Indian Fair and Market, Heard Museum

53rd Annual Heard Muesem Guild, Indian Fair and Market, Phoenix, AZ  March 5 and 6 2011

Now from the lush surburban hillsides of La Habra California we travel east on interstate 10 across the vast desolate desert of california and across the great blue shimmering majestic colorado river.  Which takes us into the Grand Canyon state of Arizona and into a rocky lunar landscape littered with monolithic green cacti stretching their prickly limbs into the big blue arizona sky. 

Quartzsite a small little desert community, charming to say the least, but for the avid rock and gem collector a must see place, with gift shops specializing in earthy rock treasures large and small.  After a brief stop at a roadside outdoor market full of gems and natural eye candy, it was off and deeper into the arizona landscape, a few hours later small homes begin to scatter what seems to be an uninhabital enviornment, and soon just beyond the horizon, the downtown Phoenix landscape rises above the desert floor with rocky mountainsides caressing its metropolitan mirage. 

bronze sculpture on the museum grounds

This is the site for the Heard Museums annual indian fair and market, the museum which specializes in native american arts and culture, one of Phoenix's premier museums, has been promoting and coordinating this large scale show for 53 years, bringing native american artist from all parts of the U.S. to show and sell their spiritual heritage through their arts.  A wonderful show indeed which has a long list of programs ranging from native american dance, singing, music, food and indigenous art in a vast array of mediums.  This two day event host a little more than 500 artists and attracts 20 to 30 thousand visitors during the two day festival, a real smorgasborg of artist, collectors, buyers and of course, the curious and the appreciative in native american culture and art. 

downtown Phoenix, AZ

my booth and pottery on display

the museum grounds

people browsing around the festival

of course such events not only bring the native american art community together but friends and family, my Navajo family   from the left my aunt Rosely, Mom, auntie Rosemary, cousing Jonathan, and my Pops, never a dull moment

51st Annual Hillcrest Festival of Fine Arts

HillCrest Festival of Fine Arts

1st place ribbon in the clay and glass division

Up in the charming and lovely community hillside of La Habra Heights, California, sits the quaint, tranquil, spiritual and picturesque congressional church of Hillcrest.  Through out the course of the year the church's main agenda is to bring and share the holy word of God and his unmeasured love to the community and its surrounding areas, but there is one weekend in february that the church allows the spirit of creativity and indiviualist artistic spirit to encompass the church grounds, in the form of its annual Festival of fine arts.  Hillcrest has been a long supporter of the art community for 51 years now, and its always a pleasure and opportunity to show, sell and demonstrate my work, during this 2 day period.  

my demonstration table with my display in the background

"Transitions" a series of  plates mounted on a wood panel 

Demonstrators, demonstrating their work.

"Transistions" hangs proudly in one of the church's gallery rooms

the church grounds of hillcrest and the artshow

Palm Springs Art Festival

The Palms Springs Art Festival, Palms Springs, CA

Oh my friends it was a chilly, blustery, stormy, yet at times a sunny weekend in the desert that is home to such luminaries as Bob Hope, Gene Autry, Sonny Bono and everyone's favorite public station traveler Huel Howser.  During the presidents day weekend last month in February it was weekend with a variety of art festival in the palm springs area one being the Palm Springs Art Festival, located on the palm springs festival grounds near the airport just east of the intersection of Gene Autry Trail and Ramona Blvd. 

This annual juried event which featured 175 artists showing and selling a wide arrange of art in a wide arrange of mediums, is the focal point of this entry.  Having been selected by the events coordinator, during the Native American Art show at the Gene Atury National Center back in november of 2010, I was looking forward to showing and selling for the first time in Palm Springs word out on the streets is the Palm Springinites live a luxurious life style out in that california desert.  But let me tell you brothers and sisters, it was a tough show, sales were modest, the weather was a bit foul, crowds were sparce, but all in all it was a good time. Chatted and met a few of the other artists and spent my evenings at a charming little pub called the Palm Springs Tavern, a fine establishment indeed.  Being an outdoor event, luckily when it rained and it did, it rained during the evening and early morning hours, leaving the days partly cloudy with a chilly wind blowing through the festival grounds, not to mention the snow covered mountains were just spectacular.  However come to think of it when the sun shined its bright rays of light at times it actually became a bit warm.  All in all it was a decent show, it was organized and the staff were friendly and courteous, perhaps next year will be a better year, with better weather, but never a dull moment in the exciting world of art. 

Muzeo / Anaheim Museum

This entry is and has been a long time coming, back in the early 2000's the begining on a new milinieum and very early in my artistic career, I was approached by the what was then the Anaheim Museum, which at that point in time occupied the historic Anaheim Public Library on the corner on Anaheim blvd and broadway.  The Museum at that time had an exciting vision and plans for a total restoration and expansion of their small yet charming museum.  

pottery on display at the Anaheim Museum

 Part of this new development was a permanent exhibition, entitled the History of Anaheim.  This portion of the museums collection  would consist of artifacts that are a part of Anaheims history, from historical records, Disneyland momentos, personal items from the very early residents and community leaders.  Another key component of this exhibition, would represent artifacts that pertained to the very early indigenous people that inhabited the land that was to become Anaheim.  Part of this portion of the exhibit would consists of basketry, ornamental treasure, tools and pottery ware that the early inhabitants would have used in their daily lives.

broken fire pit pottery 

 Some of the items were easily found or collected, however the pottery was a bit of a connundrum to gather for all parties involved with the project.  During this time I was participating in the museums life drawing and painting program that was offered on saturday mornings, a fine program it was.  One day I summoned the courage to share my pottery work with the coordinator of the life painting and drawing program, while impressed with my pottery work, there wasn't much they could offer in terms of showing or selling at the museum.  However a couple months later the coordinator approached me with an offer to construct pottery that would resemble what the indigenous natives would have used and these pots would be used in the permanent exhibition.   An almost instant vision came to my mind as to what these pots should look like and after careful research coupled with enrolling into a semester of ceramics at Fullerton College which gave me the knowledge on raku and pit fired pottery, these are the pots that became the final pieces for the museums permanent collection.

It was an incredibly fun and fulfilling project, to construct and design
the pots.  The overall construction was a no brainer as I was already practing pottery in the hand coiled method, however it was the overall look of the pots that I didn't no how to acquire.  Working in just one methond of ceramics and not having a broader knowledge of the ceramic arts.  It forced me to take a semester of ceramics and understand the method of outdoor pit fired pottery which is somewhat similiar to raku.  This was a wonderful opportunity for me and became a major catalyst in furthering my knowledge and admiration for the ceramic arts.  It also helped me to become more serious about what I was doing and to further inspire me to promote and show my work to a much greater degree.  So if you are in Anaheim, CA please check out the Muzeo/Anaheim Museum, Anaheim's premier establishment for the arts, and make sure you check out their installment of the History of Anaheim.

large terra cotta pot hand coild and pit fired

hand coild hand built pot pit fired for that smokey charred look

entry way in the Anaheim Museum/Muzeo History of Anaheim

the beautiful and new look to the Anaheim Museum, Anaheim, CA

large open bowl hand coiled in red clay body and pit fired

ACGA Clay & Glass National Juried Exhibition

The Brea Gallery in the city of Brea, CA is currently exhibiting ACGA Clay and Glass National Juried Exhibition, with about 400 submissions from across the country, in the medium of Clay and Glass, my piece entitled "Flowers" was one of 80 selected pieces selected for the exhibition which runs between Jan 22 - March 4.  If you are in the city of Brea and have some time to spare, please check out the show, there is an amazing collection of work in the wonderful mediums of clay and glass.  

"Flowers" Handbuilt and painted plates mounted on a 32x32 painted wood panel

Flowers

The Brea Gallery

Yongin, Korea

The pottery journey has taken me to some rather interesting places, from the Pueblo Spanish influenced art community of Santa Fe, New Mexico, to the quaint charming mountain town of Prescott, Arizona, down to the southern desert of Arizona's biggest metropolis Phoenix, and to the breezy, ocean blue and picturesque city of San Diego.  On these adventures I have been privileged to experience different communities and have met some interesting people on the way.  

our friendly guide and interpretor, Kelly

downtown city of seoul

This month's journey took me more than 6300 miles to the southern pennisula of South Korea, and to the modern, contemporary and busy cities of Yongin and Seoul.  Cities that share a rich history of Korean culture, history, traditions and a modern lifestyle that is continuing to grow by leaps and bounds.  

one of a few artists from the association who invited us to her home and studio, which was a highlight  for all of us.

inside the Leeum Samsung Museum of art

ceramic artist in his traditional Korean wardrobe

my artwork, proudly displayed in the gallery

Monet enjoying the food which was no short of amazing.

inside the gallery at Yongin

all us in the artists studio

one of many interesting pieces of public art that is display all around the city

Being affiliated with the Muckenthaler Culture Center, as an instructor, I was invited to participate in an international art exhibit, involving Korean artists and artists from Fullerton.  The Muckenthaler has several sister cities around the world, Yongin, Korea being one of them and it is through these sister city programs that cultures come together to explore and understand their ways of life, through the arts.  

The Korean fine art association of Yongin, Korea its artist, staff and administrative members collectively came together and graciously showed us a damn good time in their country.  Through their kindness and hospitality they organized seven wonderful days of escorting us to the many wonderful cultural establishments throughout Yongin and Seoul.  Art galleries, museums, restaurants, historical sites, performing arts, the modern metropolis of Seoul and the exquisite and the diverse cuisine that Korea has to offer were all part of a well planned intinerary

that made this cultural excursion insightful, memorable and just way too exciting.     

apartment and condos in Yongin, Korea

presentation of lotus tea

the palace was a traditional and historical slice of heaven

our Executive Director getting cozy on the floor

yes it was cold, standing on a frozen lake

the food was amazing, plenty of kimchi and other yummies

Korea was really interesting and fun, the people, the city, the art and the food was just over the top, it was really cold, but it didnt really matter, because we we're so well taken care of and each day was, just as interesting as the other, that the coldness was just all part of the experience, of what is Korea, never a dull moment, oh the liquor Sojou kept us warm, plus all the beer, hite and cass, good times.  One other highlight of the experience was being introduced to the multimedia visual artist and music composer Nam June Paik, he was the Andy Warhol of Korea, amazing, revolutionary and avante garde work, by one of Korea's premiere artist a visionary who was ahead of his times, there is an entire museum dedicated to this unusual yet genius of an artist in Yongin. Too see more pictures on the whole Korean excursion go to the page section on the right hand side and click "Korean pictures" and just scroll down.  Thanks 

Satwiwa Arts and Crafts Festival

Nestled on the quiet outskirts of the Santa Monica mountains just passed Thousand Oaks in the Rancho Sierra Vista community is the quaint and charming Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center. With its abundant nature and hiking trails and a nature center displaying arts, crafts and information regarding the local indigenous natives that inhabit the area, this makes for a unique natural and cultural environment, that is apart of the National Park Service.  Having done a lecture and demonstration back in May of 2011, the kind staff and park rangers were kind enough to invite me to participate in their Dec. 5th art show.