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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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. Navajo, Cody Sanderson, was awarded Best of Show at the 50th Annual Heard Museum Show for "Outside...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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