Nizhoni Ranch News

Special Visitor !

I could not help but share this wonderful photo with you of this beautiful Dragonfly If I measured - it would probably be 5" long. Simply beautiful! He or she came into the gallery after a wonderful rain which refreshed everything around Nizhoni Ranch. Be sure to scroll down to see all of the photos of this beauty!

We say thank you for the visit and as the Navajos interpret the visit of this beautiful messenger from the gods - August will be an exciting month for us - bringing many blessings and recognition for the beautiful Navajo weavings we will be entering into Ceremonial and sharing with all in Santa Fe.

We will keep you posted and updated as things progress. If you are going to Santa Fe be sure to call us for a personal viewing of the special weavings from Ceremonial and more.

I finally coaxed our little friend outside after 3 days of hide and seek in the gallery. He flew behind this basket and I was able to carry him outside, basket and all. He just hung out letting me take several videos and photos. Just before he decided to take off I took this shot. I am sure he was looking at me!! The other amazing thing was after he flew off he went to my rose bush and it looked like he pushed a large bug off a leaf and if fell down onto a leaf below. It turned out to be another dragonfly - I wonder if it was his mate! They flew around the front yard for a long while, I stood and watched them. What a thrill. I could look at him all day - so beautiful!

Back to Nizhoni Ranch News Blog

Inter-Tribal & Santa Fe

This is one of many weavings that will be finished up and ready for judging at the Gallup Inter-Tribal All Indian Ceremonial We will be posting the entries on our website soon, so you will get the first viewing of the special weavings to be judged! Stay Tuned !!

Below is a little history about the Gallup Inter-Tribal All Indian Ceremonial and Indian Market in Santa Fe..

INTER-TRIBAL CEREMONIAL AND INDIAN MARKET

Later this month, New Mexico will truly be the center of the Native American art world.

Two events will be drawing thousands of spectators and artisans alike during the month of August. In Gallup, it’s the Inter-Tribal Ceremonial which runs from August 11 th through the 14 th .

Then, a week later attention shifts to Santa Fe for the renowned Indian Market, August 20 th -21 st .

Both events are in their 95 th year but while they highlight Native American culture there’s also some differences.

The Inter-Tribal is just that, with more than 40 different tribes represented. While it’s primarily members of southwestern tribes from New Mexico and Arizona, others are from around the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Gallup is itself the perfect place for the Inter-tribal, with about 43% of the local population being Native Americans, primarily Navajo, Hopi and Zuni. While it started in the early 20’s it wasn’t so much about preserving the culture as it was to lure in automobile tourists to Gallup instead of crossing the West through other routes. Mike Kirk, who had a trading post about 20 miles west of Gallup worked with the Kiwanis Club and Chamber of Commerce to make this happen, getting some land from the Santa Fe Railroad who also wanted to see more people travel. By 1931, local businesses and civic groups were joining in, and earlier that year the Gallup Lions, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs sent out thousands of pieces of literature to other clubs throughout the country, asking for it to be handed out at weekly meetings. By 1939 the state legislature designated the Inter-Tribal Ceremonial a state institution, with attendance now in the thousands.

What started first as a tourist-oriented affair soon grew into an event focusing on Native American arts, crafts, music and culture. Now, most of the events in Gallup are held at Red Rock State Park. The atmosphere is more like a homecoming and family reunion combined, with plenty of family events, a parade, a rodeo, dancing, music, and of course lots of food.

You can also think of this as almost a county fair for the different tribes with all the competitions. But, instead of entries for the best quilt or largest pumpkin, the focus is pure art created by Native Americans. Dazzling displays of paintings, jewelry, pottery, photography and textiles, specifically woven rugs. This is where the artistry created by Master Navajo weavers truly shines with vivid colors and stunning, complex patterns.

Thousands of non-Indians as well come to take it all in, to learn more from the Native American cultures and to admire, and perhaps buy some of the art on display here. The Executive Director for the Inter-Tribal Ceremonial expects about 50,000 spectators during the four day event.

A week later, thousands will be descending on the galleries, Central Plaza and nearby streets of Santa Fe, as the Santa Fe Indian Market opens. Run by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, the organization calls it the largest and most prestigious intertribal fine art market in the world. Looking at the competing pieces which often change hands afterwards for thousands of dollars, it’s truly a place to see the best of the best in textiles, jewelry, pottery, basketry and more. It’s unique, premium art with an edge, literally the cutting edge of these ever evolving art forms.

Several different groups were involved in the beginning of this first-class event. A political action organization formed by a group of women and the Museum of New Mexico focused on establishing and protecting human rights for the Indian population in the state. First called “Indian Fair” it was created in 1922 by the Museum of New Mexico as part of the Santa Fe Fiesta. The museum continued as a sponsor until 1926, and the last Indian Fair was in 1931.

In 1936, the New Mexico Association on Indian Affairs took over and modeled it on Mexican village outdoor markets, running on Saturdays in the summers with artists expected to sell their own work under the Palace of the Governor’s portal. This evolved in the Fiesta Indian Markets until 1962. But, there were problems with how it was set up and declining prize money amounts.

Things started changing and turning around later in the 1960’s. It was pottery that really started the boom, with more and more people coming to meet the artists and potters who gathered. The Southwestern Associations for Indian Arts says Indian Market overtook the Inter-Tribal Ceremonial in 1970 “as the premier Indian Art Show.”

Booths now number several hundred, with over a thousand artists. Total prize money now totals $90,000 going to artists, art fellowships and mentoring workshops. It’s not about just competition, buying and selling, however. Indian Market It’s a platform for these Native American artists to introduce their unique talents to the world while building relationships with collectors and other artists. On their website, the chief operating officer for SWAIA speaks of how the artists’ works are tied to their cultural identity.

In both events, there are plenty of winners, and not just those taking home ribbons and prize money. It’s all the artists who win, as they push their talents to higher levels and make new connections. It’s the collectors and fans of the different art forms who win, as they’re exposed to what’s truly the best of the best. And, it’s the cultures of these different tribes who win, as the excitement and ingenuity in new creations carries the art forward. And…who knows what could be sparked from this year’s Inter-Tribal Ceremonial and Santa Fe Indian Market? You’ll have to come see it for yourself, to get a glimpse of the future of Native American art and artistry.

Back to Nizhoni Ranch News Blog

London Touts Navajo Weavings!

LONDON FINANCIAL TIMES ARTICLE by Virginia Blackburn : June 14, 2016

c1870 Historic Navajo Late Classic Serape Museum Quality Governor Axtell's Navajo Blanket $37,500 from Nizhoni Ranch Gallery

Below is an excerpt from the article published in the London Financial Tmes "How to Spend It".....

The striking geometric chief’s blanket hanging in the bedroom of property investor Peter Herfurth’s Tucson home looks surprisingly modern, given that it was created in the 19th century. This Navajo weaving was passed down to Herfurth by his parents, and he has inherited their collecting passion too. “I started buying in 1981 and by 2002 I was an avid collector,” he says. He spends between $5,000 and $180,000 for the best work and owns some 40 pieces, chosen primarily for their design and colour. (some pieces purchased from Nizhoni Ranch Gallery in Sonoita, AZ)**

Today the weavings created by the Navajo people of the southwestern United States are considered some of the most desirable of all Native American textiles. In 2012, California’s John Moran Auctioneers sold a chief’s blanket from the mid-19th century for $1.8m. This represented a considerable leap in prices; until then the very best pieces went for around $650,000-$750,000. But the rarity value, combined with the fact that the bold designs are suited to modern interiors, means that these rugs and blankets are highly sought after.

One UK dealer drawn to the Navajo designs is Cotswolds-based Brian MacDonald. “I sell them when I can find them,” he says, “but good examples are hard to come by outside the US. The last one I sold was a two-tone c1900 rug for £1,000. It was bought by an interior decorator for a London apartment and looked great on the wooden floor.”

A distinction to be made between blankets and rugs…. The blankets were primarily produced for the Navajo themselves and tend to have simple banded designs, whereas the rugs were intended for a wider commercial market and are more complex. The latter were produced in what is known as the “transitional period”, from around 1890 to 1915, and the finest examples sell for between $35,000 and $60,000.

“The rugs came in after trading posts were established,” says Steve Getzwiller, who runs the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery in Sonoita, Arizona. Among his wide range of stock is a c1900-1910 Germantown Storm Pattern rug for $12,500, while a beautiful striped 1870s blanket that once belonged to Samuel Beach Axtell, governor of New Mexico Territory at the time of Billy the Kid, is $45,000.

Another popular area for collectors is rugs dating from about 1900 to 1925, which start at around £5,000. “These are known as ‘dazzlers’,” says Jan E Finch, partner at London-based Finch & Co, a specialist in ethnographic art that sometimes sells Navajo pieces, “as there is a lot of movement and colour in the geometric shapes.”

But not all collectors want to be dazzled. “I look for natural colours of the desert,” says Fred Klein, an attorney based in Frankfurt who fell in love with these textiles while working in the US in the 1980s. “I bought my first one in New Mexico and now have about 35, including several chief’s blankets.” Many of his pieces were bought from Nizhoni Ranch Gallery. “But I’ll have to stop buying now – I’ve run out of wall and floor space.”

c1900-1910 Germantown Wool Storm Pattern rug, $12,500 from Nizhoni Ranch Gallery

**italic added Back to Nizhoni Ranch News Blog

Article on Elsie Bia

We are very excited that one of our Churro Collection Master Weavers was featured as a Focus Artist in the March 2015 edition of Western Art Collector Magazine.

Congratulations to Elsie Bia !!!

Following family traditions

Elsie Bia hails from the Chinle area of the Navajo Reservation and is one of the last of many generations of master weavers. Her family herds sheep on the land overlooking Spider Rock in Canyon de Chelly, among the most sacred places in the center of Navajo country.

The very depth of her work is awe-inspiring. It seems that there is virtually nothing she can’t accomplish geometrically when singing her songs at the loom.

Elsie, an award-winning weaver, learned the tradition and techniques from her grandmother, as most youngsters do. She is in good company, as some of her relatives are also famous weavers; Ruth Ann Tracy, Irene Bia, Helen Bia, Ellen and Lucy Begay. The talent of this family is apparent in the design and tightness of the weave, often complex – always elegant.

Elsie carries on the 400-year tradition and artwork of the Navajo and recently joined the famous Navajo Churro Collection Legacy. Elsie’s Churro Collection weavings are featured at the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery in Sonoita, Arizona.

Navajo weavings have been made on the same traditional upright loom throughout history. The continuous warp is wrapped by hand on the upright loom, and the design, or weft, is meticulously laid in by hand. The designs magically emerge with color and symmetry, one strand of wool at a time. Elsie’s weavings are some of the finest examples you will see today. They display beautifully on the wall and would last for decades on the floor.

Click here to view more of Elsie Bia's Weavings

Click here to go back to blog Nizhoni Ranch News

Happy 4th to All

Churro 1450 woven by Kathy Marianito

4th of July Nizhoni Style Wishing all a safe and happy holiday.

Back to Nizhoni Ranch News Blog

3rd Phase Chief Blanket Bedspread ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST CELEBRITY STYLE

Read the full article here: ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST – CELEBRITY STYLE

"I’ve become more of a minimalist, and I’ve learned that from Calvin,” Kelly says, referring to her marriage to fashion icon Calvin Klein as well as her years working in his design studio." AD Click the photo above for more photos of Kelly Klein's getaway.

Back to Nizhoni Ranch News Blog

Click here for more interior design ideas from NRG.

Woven Holy People Exhibition and Sale

The Yei Be Cheis are still dancing at the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery's Woven Holy People Show. Here are some Restless ones moving about the gallery.

Click on the images to see more photos, pricing, and availability.

3215 : Yei Navajo Rug : Christine Chischilly: 34″ x 60″: $3500 (pg. 34 "Award Winner!)

B25 : Yei Be Chei Navajo Weaving $2,700- By award winning Lula Brown pg 34

2087: Yei Be Chei Navajo Rug Woven By Louise Yazzie $4,500 pg 33

Navajo Yei Be Chei Tapestry woven by Della Woody $3,650 pg 33

3219 : Pictorial Yei Navajo Rug : Christine Chischilly : 53″ x 30″: $2250

3202 : Foxtail Yei Navajo Weaving Woven by Ruby White (right) : $1,250

1998 : Yei : Shayne Ahidlley (left) $600

Navajo Rugs Moving Around on the Gallery Walls!

Steve said that after looking at these corners designs and noticing the similarity he did a little digging and found this weaving in our archives of Evelyn Yazzie with one of her rugs. He remembers her telling him that this corner design was passed down to her from her mother and grandmother.

Evelyn Yazzie with her Granddaughter and our son Sean(5yrs. old) 

Evelyn said this is a family design and not shared with other weavers. So it appears that Evelyn is related to the Sandpainting weaver of the weavings above from the 1930s. The attribution of this weaver, from Steve's research, appears to be Altnabah daughter of Migelito (Red Point) a very important Navajo Medicine Man of this time. Migelito was from Evelyn's area of the Navajo Reservation so she must also be a descendant. Many early Sandpainting Weavings were made by relatives to Medicine Men, who would have helped them with the correct way to weave the design and the ceremonial clearance as well.

Steve said, "I have been doing this for so long and seen so many Navajo Rugs, and I have never seen this design anywhere else, kind of narrows it down. Our son in the photo with Evelyn is now 38 so the photo above would have been taken in 1982.

They look so good hanging together! MUCH BETTER!!

Here is a link to the Large Whirling Log Sandpainting Weaving and one to the smaller Germantown Night Skies Sandpainting Weaving.

One more shot of the Gallery with Della Woody hanging around the corner. More re-arranging to come before the show ends the end of May.

Native American Art Forms

Quick Links to other Native American Art and Jewelry

Jewelry

Basketry

Fetishes

Select Native American Art Forms!

All items are guaranteed handmade by Native American Artists. We have wonderful pottery, baskets, kachinas and paintings that Steve has been collecting just for you….

Don’t hesitate to call or email for more information or to inquire about your specific needs directly.

Contact us for pricing at steve@navajorug.com or call (520) 455-5020 OR CLICK HERE TO BUY with Paypal.

Rare Yei 1939 Navajo Rug possibly from 1939 San Francisco World's Fair

Vintage Navajo Rug from 1939 - because of the date woven in the rug, most likely woven at San Francisco World's Fair or commissioned for it. Navajo weavings demonstrations were beg attractions at this time. Pictured here with Arts & Crafts furnishings. Part of the "Woven Holy People" Exhibition & Sale. The Show will hang through May 2016. Be sure to call for an appointment to see the show and all the Nizhoni Ranch has to offer. A beautiful place inside and out!

Click here to see all of the Woven Holy People Textiles for Sale

View a Video of this weaving on Youtube – click here.

Click the image below to read more about and view more photographs of this weaving .

GHT 2168 : Antique Navajo Foxtail Yei : Circa 1939 !! : 76″ x 43″ : pg 15 of the Catalog Back to Nizhoni Ranch News Blog

Nizhoni means Beautiful

Indian Paintbrush Wild Flowers In the Pasture At Nizhoni Ranch Gallery. Growing wild at Nizhoni, a very special treat, since this plant has often been used as a natural dye by the Navajo in their Navajo Rugs. They would gather it and use a family tested recipe to turn it into a beautiful dye. Steve and Gail chose a fitting name for our Gallery. Nizhoni means Beautiful in the Navajo language. The spring rains have brought out the color in our high desert landscape. We thought you might enjoy a few glamour shots!

The view from our office window can't get much better !

Back to Nizhoni Ranch News Blog

Native American Art Magazine April/May 2016 Article about 'WOVEN HOLY PEOPLE SHOW' Hangs through May

Native American Art Magazine April/May 2016 Issue feature article about 'Woven Holy People' Exhibition and Sale at Nizhoni Ranch Gallery.

Below is the article in easy to read format. Enjoy!! A SACRED SUBJECT Always in demand, they are an art form considered rare and highly prized by collectors of Native American art. Navajo weavings, specifically pictorials centered on sandpaintings, Yeis and Yei Be Cheis, are the stars of Woven Holy People now on display at Nizhoni Ranch Gallery in Sonoita, Arizona. While it’s pretty unusual to find more than a handful of this particular style of weaving in one place, this current show features more than 60 of these intricate and incredibly complicated weavings which hold truly special meanings to the Diné, the Navajo people. Sandpaintings are considered an integral part of blessing or healing ceremonies to cure aperson’s physical or spiritual ills. While sandpaintings themselves are temporary, a weaving like this is permanent, which is why sandpainting rugs or blankets can be controversial as it depicts certain revered figures. The Yeis and Yei Be Cheis are isolated elements of the ceremonies themselves, and considered to be sensitive and sacred imagery, according to gallery owner, dealer and collector Steve Getzwiller. “A weaver has to have gone through the ceremonies and received clearance so to speak from the medicine man and the spirits of the Diné,” says Getzwiller. “The design will flow then through them to the loom.” Getzwiller says it’s the detail and depth of the pieces on exhibit which is so impressive, partly because of the total scarcity of material to begin with. “Less than 1 percent of Navajo weavings even go in that direction,” according to Getzwiller. “That’s always been the case, and that’s why they are so rare. Some of it dates from 1900 to the present time, which predates what’s conventionally thought to be the time frame the earliest ones were made in. It’s the best things I’ve been able to put together… and have seen in my career. One piece, Beauty Way Sandpainting Weaving, which won Best of Textiles and Best of Category in sandpaintings last summer at the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup, New Mexico, took weaver Selena Yazzie two years to create (some sandpainting weavings often take longer). However, this 2015 winner is actually based on an old design. “It’s taken from an antique piece I had years ago,” says Getzwiller. “It would have been woven in the Lukachukai area. If you look at how some of the headdresses are coming out of the border…I’ve seen three or four in this style. That was the weaver’s particular signature, and what it does is add dimension." Another piece, Storm Pattern/Yei Be Chei, is from the 1930’s, and is one Getzwiller considers rare. “The proportions are pretty unusual. The three Yeis in the center are females and the guy with the green shirt, he’s the Talking God, the head of the Yei Be Chei ceremony. All “I’m a collector first and foremost. That’s why I’m in this business,” he adds. Unlike Getzwiller’s earlier exhibits, all pieces in this show are for sale. He simply feels it’s time. “You only have the opportunity to own something for 20, 30, 40 years, and then it has to pass on to someone else. That is my goal and objective with my collection now is to place it in the hands of somebody else who’s going to appreciate it as much as I did for a period of time.” The setting for this could not be more perfect, in the spacious gallery, which is also Getzwiller’s home in the ranching grasslands of southeastern Arizona. The peace and tranquility of the location only adds to the experience; a perfect spot to view something so sacred and meaningful to the Navajo culture. Woven Holy People runs through May 28th.