INSIDE NMAI
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WHERETHE GOODS ARE BROUGHT IN
BY LEONDA LEVCHUK ‘‘P
otomac” in the Algonquian language means “where the goods are brought in.” During the first weekend of December, the soaring five-
story Potomac atrium in the National Mu- seum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., will live up to its name. As the site of the 2014 Native Art Market,
it will display the goods of 38 artisans from across the hemisphere. The array of items will include jewelry, pottery, carvings, textiles, beadwork and more. Each artist was selected from a group of 200 applicants. Visitors will find a mix of past participants and some new faces. Each artist will offer items for holiday shoppers and the opportunity to learn more about the materials and process that goes into them. Some of the featured artists include:
DARRYL BEGAY
Darryl Begay, from Gallup, N.M., represents his Tachiinii (Red Streak Extended into Water) People. He wants to bring the Navajo tradi- tion and unique beauty of silver-smithing to a larger audience. He feels his work is important because it shows that this artistry remains alive. He is most proud of his tufa stone jewelry; all are handmade and use one-off casting. This process produces a one-of-a-kind piece, which may take several weeks to complete with the ad- dition of semi-precious stones and chisel- and file-work. “Sometimes I think of my art as cul- tural preservation, so my Navajo culture plays a very important part in my jewelry. I don’t take shortcuts and I use top-grade materials from sterling silver to 18-karat gold.”
HEIDI BIGKNIFE
A Shawnee from Tulsa, Okla., Heidi BigKnife makes her first appearance at the Native Art Market. She brings a contemporary style of necklaces, bracelets and pins. Some of her pieces are made of Lucite. They include chan-
42 AMERICAN INDIAN WINTER 2014 Pendant by Steve La Rance (Hopi)
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS
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