-04:00

This is a stunning piece in our collection from the master metal smith Charles Lolama. It is a sandcast cuff in sterling with a gold bezel.

Charles Loloma Biography - Loloma was born on January 7, 1921. His father was a Hopi Indian, Rex of the Sand and Tobacco Clan. His mother, Rachel Loloma was from the Badger Clan. His father was an accomplished weaver and moccasin maker and his mother was and excellent basket maker. The Loloma family lived in a traditional Hopi village. Over the years Charles Loloma developed a sense of design, dedication and meticulousness that was considered to be the Hopi way; in which art is not different from daily life. Loloma attended day school as a child. His talents were recognized by his teachers and he was encouraged to draw and paint. Charles finished high school in 1941. By that time he was an accomplished artist in his community and received many commissions.

As many others, Loloma was drafted into the army in 1941. He became a camouflage expert and was stationed in Missouri. From there he spent time in the Aleutians as an engineer. In 1942 he married Otellie Pasivaya. Loloma returned to her village, Second Mesa, after he was discharged in 1945. With the help of the GI Bill, Charles attended the School for American Craftsmen at Alfred University. There he studied design, mechanical drawing, ceramic chemistry and marketing.

Loloma applied for a Whitney Foundation Fellowship. With the grant he studied the clays used by Hopi Indians. Through his experiments he proved that shale clays would turn into a glaze if fired at high temperatures. During his stay at Alfred Loloma also discovered he wanted to pursue an occupation as an artist. He and his wife set up a shop in the Kiva Craft Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. After several years of working with clay and weaving Loloma decided to try making jewelry. He continued to make and sell his jewelry in his shop. He was a self-taught silversmith. Loloma did find some help in a book called The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths. Loloma's early work was mainly cast objects designed in a traditional Hopi fashion. Loloma also taught part-time at Arizona State College and in Sedona during summers. He was able to formulate ideas on design and gather information on selling and marketing through these various experiences. Loloma and his wife were the first Indians to successfully run a pottery shop. Because of this they received attention that inevitably helped their business.

In 1962 the Institute of American Indian Arts was founded. Loloma was appointed head of plastic arts and sales departments. Loloma traveled to Paris in 1963. While in Paris, his jewelry was modeled in fashion shows and exhibited in private shows. After this visit he returned to the Institute in Santa Fe where he remained until 1965. He then went back to his village in Hotevilla. Soon after his return he divorced his wife and remarried. He built a studio in his home and continued making jewelry.

Loloma believes his most important contribution to the field was what he called "inner gems". These were hidden stones in his jewelry, once the jewelry was put on you could no longer see the gems on the inner side of the jewelry. These gems were to indicate inner beauty of the wearer. Usually these gems were more valuable than the gems on the outside of the jewelry.

Loloma received many awards and prize and is represented in numerous collections nationwide. In 1972 he was featured in two films, one called Three Indians and the other, Loloma. Loloma passed away in 1991and his studio no longer produces jewelry.

Shawn Bluejacket

2007-07-18T19:34:00.000-04:00

We are always happy when new work by Shawn Bluejacket comes into the gallery. Her unique style is very popular with our clients as well as our staff. Shawn's work is a gorgeous combination of gold and silver, detailed wire work, amazing gems, symmetry and asymmetry and beautiful hand worked surface decoration. She is a prolific artist who's work is an important part of our contemporary jewelry collection.

Just A Couple Of Our Jars

2007-07-16T15:12:00.000-04:00

This is a wonderful jar from the Gallegos Collection, maker unknown. It's circa 1925, Zia Polychrome Jar with Birds and Rainbow Band.

This amazing jar is a Geometric Polychrome Jar by Lucy M. Lewis (1898-1992). Acoma 1960's
Anasazi Design

Sterling, Gold & Coral By Carol Krena

2007-07-09T20:14:00.000-04:00

As you may have read in the Four Winds Gallery Bio, we are lucky to be the only gallery that carries the work of Carol Krena. This is one of many pieces we are currently offering in the gallery. The cuff bracelet is stunning, with a gorgeous coral cabochon and the lyrical swirl. The texture and two beads of gold are the icing on the cake.