says, some of which she has not even had a chance to see. Many Native artists have inspired, encour-
aged and supported her, starting with the late R.C. Gorman, the Navajo printmaker. She recalls, “He advised me, ‘Pena, don’t get in a rut with your art! Do your own pathway and trust your own talent. Don’t let gallery own- ers rule your life!’ “Fritz Scholder was good at sending me
books on art and letting me know what artists he thought I should go see at the Museum of Modern Art. He encouraged me to be impul- sive. A Native woman painter who is one of my favorite artists to study, as her work is so beautiful, was Helen Hardin. Plus she was a New Mexico woman. “Other Native artists that I admire are
George Morrison, Bob Haozous, Kevin Red Star, Mary Morez, Darrell Vigil, Linda Loma- haftewa and Nadema Agard. This isn’t even beginning to name all the wonderful artists whose work I love. Plus a non-Native artist was Louise Nevelson whom I met at one of her exhibitions at a SUNY [State University of New York] College. I had for years been doing collages but wasn’t sure they were ever going to pass the muster. Her large collage work which is so impressive, so inspiring, helped me feel more comfortable and adventurous with odd-ball materials I can use in collages. I also love Judy Chicago.” While pursuing her art career, Bonita man-
aged to raise an active and artistically talented family. “Going to school and raising three boys was quite a challenge,” she says. “Thankfully all the boys love art. We created a photography darkroom in our hall closet, built our own drawing table and painted everything in sight. Our life was shaped by hardship but we deeply appreciated education, art and the opportuni- ties Brooklyn offered. “We lived across the street from the
Their standard question was, ‘How are we supposed to know what your art is about? It’s too Indian.’ My answer was, ‘Okay, look at my lines, colors and forms if you don’t want the art to contain references to religion, political issues or history.’” Her artwork at Hunter reflected women’s
liberation issues as well as Native political themes. “My early exposure to exhibitions came from women curators who were in- volved with showing women’s art with strong liberation themes,” she says. “My early work reflected these issues. At the time I was taking
a welding class. My art pieces used materials such as pots and pans that I cut up, welded and painted, hung from ropes and nailed to the Cross. The art pieces were transported from Hunter in Manhattan to Brooklyn by subway where I lived. They received many strange re- actions, though mostly positive from women.” After completing Hunter she began to
become established as a major artist with works in major collections. “My involvement in the American Indian Community House Gallery put my art into many New York City and international traveling exhibitions,” she
Brooklyn Museum, which at the time was free to public entrance. The boys attended free art courses offered there. We were privileged to study the touring exhibitions as well as the permanent collections. We returned over and over to see Van Gogh, Warhol, Norman Rock- well, the Hudson Valley painters and so many others. The guards knew us by name. “Behind the Museum is the wonder-
ful Brooklyn Botanical Garden, which we referred to as our front yard and where we buried our dog on the southwest corner, un- known to garden officials.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 21
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