Quail Creek Crossing - An Expert Share the story of Navajo Rugs - September 2017

{"id":8932707664094,"title":"The Show Must Go On!","handle":"gone-but-never-forgotten","description":"\u003cp\u003eSteve Getzwiller quietly left this world on August 23rd , 2023 at the age of 74. He left it a more beautiful place, though, having elevated the artistry of Navajo weavings and those who created them up to a whole other level.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe was born March 4th, 1949, to Marion and Kathryn “Kay” (Harrigan) Getzwiller in Benson, Arizona. He was the fourth generation of his family to grow up in the ranching life of southeastern Arizona. As a kid he often hung around the Amerind Foundation in Dragoon, a museum and research center for Native American arts and culture, and was inspired to study anthropology at the University of Arizona. When he was 18, he traded his childhood collection of .22 rifles for his first Navajo rug. After college, he started carving out his own path as a trader on the reservation, buying and selling pawn jewelry and weavings much like famous traders Hubbell or J.B. Moore did generations earlier. But again, he took it to another level. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the beginning of his Nizhoni Ranch Gallery first in Benson and later in Sonoita. His truck was his office on four wheels, crisscrossing the Navajo Nation often without a paved road or map but going on instinct. For more than 50 years, he worked closely with weavers, not just by selling their pieces, but so much more. “There’s definitely mutual respect,” he once said, describing the collaborative\u003cbr\u003erelationships he developed. “I’m their banker, employer, counselor, and friend. Their problems become my problems.” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteve and his wife Gail were family to them. Steve helped to bring back the churro sheep to the Navajo. He also wanted to preserve the past, and bring recognition to works of unknown weavers of the 19th and early 20th century. Steve Getzwiller’s book, “The Fine Art of Navajo Weaving” with photographs by Ray Manley, introduced the old along with contemporary weaving to countless others beyond the Southwest. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike his dad, a world champion rodeo star, Steve was pretty quiet about his life. As he once said, “The goal of my life’s work with the Navajo weavers has been to see how far I can push the envelope, how much I can help improve contemporary Navajo weaving and bring it to the highest level possible.” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe family will continue Steve's legacy by offering the finest Navajo weavings available!\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-30T12:59:31-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-30T12:50:48-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46888065302750,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":null,"requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"The Show Must Go On!","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":1,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":null,"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SteveGetzwiller-photocreditGuyAtchley-crop2.jpg?v=1748635009","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/048_f39a9606-fda0-4200-b49e-9a9a53c66755.jpg?v=1748637543","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Dye_Artists_2_Roans.jpg?v=1748637543","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Steve_and_Kathy.jpg?v=1748637543","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Churro_1124ws_56b6e3bb-f548-4bad-aaf0-191e67a7e2a3.jpg?v=1748637543","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DSC08944.jpg?v=1748637543","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Steve_and_Navajo_weavers_1.jpg?v=1748637543","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/churro_eyedazzler_1130_W.jpg?v=1748637543","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DSC00301.jpg?v=1748637543","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DSC00102.jpg?v=1748637543","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/received_719648785124147.jpg?v=1748637543","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Marian_1.jpg?v=1748637543","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DSC09402.jpg?v=1748637543"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SteveGetzwiller-photocreditGuyAtchley-crop2.jpg?v=1748635009","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36358112542942,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.243,"height":1356,"width":1685,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SteveGetzwiller-photocreditGuyAtchley-crop2.jpg?v=1748635009"},"aspect_ratio":1.243,"height":1356,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SteveGetzwiller-photocreditGuyAtchley-crop2.jpg?v=1748635009","width":1685},{"alt":null,"id":36358263668958,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.339,"height":1936,"width":2592,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/048_f39a9606-fda0-4200-b49e-9a9a53c66755.jpg?v=1748637543"},"aspect_ratio":1.339,"height":1936,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/048_f39a9606-fda0-4200-b49e-9a9a53c66755.jpg?v=1748637543","width":2592},{"alt":null,"id":36292072997086,"position":3,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.343,"height":680,"width":913,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Dye_Artists_2_Roans.jpg?v=1748637543"},"aspect_ratio":1.343,"height":680,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Dye_Artists_2_Roans.jpg?v=1748637543","width":913},{"alt":null,"id":36358249939166,"position":4,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.51,"height":788,"width":1190,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Steve_and_Kathy.jpg?v=1748637543"},"aspect_ratio":1.51,"height":788,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Steve_and_Kathy.jpg?v=1748637543","width":1190},{"alt":null,"id":36358212878558,"position":5,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.333,"height":1920,"width":2560,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Churro_1124ws_56b6e3bb-f548-4bad-aaf0-191e67a7e2a3.jpg?v=1748637543"},"aspect_ratio":1.333,"height":1920,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Churro_1124ws_56b6e3bb-f548-4bad-aaf0-191e67a7e2a3.jpg?v=1748637543","width":2560},{"alt":null,"id":36358144196830,"position":6,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.333,"height":1920,"width":2560,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DSC08944.jpg?v=1748637543"},"aspect_ratio":1.333,"height":1920,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DSC08944.jpg?v=1748637543","width":2560},{"alt":null,"id":36358213927134,"position":7,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.449,"height":2056,"width":2980,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Steve_and_Navajo_weavers_1.jpg?v=1748637543"},"aspect_ratio":1.449,"height":2056,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Steve_and_Navajo_weavers_1.jpg?v=1748637543","width":2980},{"alt":null,"id":36358213894366,"position":8,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.322,"height":1681,"width":2223,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/churro_eyedazzler_1130_W.jpg?v=1748637543"},"aspect_ratio":1.322,"height":1681,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/churro_eyedazzler_1130_W.jpg?v=1748637543","width":2223},{"alt":null,"id":36358213828830,"position":9,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.333,"height":1920,"width":2560,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DSC00301.jpg?v=1748637543"},"aspect_ratio":1.333,"height":1920,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DSC00301.jpg?v=1748637543","width":2560},{"alt":null,"id":36358213796062,"position":10,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.333,"height":1920,"width":2560,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/DSC00102.jpg?v=1748637543"},"aspect_ratio":1.333,"height":1920,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.na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Getzwiller quietly left this world on August 23rd , 2023 at the age of 74. He left it a more beautiful place, though, having elevated the artistry of Navajo weavings and those who created them up to a whole other level.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe was born March 4th, 1949, to Marion and Kathryn “Kay” (Harrigan) Getzwiller in Benson, Arizona. He was the fourth generation of his family to grow up in the ranching life of southeastern Arizona. As a kid he often hung around the Amerind Foundation in Dragoon, a museum and research center for Native American arts and culture, and was inspired to study anthropology at the University of Arizona. When he was 18, he traded his childhood collection of .22 rifles for his first Navajo rug. After college, he started carving out his own path as a trader on the reservation, buying and selling pawn jewelry and weavings much like famous traders Hubbell or J.B. Moore did generations earlier. But again, he took it to another level. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the beginning of his Nizhoni Ranch Gallery first in Benson and later in Sonoita. His truck was his office on four wheels, crisscrossing the Navajo Nation often without a paved road or map but going on instinct. For more than 50 years, he worked closely with weavers, not just by selling their pieces, but so much more. “There’s definitely mutual respect,” he once said, describing the collaborative\u003cbr\u003erelationships he developed. “I’m their banker, employer, counselor, and friend. Their problems become my problems.” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteve and his wife Gail were family to them. Steve helped to bring back the churro sheep to the Navajo. He also wanted to preserve the past, and bring recognition to works of unknown weavers of the 19th and early 20th century. Steve Getzwiller’s book, “The Fine Art of Navajo Weaving” with photographs by Ray Manley, introduced the old along with contemporary weaving to countless others beyond the Southwest. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike his dad, a world champion rodeo star, Steve was pretty quiet about his life. As he once said, “The goal of my life’s work with the Navajo weavers has been to see how far I can push the envelope, how much I can help improve contemporary Navajo weaving and bring it to the highest level possible.” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe family will continue Steve's legacy by offering the finest Navajo weavings available!\u003c\/p\u003e"}

{"id":8921353060574,"title":"How Steve Getzwiller's Passion for Collecting Turned into The Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","handle":"how-steve-getzwillers-passion-for-collecting-turned-into-the-nizhoni-ranch-gallery","description":"\u003ch3 style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Beginning of the Getzwiller Collection \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Steve overlooking Canyon de Chelly\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/IMG_2276_c4253fea-aba6-4a49-9277-8a34177c9874_large.JPG?v=1484528276\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 0px;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNizhoni Ranch Gallery is built on tradition and a passion for the Native People of the Southwest. The unfolding into a world-renowned gallery took more than a few turns over the last 45+ years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis quiet cowboy, whose ranching heritage goes back generations through Arizona and New Mexico territorial days and clear back to the Republic of Texas, is considered one of the premier collectors and dealers of Navajo weavings in the country.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the beginning, Steve Getzwiller’s truck served as a mobile office during his monthly (sometimes bi-monthly) journeys to the Navajo reservation. As he turned off the highway onto little more than a dirt trail, bouncing across the deep ruts, his cowboy hat slid back and forth across the dashboard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe knew just about every spot on the rez where he could get a cell phone signal. When he had one, he took the opportunity to check in with his wife, Gail, back home. For Steve, these visits weren't purely business.  “It’s more a family relationship than a business one,” he says. “It’s a collaborative partnership, and when you consider I’m working exclusively with the same weavers and their children (grand children now) for 10, 20, 30 years and more, that tells you something about the relationship.” Which is, truly, a deep one. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome of the ladies he works with are now in their 90s, (their ages range from 30s - 90s), and very few of the youngsters are taking up the craft.   \u003cspan\u003e“There’s definitely mutual respect,” he says. “I’m their banker, employer, counselor, friend. Their problems become my problems.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteve knows the region well. He grew up on a ranch just east of Tucson, Arizona, and spent a lot of time as a kid around the Amerind Foundation in Dragoon, a museum and research center for Native American arts and culture. Archaeologist Charles C. Di Peso, who directed the foundation for 30 years until his death in 1982, helped to spark Steve's imagination and inspired him to study anthropology at the University of Arizona. It was then that Steve began collecting Navajo Rugs at the first opportunity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e “I was able to afford my first Navajo rug when I was 18 by trading my childhood collection of 0.22 rifles,” Steve says. “After I got out of college, I just went out and started living it…traveling to the reservation and buying and selling pawn jewelry and Navajo weavings.” At that time, he made the eight-hour trek twice a month. “In the early days, when all the trading posts were there, there was a lot of distance between trading posts, brokering the sale of several of the trading post rugs,” he recalls. “The traders used to call me a ‘hogan hopper’ when I started working directly with weavers. Interestingly enough, I’m one of the last ones standing.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePart of Steve’s success can be attributed to the fact that from the beginning he was not simply interested in the sale, but also in enabling the women to market their work to the world. He encouraged them to experiment and expand their designs while keeping many of the traditional patterns. His philosophy dovetailed with the Diné (Navajo) to preserve their own culture while incorporating the best of others into it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“The goal of my life’s work with the Navajo weavers has been to see how far I can push the envelope, how much I can help improve contemporary Navajo weaving and bring it to the highest level possible,” Steve says.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/products\/book-the-fine-art-of-navajo-weaving\" title='Click to view the Steve Getzwiller book \"Fine Art of Navajo Weaving\" about Navajo Rugs'\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Making History - A collaboration never done before! Results - A Masterpiece. - a Ray Manley photograph\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Ellen_Smith_Steve_grande.jpg?v=1484529534\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px;\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003eBy 1984, Steve wrote the book, “\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/products\/book-the-fine-art-of-navajo-weaving\" title=\"This is the first book that those who are serious about Navajo Rugs and Blankets reach for. Get yours today!\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Fine Art of Navajo Weaving\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e” with the encouragement of Ray Manley. \u003cem\u003e(photograph by Ray Manley: Steve and Ellen Smith at her loom) On the right, Steve sits with Master Weaver Ellen Smith (she is featured on the cover of the Fine Art of Navajo Weaving). \u003c\/em\u003eBetween Ray’s photographs, Steve’s connections and knowledge, and several trips to the Navajo Reservation, they co-published what turned out to be the best-selling book on Navajo Weaving.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSome of the special Burntwater Rugs Steve commissioned were featured in \u003cem\u003e\"The Fine Art of Navajo Weaving\"\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/pages\/burntwater\" title=\"Burntwater Navajo Rug Style Information\"\u003eYou can read more about the \u003cem\u003eBurntwater\u003c\/em\u003e style of rugs by clicking here\u003c\/a\u003e and Arizona Highways Magazine.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor all he’s done to improve the quality of the Navajo Rug and their marketability, Getzwiller has been likened to turn of the 19th century traders with the Navajo, Juan Lorenzo Hubbell and J.B. Moore.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday Steve encourages the use of the traditional Churro wool, which comes from a sheep species that was nearly wiped out twice by the federal government, but still managed to survive. (This fifth-generation cattleman even purchased his own flock, which is now in the care of a Navajo family.) He has also introduced silk and alpaca fibers to traditional weavers, creating a new market of “wearable art.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteve wanted to give the weavers the recognition they deserved. Starting with his Polaroid camera, he would take photographs of the weavers with their rugs. He has boxes of old photographs going back to the 1970's, containing stories to be told and memories of some very great Navajo weaving artists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteve also collects historic weavings \u003cspan\u003emany of them fine antiques from different periods\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003cspan\u003e “There’s no way of knowing who the early weavers were,” he says. “I can identify certain weavers by their weaving style and quality, but not who she was.  That was his inspiration to \u003c\/span\u003eestablish the Navajo Churro Registry.  It records each piece along with the artist who created it. “In a hundred years there will be no doubt who the weaver was and exactly which rugs they have created.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Navajo Rug Traders and Ray Tracy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Navajo_Traders_and_Ray_Tracy_large.jpg?v=1505257800\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 10px;\"\u003eSteve Getzwiller, Ray Tracy (wearing a Navajo Silk Poncho from the Navajo Churro Collection), and Bill Malone, famous Hubbell Trading Post Trader (now in Gallup).  They were all in Santa Fe for Indian Market. They are standing in front of a display of the Navajo Churro Collection Rugs. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ray Tracy is a famous Navajo Jeweler\/Designer, Actor \u0026amp; Model.  If you ever get a chance to visit with Steve in person, he will be glad to tell you a few tall tales about Ray and Bill. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eIn 2000, the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery opened in Sonoita, Arizona. This new venue allowed Steve and Gail to offer Navajo rugs to the public in a new way; clients could come and see the weavings in a ranch house setting, up close and personal!   \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 2016, the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery started presenting exhibitions of Navajo Weavings at the gallery in Sonoita.  Collectors and those who appreciate authentic Navajo weavings of the highest quality come from all over the world  to view these weavings in person.  At exhibition opening celebrations,  Master weaver, Elsie Bia comes to the gallery with her loom to show the incredible art of Navajo weaving.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eContinuing Traditions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Little Chief Sean models one of the Navajo Chief Blankets\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Chief_Sean_1980_medium.jpg?v=1484526640\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px;\"\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNow that the Churro Sheep are back, weaving continues to be an important part of the Navajo's life!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eFor Steve and Gail, hardly a day goes by without them sending a deposit on a rug to a weaver or receiving a photo of a rug on the loom under construction. Every day, the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery office is also busy communicating with clients across the globe and assisting gallery visitors. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSteve and Gail are determined to continue helping the Navajo weaving tradition stay alive. It is important to keep \u003cem\u003eall\u003c\/em\u003e of the Navajo Traditions alive, including the Navajo language, customs, ceremonies, art, etc. They value and respect the Navajo in all ways as one of the nation’s first indigenous people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Gail with daughter Jamie, and son Sean\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/On_top_of_the_mountain_large.jpg?v=1484526664\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eAs the Getzwiller collection was being built, Gail was home with the kids and running the cattle ranch when Steve went on buying trips. In the 1970's and early 80's, there were no paved roads on the Navajo Reservation, no hotels, no GPS and no cell phones.  Sometimes days went by without communication between Gail at the Getzwiller ranch and Steve on the reservation.  Many stories can be told about that!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDue to this, Gail was on her own, fixing everything from fences to broken water pipes, as Steve went from one place to another camping in the back of an old suburban each night on the Navajo Nation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the Getzwillers still collecting, there are plenty more stories to come. Check out our blog from time to time for news about what is going on around the Nizhoni Ranch. We will try to let you in on some of the stories on the back roads of the Navajo Nation and more. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"entry\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-21T12:48:21-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-21T12:48:21-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46796780175582,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":false,"name":"How Steve Getzwiller's Passion for Collecting Turned into The Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":0,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":"","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/IMG_0183_58ec2304-0adf-4b23-8f18-3930436fd9f5.jpg?v=1748635621","\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/1SteveGetzwiller.jpg?v=1748635621"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/IMG_0183_58ec2304-0adf-4b23-8f18-3930436fd9f5.jpg?v=1748635621","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36358141411550,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.5,"height":1365,"width":2048,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/IMG_0183_58ec2304-0adf-4b23-8f18-3930436fd9f5.jpg?v=1748635621"},"aspect_ratio":1.5,"height":1365,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/IMG_0183_58ec2304-0adf-4b23-8f18-3930436fd9f5.jpg?v=1748635621","width":2048},{"alt":null,"id":36300104466654,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.665,"height":2500,"width":1663,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/1SteveGetzwiller.jpg?v=1748635621"},"aspect_ratio":0.665,"height":2500,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/1SteveGetzwiller.jpg?v=1748635621","width":1663}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003ch3 style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Beginning of the Getzwiller Collection \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Steve overlooking Canyon de Chelly\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/IMG_2276_c4253fea-aba6-4a49-9277-8a34177c9874_large.JPG?v=1484528276\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 0px;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNizhoni Ranch Gallery is built on tradition and a passion for the Native People of the Southwest. The unfolding into a world-renowned gallery took more than a few turns over the last 45+ years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis quiet cowboy, whose ranching heritage goes back generations through Arizona and New Mexico territorial days and clear back to the Republic of Texas, is considered one of the premier collectors and dealers of Navajo weavings in the country.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the beginning, Steve Getzwiller’s truck served as a mobile office during his monthly (sometimes bi-monthly) journeys to the Navajo reservation. As he turned off the highway onto little more than a dirt trail, bouncing across the deep ruts, his cowboy hat slid back and forth across the dashboard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe knew just about every spot on the rez where he could get a cell phone signal. When he had one, he took the opportunity to check in with his wife, Gail, back home. For Steve, these visits weren't purely business.  “It’s more a family relationship than a business one,” he says. “It’s a collaborative partnership, and when you consider I’m working exclusively with the same weavers and their children (grand children now) for 10, 20, 30 years and more, that tells you something about the relationship.” Which is, truly, a deep one. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome of the ladies he works with are now in their 90s, (their ages range from 30s - 90s), and very few of the youngsters are taking up the craft.   \u003cspan\u003e“There’s definitely mutual respect,” he says. “I’m their banker, employer, counselor, friend. Their problems become my problems.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteve knows the region well. He grew up on a ranch just east of Tucson, Arizona, and spent a lot of time as a kid around the Amerind Foundation in Dragoon, a museum and research center for Native American arts and culture. Archaeologist Charles C. Di Peso, who directed the foundation for 30 years until his death in 1982, helped to spark Steve's imagination and inspired him to study anthropology at the University of Arizona. It was then that Steve began collecting Navajo Rugs at the first opportunity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e “I was able to afford my first Navajo rug when I was 18 by trading my childhood collection of 0.22 rifles,” Steve says. “After I got out of college, I just went out and started living it…traveling to the reservation and buying and selling pawn jewelry and Navajo weavings.” At that time, he made the eight-hour trek twice a month. “In the early days, when all the trading posts were there, there was a lot of distance between trading posts, brokering the sale of several of the trading post rugs,” he recalls. “The traders used to call me a ‘hogan hopper’ when I started working directly with weavers. Interestingly enough, I’m one of the last ones standing.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePart of Steve’s success can be attributed to the fact that from the beginning he was not simply interested in the sale, but also in enabling the women to market their work to the world. He encouraged them to experiment and expand their designs while keeping many of the traditional patterns. His philosophy dovetailed with the Diné (Navajo) to preserve their own culture while incorporating the best of others into it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“The goal of my life’s work with the Navajo weavers has been to see how far I can push the envelope, how much I can help improve contemporary Navajo weaving and bring it to the highest level possible,” Steve says.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/products\/book-the-fine-art-of-navajo-weaving\" title='Click to view the Steve Getzwiller book \"Fine Art of Navajo Weaving\" about Navajo Rugs'\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Making History - A collaboration never done before! Results - A Masterpiece. - a Ray Manley photograph\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Ellen_Smith_Steve_grande.jpg?v=1484529534\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px;\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003eBy 1984, Steve wrote the book, “\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/products\/book-the-fine-art-of-navajo-weaving\" title=\"This is the first book that those who are serious about Navajo Rugs and Blankets reach for. Get yours today!\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Fine Art of Navajo Weaving\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e” with the encouragement of Ray Manley. \u003cem\u003e(photograph by Ray Manley: Steve and Ellen Smith at her loom) On the right, Steve sits with Master Weaver Ellen Smith (she is featured on the cover of the Fine Art of Navajo Weaving). \u003c\/em\u003eBetween Ray’s photographs, Steve’s connections and knowledge, and several trips to the Navajo Reservation, they co-published what turned out to be the best-selling book on Navajo Weaving.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"float: right;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSome of the special Burntwater Rugs Steve commissioned were featured in \u003cem\u003e\"The Fine Art of Navajo Weaving\"\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/pages\/burntwater\" title=\"Burntwater Navajo Rug Style Information\"\u003eYou can read more about the \u003cem\u003eBurntwater\u003c\/em\u003e style of rugs by clicking here\u003c\/a\u003e and Arizona Highways Magazine.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor all he’s done to improve the quality of the Navajo Rug and their marketability, Getzwiller has been likened to turn of the 19th century traders with the Navajo, Juan Lorenzo Hubbell and J.B. Moore.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday Steve encourages the use of the traditional Churro wool, which comes from a sheep species that was nearly wiped out twice by the federal government, but still managed to survive. (This fifth-generation cattleman even purchased his own flock, which is now in the care of a Navajo family.) He has also introduced silk and alpaca fibers to traditional weavers, creating a new market of “wearable art.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteve wanted to give the weavers the recognition they deserved. Starting with his Polaroid camera, he would take photographs of the weavers with their rugs. He has boxes of old photographs going back to the 1970's, containing stories to be told and memories of some very great Navajo weaving artists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteve also collects historic weavings \u003cspan\u003emany of them fine antiques from different periods\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003cspan\u003e “There’s no way of knowing who the early weavers were,” he says. “I can identify certain weavers by their weaving style and quality, but not who she was.  That was his inspiration to \u003c\/span\u003eestablish the Navajo Churro Registry.  It records each piece along with the artist who created it. “In a hundred years there will be no doubt who the weaver was and exactly which rugs they have created.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Navajo Rug Traders and Ray Tracy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Navajo_Traders_and_Ray_Tracy_large.jpg?v=1505257800\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 10px;\"\u003eSteve Getzwiller, Ray Tracy (wearing a Navajo Silk Poncho from the Navajo Churro Collection), and Bill Malone, famous Hubbell Trading Post Trader (now in Gallup).  They were all in Santa Fe for Indian Market. They are standing in front of a display of the Navajo Churro Collection Rugs. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ray Tracy is a famous Navajo Jeweler\/Designer, Actor \u0026amp; Model.  If you ever get a chance to visit with Steve in person, he will be glad to tell you a few tall tales about Ray and Bill. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eIn 2000, the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery opened in Sonoita, Arizona. This new venue allowed Steve and Gail to offer Navajo rugs to the public in a new way; clients could come and see the weavings in a ranch house setting, up close and personal!   \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 2016, the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery started presenting exhibitions of Navajo Weavings at the gallery in Sonoita.  Collectors and those who appreciate authentic Navajo weavings of the highest quality come from all over the world  to view these weavings in person.  At exhibition opening celebrations,  Master weaver, Elsie Bia comes to the gallery with her loom to show the incredible art of Navajo weaving.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eContinuing Traditions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Little Chief Sean models one of the Navajo Chief Blankets\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Chief_Sean_1980_medium.jpg?v=1484526640\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px;\"\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNow that the Churro Sheep are back, weaving continues to be an important part of the Navajo's life!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eFor Steve and Gail, hardly a day goes by without them sending a deposit on a rug to a weaver or receiving a photo of a rug on the loom under construction. Every day, the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery office is also busy communicating with clients across the globe and assisting gallery visitors. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSteve and Gail are determined to continue helping the Navajo weaving tradition stay alive. It is important to keep \u003cem\u003eall\u003c\/em\u003e of the Navajo Traditions alive, including the Navajo language, customs, ceremonies, art, etc. They value and respect the Navajo in all ways as one of the nation’s first indigenous people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Gail with daughter Jamie, and son Sean\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/On_top_of_the_mountain_large.jpg?v=1484526664\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eAs the Getzwiller collection was being built, Gail was home with the kids and running the cattle ranch when Steve went on buying trips. In the 1970's and early 80's, there were no paved roads on the Navajo Reservation, no hotels, no GPS and no cell phones.  Sometimes days went by without communication between Gail at the Getzwiller ranch and Steve on the reservation.  Many stories can be told about that!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDue to this, Gail was on her own, fixing everything from fences to broken water pipes, as Steve went from one place to another camping in the back of an old suburban each night on the Navajo Nation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the Getzwillers still collecting, there are plenty more stories to come. Check out our blog from time to time for news about what is going on around the Nizhoni Ranch. We will try to let you in on some of the stories on the back roads of the Navajo Nation and more. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"entry\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e"}

{"id":8921342181598,"title":"History of the Getzwiller Navajo Churro Collection","handle":"history-of-the-getzwiller-navajo-churro-collection","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/1ea6c87e1b7c0e93a0d2d1051a6c4e4c.jpg?v=1747769313\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn the 1990s the quality and uniqueness of Navajo weavings was on the decline.  Steve met with an old friend, Ray Dewey, in Santa Fe and they discussed how the quality of Navajo weavings could be improved.  The answer was improve the quality of the wool and dyes.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor hundreds of years Churro sheep have been the center of Navajo life.  Navajo churro wool was the first weaving wool of the Navajo Nation because of its low lanolin content, long staple and translucent qualities.  Unfortunately the churro sheep were nearly exterminated by outside forces.  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/collections\/historic\" title=\"Getzwiller Historic Navajo Rug Collection\"\u003eGetzwiller Historic Textile (GHT) collection\u003c\/a\u003e exists beautiful pieces that are 100 years old, woven with Churro wool.  Which confirms \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003echurro wool is the best and only becomes better with time.  T\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehis conclusion planted the seed with Steve to bring Navajo churro wool back to the loom.  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSteve was able to find the source of the Navajo Churro Registry where the genetics were being perfected for a better fleece.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNext, Steve found dye artists to dye the wool by hand for what would later be called the \u003ca title=\"Churro Collection\" href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/collections\/churro-collection?sort_by=price-ascending\"\u003e'Navajo Churro Collection'\u003c\/a\u003e.  Though it seems like a simple thing, this took several years to put together. The final step was finding the best weavers on the Nation who were willing to use the Churro wool. The weavers were thrilled with the wool and loved the new colors (Indigo, Cochineal and the highest quality dyes from Switzerland). With that, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/collections\/churro-collection\" title=\"highest quality Navajo weavings created with churro sheep wool\"\u003eNavajo Churro Collection\u003c\/a\u003e was born.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe result of this project is history making in itself. For one thing the Navajo Churro Sheep are no longer on the endangered species list. Some of the very best master weavers of the Navajo nation are able to work on projects in the Navajo Churro Collection that they otherwise would not be able to do. They are given the very best wool which is hand dyed and custom spun ready for them to weave on their loom; the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery supports them through the weaving process even if it takes years for them to complete. A registry is kept of each weaving documenting the weaver, a photo of her, and the weaving. It is very important that in 100 years from now, the weavers will be recognized for their work.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Navajo Churro Collection Weaving project is playing a part in preserving the Navajo weaving art in the Navajo culture. The Navajo Churro Collection celebrates the Navajo weavers and the art of the loom. The Nizhoni Ranch Gallery exclusively offers these weavings to the world, which represent some of the finest Navajo weavings ever made. Steve and Gail will continue their work and hope that one of the benefits of this project will be for young Navajos to take up this very difficult and beautiful art form, as it is a legacy well worth preserving.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eToday “\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/collections\/churro-collection?sort_by=price-ascending\" title=\"Churro Collection\"\u003eThe Navajo Churro Collection\u003c\/a\u003e” is a premier collection of contemporary Navajo Weavings, which are exclusively commissioned by Steve, from the Churro wool he provides to some of the most capable Navajo-weaving artists of today.  The fleece of this registered line of Churro sheep is of the highest quality available.  All of the wool is completely hand washed and custom spun.  The dyes utilized consist of natural vegetal dyes and the finest Swiss aniline dyes.  All colors are dyed by hand in small batches to achieve the highest grade of variegated reach hues.  The natural wool colors are also custom spun to create rich and variegated grays, browns, and tans.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/2_1f5f497c-0c02-4efc-8f6c-7a5f2b6d2b28.jpg?v=1747769728\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eNavajo Churro Master Weavers, (L to R) Elsie Bia, Gloria Hardy and Cara Yazzie\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-21T12:44:43-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-21T12:37:28-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46796470943966,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"History of the Getzwiller Navajo Churro Collection","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":1,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":"","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/1218_Navajo_Germantown_Rug_large_208d267f-d439-4cca-8a58-947bf3206e58.jpg?v=1747857806"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/1218_Navajo_Germantown_Rug_large_208d267f-d439-4cca-8a58-947bf3206e58.jpg?v=1747857806","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36300153356510,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.055,"height":455,"width":480,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/1218_Navajo_Germantown_Rug_large_208d267f-d439-4cca-8a58-947bf3206e58.jpg?v=1747857806"},"aspect_ratio":1.055,"height":455,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/1218_Navajo_Germantown_Rug_large_208d267f-d439-4cca-8a58-947bf3206e58.jpg?v=1747857806","width":480}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/1ea6c87e1b7c0e93a0d2d1051a6c4e4c.jpg?v=1747769313\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn the 1990s the quality and uniqueness of Navajo weavings was on the decline.  Steve met with an old friend, Ray Dewey, in Santa Fe and they discussed how the quality of Navajo weavings could be improved.  The answer was improve the quality of the wool and dyes.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor hundreds of years Churro sheep have been the center of Navajo life.  Navajo churro wool was the first weaving wool of the Navajo Nation because of its low lanolin content, long staple and translucent qualities.  Unfortunately the churro sheep were nearly exterminated by outside forces.  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/collections\/historic\" title=\"Getzwiller Historic Navajo Rug Collection\"\u003eGetzwiller Historic Textile (GHT) collection\u003c\/a\u003e exists beautiful pieces that are 100 years old, woven with Churro wool.  Which confirms \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003echurro wool is the best and only becomes better with time.  T\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehis conclusion planted the seed with Steve to bring Navajo churro wool back to the loom.  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSteve was able to find the source of the Navajo Churro Registry where the genetics were being perfected for a better fleece.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNext, Steve found dye artists to dye the wool by hand for what would later be called the \u003ca title=\"Churro Collection\" href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/collections\/churro-collection?sort_by=price-ascending\"\u003e'Navajo Churro Collection'\u003c\/a\u003e.  Though it seems like a simple thing, this took several years to put together. The final step was finding the best weavers on the Nation who were willing to use the Churro wool. The weavers were thrilled with the wool and loved the new colors (Indigo, Cochineal and the highest quality dyes from Switzerland). With that, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/collections\/churro-collection\" title=\"highest quality Navajo weavings created with churro sheep wool\"\u003eNavajo Churro Collection\u003c\/a\u003e was born.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe result of this project is history making in itself. For one thing the Navajo Churro Sheep are no longer on the endangered species list. Some of the very best master weavers of the Navajo nation are able to work on projects in the Navajo Churro Collection that they otherwise would not be able to do. They are given the very best wool which is hand dyed and custom spun ready for them to weave on their loom; the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery supports them through the weaving process even if it takes years for them to complete. A registry is kept of each weaving documenting the weaver, a photo of her, and the weaving. It is very important that in 100 years from now, the weavers will be recognized for their work.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Navajo Churro Collection Weaving project is playing a part in preserving the Navajo weaving art in the Navajo culture. The Navajo Churro Collection celebrates the Navajo weavers and the art of the loom. The Nizhoni Ranch Gallery exclusively offers these weavings to the world, which represent some of the finest Navajo weavings ever made. Steve and Gail will continue their work and hope that one of the benefits of this project will be for young Navajos to take up this very difficult and beautiful art form, as it is a legacy well worth preserving.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eToday “\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.navajorug.com\/collections\/churro-collection?sort_by=price-ascending\" title=\"Churro Collection\"\u003eThe Navajo Churro Collection\u003c\/a\u003e” is a premier collection of contemporary Navajo Weavings, which are exclusively commissioned by Steve, from the Churro wool he provides to some of the most capable Navajo-weaving artists of today.  The fleece of this registered line of Churro sheep is of the highest quality available.  All of the wool is completely hand washed and custom spun.  The dyes utilized consist of natural vegetal dyes and the finest Swiss aniline dyes.  All colors are dyed by hand in small batches to achieve the highest grade of variegated reach hues.  The natural wool colors are also custom spun to create rich and variegated grays, browns, and tans.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/2_1f5f497c-0c02-4efc-8f6c-7a5f2b6d2b28.jpg?v=1747769728\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eNavajo Churro Master Weavers, (L to R) Elsie Bia, Gloria Hardy and Cara Yazzie\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e"}

{"id":8932488446174,"title":"City Sun Times: Take A Trip To The Past: Nizhoni Ranch Gallery - Sep 2014","handle":"city-sun-times-take-a-trip-to-the-past-nizhoni-ranch-gallery-sep-2014","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/SCT1.jpg?v=1748626237\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/SCT2.jpg?v=1748626284\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFor Online Reading Ease:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch1 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eTake A Trip To The Past:  Nizhoni Ranch Gallery\u003cbr\u003eBy Susan Sorg\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSeptember 2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA trip to the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery is more than a drive to Sonoita.  It’s a journey into the proud heritage and culture, reaching back centuries through timeless fiber arts.  Experience the finest in Navajo weavings, presented by a man who knows it best and is considered the country’s leading expert in this field: Steve Getzwiller with more than 40 years of experience working with the finest of Navajo weavers, he’ll guide visitors through a dazzling display of rugs, blankets and “wearable art.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Nizhoni Ranch Gallery collection is direct from the land of the Navajo to Sonoita, painstakingly handmade by artists whose families have followed the traditions of weavers for generations.  Now, their work, their creations made in the shadows of Monument Valley and other regions of the Navajo reservation can become part of another family’s home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this hilltop setting overlooking the rolling grasslands of Sonoita, one is not far from longtime cattle ranches going back to Arizona territorial days.  It’s the perfect setting for viewing antique saddle blankets and other vintage weavings.  The Nizhoni Ranch Gallery offers the finest and largest selection of historic Navajo weavings, including saddle blankets, Chief’s blankets, and other weavings dating from the late 1800s to 1940s.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVisits are always welcome, but please call ahead to reserve a time to explore this Native American art as only Steve Getzwiller and the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery can show you.  Call 520-455-5020 for times and directions, and check out some of the latest gallery finds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePictured: Master weavers Elsie Bis, Gloria Hardy and Cara Gorman at Canyon de Chelly with their 2014 award—winning Navajo Weavings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-30T10:36:30-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-30T10:22:33-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46882917384414,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":null,"requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":false,"name":"City Sun Times: Take A Trip To The Past: Nizhoni Ranch Gallery - Sep 2014","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":0,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":null,"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SCTlogo.jpg?v=1748626218"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SCTlogo.jpg?v=1748626218","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36357473108190,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":4.425,"height":261,"width":1155,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SCTlogo.jpg?v=1748626218"},"aspect_ratio":4.425,"height":261,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SCTlogo.jpg?v=1748626218","width":1155}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/SCT1.jpg?v=1748626237\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/SCT2.jpg?v=1748626284\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFor Online Reading Ease:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch1 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eTake A Trip To The Past:  Nizhoni Ranch Gallery\u003cbr\u003eBy Susan Sorg\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSeptember 2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA trip to the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery is more than a drive to Sonoita.  It’s a journey into the proud heritage and culture, reaching back centuries through timeless fiber arts.  Experience the finest in Navajo weavings, presented by a man who knows it best and is considered the country’s leading expert in this field: Steve Getzwiller with more than 40 years of experience working with the finest of Navajo weavers, he’ll guide visitors through a dazzling display of rugs, blankets and “wearable art.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Nizhoni Ranch Gallery collection is direct from the land of the Navajo to Sonoita, painstakingly handmade by artists whose families have followed the traditions of weavers for generations.  Now, their work, their creations made in the shadows of Monument Valley and other regions of the Navajo reservation can become part of another family’s home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this hilltop setting overlooking the rolling grasslands of Sonoita, one is not far from longtime cattle ranches going back to Arizona territorial days.  It’s the perfect setting for viewing antique saddle blankets and other vintage weavings.  The Nizhoni Ranch Gallery offers the finest and largest selection of historic Navajo weavings, including saddle blankets, Chief’s blankets, and other weavings dating from the late 1800s to 1940s.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVisits are always welcome, but please call ahead to reserve a time to explore this Native American art as only Steve Getzwiller and the Nizhoni Ranch Gallery can show you.  Call 520-455-5020 for times and directions, and check out some of the latest gallery finds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePictured: Master weavers Elsie Bis, Gloria Hardy and Cara Gorman at Canyon de Chelly with their 2014 award—winning Navajo Weavings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e"}

{"id":8931393896670,"title":"Western Art Collector - Artist Focus : Elsie Bia - Following Family Traditions - March 2015","handle":"western-art-collector-march-2015","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"title clearfix\"\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eArtist Focus: Master Weaver Elsie Bia \u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"page_content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"row\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-sm-12\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sfbox box-page\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Elsie-Article-600x766_18517c70-a04b-48ae-8e74-0315c8517043.jpg?9548613474310775805\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eFor ease of reading online……\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFollowing family traditions \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElsie 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElsie, 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElsie 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNavajo 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-29T14:34:30-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-29T14:30:09-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46857624748254,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":null,"requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Western Art Collector - Artist Focus : Elsie Bia - Following Family Traditions - March 2015","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":1,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":null,"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/91.jpg?v=1748554321"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/91.jpg?v=1748554321","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36353913815262,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.767,"height":600,"width":460,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/91.jpg?v=1748554321"},"aspect_ratio":0.767,"height":600,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/91.jpg?v=1748554321","width":460}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cdiv class=\"title clearfix\"\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eArtist Focus: Master Weaver Elsie Bia \u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"page_content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"row\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-sm-12\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sfbox box-page\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Elsie-Article-600x766_18517c70-a04b-48ae-8e74-0315c8517043.jpg?9548613474310775805\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eFor ease of reading online……\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFollowing family traditions \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElsie 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElsie, 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElsie 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNavajo 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e"}

{"id":8931294347486,"title":"Western Art Collector - Pieces of the Past - February 2014","handle":"western-art-collector-february-2014","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Western-Art-Collector-Article1.jpg?532013866686223507\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/WAC-Navajo-Article1.jpg?532013866686223507\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eFor ease of reading online……\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWestern Art Collector Special Section Article February 2014\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e PIECES OF THE PAST\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollecting Historic Native American Art\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistoric Native American art is as diverse as the tribes and artisans who created it.  From intricate weaving designs, detailed pottery, and complex baskets to storage jars and everything in between, these works created over thousands of years developed into several distinctive styles.  These culturally rich works are not only beautiful but are infused with history and tell a story.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday, collectors are finding numerous options when it comes to buying and selling historic Native American art.  Major art shows like the Marin Show: Art of the Americas offer space to presenting fine antique works, while important auction houses across the country like Bonhams, Cowan’s Auctions, and Heritage Auctions dedicate yearly sales to the finest in historic American Indian art.  When collections are re-discovered and offered is an exciting chance for a new generation of collectors.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAvailable works that are complete with provenance provide a snapshot of the era in which they are made.  Collecting historic Native American art can be a lifelong pursuit of education, preservation, and imagination – and even a little bit of adventure – to unravel the stories inherent in these works.  Galleries in Tucson, Scottsdale, Santa Fe, and even Los Angeles are finding that collectors are eager to purchase work that is new to the market.  And, like most art, quality will always sell.  Diversity in subject matter and style adds to the desirability of these historic works, and modern versatility makes these pieces captivating to viewers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of the wonderful things about historic Native American art is that it blends nicely in very traditional homes, but certain pieces blend very well with contemporary and modern homes.  Whether it’s a Black Maria pot or a stark double saddle blanket, these accentuate contemporary homes with the simplicity of the design.  You can still have the most traditional of Native American objects in a more Southwest traditional home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Native Americans of the Southwest have always intrigued, impressed and fascinated Steve Getzwiller and his wife Gail.  For 40 years they have promoted Navajo weaving and provided collectors with some of the finest artworks the indigenous peoples of North America have ever created.  Steve Getzwiller says he recently found two outstanding Apache and Pima basket collections. “Our selection of Navajo weavings is the strongest it has ever been,” he adds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGetzwiller invites visitors to visit the gallery by emailing or calling to arrange a time.  They will open the gate, contain the guard dogs and maybe even put the horses out to greet visitors, who will be stunned at the breathtaking views around the ranch house and by the Getzwiller’s impressive collection of artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-29T14:29:51-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-29T14:21:43-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46857517695198,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":null,"requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":false,"name":"Western Art Collector - Pieces of the Past - February 2014","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":0,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":null,"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/WAC2000.jpg?v=1748553903"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/WAC2000.jpg?v=1748553903","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36353885438174,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.881,"height":751,"width":662,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/WAC2000.jpg?v=1748553903"},"aspect_ratio":0.881,"height":751,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/WAC2000.jpg?v=1748553903","width":662}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Western-Art-Collector-Article1.jpg?532013866686223507\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/WAC-Navajo-Article1.jpg?532013866686223507\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eFor ease of reading online……\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWestern Art Collector Special Section Article February 2014\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e PIECES OF THE PAST\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollecting Historic Native American Art\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistoric Native American art is as diverse as the tribes and artisans who created it.  From intricate weaving designs, detailed pottery, and complex baskets to storage jars and everything in between, these works created over thousands of years developed into several distinctive styles.  These culturally rich works are not only beautiful but are infused with history and tell a story.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday, collectors are finding numerous options when it comes to buying and selling historic Native American art.  Major art shows like the Marin Show: Art of the Americas offer space to presenting fine antique works, while important auction houses across the country like Bonhams, Cowan’s Auctions, and Heritage Auctions dedicate yearly sales to the finest in historic American Indian art.  When collections are re-discovered and offered is an exciting chance for a new generation of collectors.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAvailable works that are complete with provenance provide a snapshot of the era in which they are made.  Collecting historic Native American art can be a lifelong pursuit of education, preservation, and imagination – and even a little bit of adventure – to unravel the stories inherent in these works.  Galleries in Tucson, Scottsdale, Santa Fe, and even Los Angeles are finding that collectors are eager to purchase work that is new to the market.  And, like most art, quality will always sell.  Diversity in subject matter and style adds to the desirability of these historic works, and modern versatility makes these pieces captivating to viewers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of the wonderful things about historic Native American art is that it blends nicely in very traditional homes, but certain pieces blend very well with contemporary and modern homes.  Whether it’s a Black Maria pot or a stark double saddle blanket, these accentuate contemporary homes with the simplicity of the design.  You can still have the most traditional of Native American objects in a more Southwest traditional home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Native Americans of the Southwest have always intrigued, impressed and fascinated Steve Getzwiller and his wife Gail.  For 40 years they have promoted Navajo weaving and provided collectors with some of the finest artworks the indigenous peoples of North America have ever created.  Steve Getzwiller says he recently found two outstanding Apache and Pima basket collections. “Our selection of Navajo weavings is the strongest it has ever been,” he adds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGetzwiller invites visitors to visit the gallery by emailing or calling to arrange a time.  They will open the gate, contain the guard dogs and maybe even put the horses out to greet visitors, who will be stunned at the breathtaking views around the ranch house and by the Getzwiller’s impressive collection of artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e"}

{"id":8931239821534,"title":"Los Angeles Times - Design Woven Into the Western Spirit - Jan 2004","handle":"los-angeles-times-jan-2004","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/DSC_2643-600x398_855c2e9c-bbe9-4472-86e5-0f1c17c3aeb1.jpg?12469031567410646070\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDESIGN WOVEN INTO THE WESTERN SPIRIT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrices of Navajo rugs have soared in recent years, but to collectors, the value isn’t measured in dollars.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e By Janet Eastman, Times Staff Writer : Los Angeles Times\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLos Angeles, CA – January 22, 2004: Entertainment lawyer Lawrence Rose spends his days fighting for his clients, but at night he retreats home to be watched over by nine dancing Yei-be-cheis. The figures, woven into a Navajo rug in the entryway, represent the protective grandparents of Native American gods.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“There’s a calming quality about the Southwest style and a spirit to Navajo rugs,” says Rose from his Adobe Revival house, which overlooks Beverly Hills. “People in my business need a peaceful place to inhabit, a vacation house in the city. Once I’m here, I can forget what happens outside.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat’s the power of Navajo rugs, a 300-year-old art form inspired by nature and the supernatural, and created one line at a time by weavers using upright looms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the rugs’ ordered patterns of zigzags, arrows and hooks in burnt red, cream and black, they capture attention in every home, from rough-hewn cabins and Arts and Crafts bungalows to ranch styles and white-walled moderns. Ralph Lauren, Kevin Costner and Harrison Ford have Navajo rugs in their Great Plains estates, while the head of Design Within Reach, a contemporary furniture chain, displays his collection in a minimalist house outside Sonoma.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“People are interested in the rugs’ decorative qualities, aesthetic value and emotional connection to the life and traditions of a distinct and fascinating culture,” says David Roche, Sotheby’s specialist in American Indian art. “There’s an excitement to these textiles and a universal quality.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSales of new rugs have jumped about 15% a year since the Southwestern design boom in the 1980s, rug experts say. The price for a 4-by-6-foot new rug, which may take months to weave, starts at a few thousand dollars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe value of old rugs has zoomed too. A diamond-patterned Navajo weaving from the 19th century sold to a private collector at a Sotheby’s auction for $401,000 three years ago, eight times more than the highest bidder paid for a comparable one sold a year before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHeating up interest and making the rugs easier to find outside art galleries, museum gift shops, craft fairs and auctions are websites. Rose bought his rugs through http:\/\/www.navajorug.com , which is run by Steve Getzwiller, a leader in preserving traditional Navajo weaving. Getzwiller’s gallery is on his Nizhoni Ranch in Sonoita, Ariz., southeast of Tucson. Clients who can’t visit in person are e-mailed images of rugs. They select the ones they want delivered to their home, where they make their final decision.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGetzwiller works only with weavers on the Navajo reservation who use soft wool from Churro sheep that is then naturally dyed, a laborious process that hadn’t been used for a century until Getzwiller helped reintroduce it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Spanish brought herds of Churro sheep to the Southwest in the 1500s, and Navajos used the long, straight wool fibers to make tightly woven, water-resistant saddle and shoulder blankets prized by other Native Americans, Mexicans and U.S. traders. Larger blankets were later used as rugs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDyes for yarn were created by boiling plants and rocks. Secret recipes to make brownish reds from prickly pear cactus fruit, juniper root and red rock were passed on from mother to daughter. Some wool was left undyed to make creamy white, light brown, gray or black backgrounds. Black wool comes from a lamb’s first shearing, before the wool is bleached by the sun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the early 1900s, tourists hopped on trains headed to reservations across Utah, Arizona and New Mexico and took home rugs as souvenirs. To keep up with the demand, profit-minded trading post owners gave weavers synthetic dyes and commercially processed yarns that cut down on time and expense.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday, Navajo rugs made the traditional way with hand-spun wool are valued more than quickly made imitations because they have a smoother texture and are heavier because of the lanolin left in the wool. Some of the finest rugs are considered tapestries because they have more than 80 threads per inch, compared with a good-quality rug with 30 threads per inch or a cheap knockoff with six per inch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWell-made rugs lie flat without puckering, have straight edges and corners and, when folded, have a balanced pattern. They aren’t exactly uniform, however, because they’re not machine made. Some weavers even add imperfections. A break in the border could be a “spirit line,” a tiny line of yarn that is said to allow the spirit of the artisan or the rug to be free.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver the years, regions on the Navajo reservation developed distinct styles. The Two Grey Hills area in New Mexico is known for its complex geometrical designs woven from undyed black, gray and brown wool. Rugs from Teec Nos Pos in Arizona have bold borders, and those from Ganado, Ariz., have red backgrounds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHanging in Rose’s master bath is a brown rug in the Teec Nos Pos style, with a black border holding arrows and bars outlined in white. The desert colors and symmetrical lines go well with a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired leaded glass window, patterned brown-and-black tile and smooth, earth-toned walls.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe weaving on his entryway wall shows Yei-be-cheis performing a Night Way ceremony, in which illness is driven away over nine nights. Some believe rugs depicting sacred ceremonies shouldn’t be walked on. Rose has a practical reason for keeping his rugs off the floor: His four dogs “would ruin anything in two seconds.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRose’s rugs also are draped over furniture. There is one with a storm pattern design on a couch in the den, as well as a gray, blue and brown weaving on top of a dresser in the master bedroom.“I wish I had more places to put the rugs,” Rose says. “I appreciate the colors, design and craftsmanship, but there’s only so much space.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSymbolic figures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe designs in Navajo rugs are sometimes simply for artistic expression, but many of them have meaning to Native American culture or to a specific region or artisan. A guide to some of the symbols:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eArrow: Movement of the sun or a direction.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCross: Stars. With boxes, Spider Woman, a deity who taught Navajos weaving.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDiagonal lines: Feathers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHook: Borrowed from Asian design.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSacred plants: Corn, tobacco, beans, squash.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSand-painting designs: Inspired by dry paintings made of colored sand for healing ceremonies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStorm pattern: Center box (the universe) connected by zigzagging lines (lightning bolts) to boxes representing mountains that guard the Navajo Nation – Blanca Peak (east), Mt. Taylor (south), the San Francisco Peaks (west) and Mt. Hesperus (north).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTerraced steps: Cloud or mountain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTree of Life: Birds (messengers) on a cornstalk (life) growing from a medicine basket (healing) to depict creation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTriangles: Dynamism, vitality or fertility. With arrows, the Monster Slayer Twins, who used lightning bolts given by their father, the sun, to turn enemies into stone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhirling logs: Everything positive – the four seasons, four directions, four winds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYei rectangular figures facing forward: Sacred deities. Round heads are male, square heads female.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYei-be-chei figures: Deities’ protective grandparents or human representatives, often in profile.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-29T14:20:12-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-29T14:16:56-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46857459433694,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":null,"requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":false,"name":"Los Angeles Times - Design Woven Into the Western Spirit - Jan 2004","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":0,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":null,"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/LATimes_0.png?v=1748553584"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/LATimes_0.png?v=1748553584","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36353858994398,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":480,"width":480,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/LATimes_0.png?v=1748553584"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":480,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/LATimes_0.png?v=1748553584","width":480}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/DSC_2643-600x398_855c2e9c-bbe9-4472-86e5-0f1c17c3aeb1.jpg?12469031567410646070\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDESIGN WOVEN INTO THE WESTERN SPIRIT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrices of Navajo rugs have soared in recent years, but to collectors, the value isn’t measured in dollars.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e By Janet Eastman, Times Staff Writer : Los Angeles Times\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLos Angeles, CA – January 22, 2004: Entertainment lawyer Lawrence Rose spends his days fighting for his clients, but at night he retreats home to be watched over by nine dancing Yei-be-cheis. The figures, woven into a Navajo rug in the entryway, represent the protective grandparents of Native American gods.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“There’s a calming quality about the Southwest style and a spirit to Navajo rugs,” says Rose from his Adobe Revival house, which overlooks Beverly Hills. “People in my business need a peaceful place to inhabit, a vacation house in the city. Once I’m here, I can forget what happens outside.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat’s the power of Navajo rugs, a 300-year-old art form inspired by nature and the supernatural, and created one line at a time by weavers using upright looms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the rugs’ ordered patterns of zigzags, arrows and hooks in burnt red, cream and black, they capture attention in every home, from rough-hewn cabins and Arts and Crafts bungalows to ranch styles and white-walled moderns. Ralph Lauren, Kevin Costner and Harrison Ford have Navajo rugs in their Great Plains estates, while the head of Design Within Reach, a contemporary furniture chain, displays his collection in a minimalist house outside Sonoma.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“People are interested in the rugs’ decorative qualities, aesthetic value and emotional connection to the life and traditions of a distinct and fascinating culture,” says David Roche, Sotheby’s specialist in American Indian art. “There’s an excitement to these textiles and a universal quality.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSales of new rugs have jumped about 15% a year since the Southwestern design boom in the 1980s, rug experts say. The price for a 4-by-6-foot new rug, which may take months to weave, starts at a few thousand dollars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe value of old rugs has zoomed too. A diamond-patterned Navajo weaving from the 19th century sold to a private collector at a Sotheby’s auction for $401,000 three years ago, eight times more than the highest bidder paid for a comparable one sold a year before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHeating up interest and making the rugs easier to find outside art galleries, museum gift shops, craft fairs and auctions are websites. Rose bought his rugs through http:\/\/www.navajorug.com , which is run by Steve Getzwiller, a leader in preserving traditional Navajo weaving. Getzwiller’s gallery is on his Nizhoni Ranch in Sonoita, Ariz., southeast of Tucson. Clients who can’t visit in person are e-mailed images of rugs. They select the ones they want delivered to their home, where they make their final decision.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGetzwiller works only with weavers on the Navajo reservation who use soft wool from Churro sheep that is then naturally dyed, a laborious process that hadn’t been used for a century until Getzwiller helped reintroduce it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Spanish brought herds of Churro sheep to the Southwest in the 1500s, and Navajos used the long, straight wool fibers to make tightly woven, water-resistant saddle and shoulder blankets prized by other Native Americans, Mexicans and U.S. traders. Larger blankets were later used as rugs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDyes for yarn were created by boiling plants and rocks. Secret recipes to make brownish reds from prickly pear cactus fruit, juniper root and red rock were passed on from mother to daughter. Some wool was left undyed to make creamy white, light brown, gray or black backgrounds. Black wool comes from a lamb’s first shearing, before the wool is bleached by the sun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the early 1900s, tourists hopped on trains headed to reservations across Utah, Arizona and New Mexico and took home rugs as souvenirs. To keep up with the demand, profit-minded trading post owners gave weavers synthetic dyes and commercially processed yarns that cut down on time and expense.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday, Navajo rugs made the traditional way with hand-spun wool are valued more than quickly made imitations because they have a smoother texture and are heavier because of the lanolin left in the wool. Some of the finest rugs are considered tapestries because they have more than 80 threads per inch, compared with a good-quality rug with 30 threads per inch or a cheap knockoff with six per inch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWell-made rugs lie flat without puckering, have straight edges and corners and, when folded, have a balanced pattern. They aren’t exactly uniform, however, because they’re not machine made. Some weavers even add imperfections. A break in the border could be a “spirit line,” a tiny line of yarn that is said to allow the spirit of the artisan or the rug to be free.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver the years, regions on the Navajo reservation developed distinct styles. The Two Grey Hills area in New Mexico is known for its complex geometrical designs woven from undyed black, gray and brown wool. Rugs from Teec Nos Pos in Arizona have bold borders, and those from Ganado, Ariz., have red backgrounds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHanging in Rose’s master bath is a brown rug in the Teec Nos Pos style, with a black border holding arrows and bars outlined in white. The desert colors and symmetrical lines go well with a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired leaded glass window, patterned brown-and-black tile and smooth, earth-toned walls.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe weaving on his entryway wall shows Yei-be-cheis performing a Night Way ceremony, in which illness is driven away over nine nights. Some believe rugs depicting sacred ceremonies shouldn’t be walked on. Rose has a practical reason for keeping his rugs off the floor: His four dogs “would ruin anything in two seconds.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRose’s rugs also are draped over furniture. There is one with a storm pattern design on a couch in the den, as well as a gray, blue and brown weaving on top of a dresser in the master bedroom.“I wish I had more places to put the rugs,” Rose says. “I appreciate the colors, design and craftsmanship, but there’s only so much space.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSymbolic figures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe designs in Navajo rugs are sometimes simply for artistic expression, but many of them have meaning to Native American culture or to a specific region or artisan. A guide to some of the symbols:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eArrow: Movement of the sun or a direction.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCross: Stars. With boxes, Spider Woman, a deity who taught Navajos weaving.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDiagonal lines: Feathers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHook: Borrowed from Asian design.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSacred plants: Corn, tobacco, beans, squash.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSand-painting designs: Inspired by dry paintings made of colored sand for healing ceremonies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStorm pattern: Center box (the universe) connected by zigzagging lines (lightning bolts) to boxes representing mountains that guard the Navajo Nation – Blanca Peak (east), Mt. Taylor (south), the San Francisco Peaks (west) and Mt. Hesperus (north).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTerraced steps: Cloud or mountain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTree of Life: Birds (messengers) on a cornstalk (life) growing from a medicine basket (healing) to depict creation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTriangles: Dynamism, vitality or fertility. With arrows, the Monster Slayer Twins, who used lightning bolts given by their father, the sun, to turn enemies into stone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhirling logs: Everything positive – the four seasons, four directions, four winds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYei rectangular figures facing forward: Sacred deities. Round heads are male, square heads female.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYei-be-chei figures: Deities’ protective grandparents or human representatives, often in profile.\u003c\/p\u003e"}

{"id":8931156951262,"title":"Western Art Collector Magazine - Lessons on the Loom - August 2011","handle":"western-art-collector-magazine-august-2011","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/WAC1.jpg?v=1748553258\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/WAC2.jpg?v=1748553294\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/WAC3.jpg?v=1748553294\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eFor ease of reading online……\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLessons on the Loom\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKathy Marianito is an artist of strong fiber\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy Susan Sorg\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAUGUST 2011: Navajo weavers share this trait: creating beautiful things with their hands.  You can marvel at complexities of design or richness of color, but it’s not until you learn that life beyond the loom that you truly appreciate the work behind the work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSuch is the case with master weaver Kathy Marianito.  In 2010 she picked up more awards at the Gallup Inter-Tribal All Indian Ceremonial, including a First Place and Best of Category.  At the Indian Market, her work will be sought-after by collectors preferring “wearable art”, as she is the only Navajo weaver using silk and alpaca besides traditional Churro yarn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis bubbly, creative, and caring woman who is 70-something years young is sometimes as complicated as some of her weavings.. or as innovative, strong, and yet as simple, because all those adjectives apply.  For the Navajos weaving is an inherited occupation.  Traditionally little girls learn it from their grandmothers, or in Kathy’s case, from her own mother, who learned it from generations before.  Kathy Marianito is a true descendant of master weavers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSteve Getzwiller, considered one of the premier experts and dealers of Navajo weavings, knows very well of Kathy’s heritage. “Certainly her lineage doesn’t come any better, because her great-great-grandmother Juanita was considered one of the finest blanket weavers in the 1870s and 1880s.  Juanita’s husband, Manuelito, was one of the most prominent leaders of the Navajo people.”  It was Manuelito, Kathy’s great-great-grandfather, who was instrumental in negotiating the Navajos release from Fort Sumner and Bosque Redondo in 1868, returning to their homeland, the only displaced tribe allowed back on their true native soil.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKathy grew up hearing about her famous ancestor, as well as tales of “The Long Walk,” The excruciating walk to exile, and then their triumphant return.  Growing up on the reservation in New Mexico, she also watched her mother weave.  “When I was really young, maybe 8 or 9, I stole her yarn.  I would put it on the fence and would ‘weave’ it there, until my grandfather found out and told my mother.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer mother finally taught Kathy how to set up a real loom and weave…lessons which at first did not come easy to the rather headstrong little girl.  “When I really started, it was difficult.  She told me to put it up on my own, and that was rough, but she just kept telling me to do this and that, and fix this and that… ‘You have to learn it, so you know next time to do it better.’”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe apparently listened well, because her weavings started to come quickly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I used to make six of them in the summertime, and I used to take them to the trading post and buy my shoes, my clothes, that I needed to take back to school.  When I go to boarding school, we don’t come home for two year!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKathy never forgot her mother’s words about how these lessons on the loom would stay with her, so she would always have her own income.  “I never forgot how to weave or to do things my own! My very own hands, my designs… that’s how I got started.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere were other lessons too, such as how to wash the sheep's wool, and then dry and card it, spinning and dying it different colors using plants such as sage for green, sunflowers for yellow or green tumbleweeds for black wool.  “We tried everything,” she says with a laugh.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen she was 15, however, lessons such as these came to an abrupt end.  That’s when she was told she was about to be married to a man she didn’t really know.  “That was tradition,” she says.  “But I don’t want to get married at 15 years old.. got a lot of dreams and all that.. didn’t have time to hand around and be a wife.  So.. I took off.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe teanager rode her horse to the trading post, taking with her some clothes and what money she had, and boarded a bus for Salt Lake City.  And so her new life began, learning firsthand about the world outside the reservation, educating herself and becoming a seamstress.  She moved to California and had her own apartment, with only occasional visits home. “I’d come back to the reservation, but it was lonely because I was a city girl now!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYears later, during one of those visits, her mother told her she missed her and asked her to stay.  Kathy did, but returned to the reservation with purpose.  “I got a job as a health representative.  I used to visit homes and take care of people in the community, working with the doctors, the policemen, the lawyers, and I’d talk to the people.  I’d almost lost my language, but that’s how it started.  Then I went back to weaving, to help my mother and to finish her weavings.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePart of her job was working with alcoholics going through detox and she discovered helping people learn different crafts also helped them learn different habits.  “I taught grandmothers, young girls… I’d teach them to sew, quilt, how to design them, even how to make tools for weaving.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlong the way Kathy met Lorenzo Marianito, a Navajo medicine man who also came from a family of weavers.  This time she did not run away, and their marriage has remained strong, like her weavings.  Her eyes still sparkle when she looks at them, and there’s a definite twinkle when she watches her grandson Sean, who often is by her side as she weaves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSteve Getzwiller came into her life in 1998, after hearing about Kathy’s weaving skills.  That’s when she was making rugs.  Not anymore.  Since then the two have continued to raise Navajo weaving to the next level, being the first to use silk as a fiber in traditional designs, and the only ones incorporating alpaca into “wearable art.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere are very few weavers who understand how to weave a blanket and not a rug.” Says Getzwiller.  “A rug would not be comfortable when worn, while a blanket will drape and fit your form.  It has to do with how she warps her loom and how she packs it, and that sort of thing,” he explains.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGetzwiller calls their work together true collaboration.  “How it really works,” he said with a laugh,\u003cbr\u003e“is I tell her what I want, and then she does what she wants!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe’s the first to tell you, though, that the results are timeless.  “Her work is a major departure from contemporary Navajo weaving.  I hate to use the term ‘revival’ but it’s about bringing some of the best things that came before back to the forefront.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Kathy excels in new forms of her art, the traditions grow stronger.  She recalls when she was little, listening wide-eyed to elderly women relatives, the nieces of Manuelito.  “Their stories about ‘The long Walk” …they never forgot the walk,” she says.  “And I used to think, “What a wonderful way to be so strong, to walk that far and come back.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt’s not just the mechanics, but the passion from within which truly sets an artist apart.  Such is the way with Kathy Marianito, who is strong enough to walk so far and still come back to her roots.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-29T14:16:31-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-29T14:09:47-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46857364996318,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":null,"requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Western Art Collector Magazine - Lessons on the Loom - August 2011","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":1,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":null,"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/WAC2011.jpg?v=1748553100"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/WAC2011.jpg?v=1748553100","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36353805058270,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.818,"height":456,"width":373,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/WAC2011.jpg?v=1748553100"},"aspect_ratio":0.818,"height":456,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/WAC2011.jpg?v=1748553100","width":373}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/WAC1.jpg?v=1748553258\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/WAC2.jpg?v=1748553294\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/WAC3.jpg?v=1748553294\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eFor ease of reading online……\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLessons on the Loom\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKathy Marianito is an artist of strong fiber\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy Susan Sorg\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAUGUST 2011: Navajo weavers share this trait: creating beautiful things with their hands.  You can marvel at complexities of design or richness of color, but it’s not until you learn that life beyond the loom that you truly appreciate the work behind the work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSuch is the case with master weaver Kathy Marianito.  In 2010 she picked up more awards at the Gallup Inter-Tribal All Indian Ceremonial, including a First Place and Best of Category.  At the Indian Market, her work will be sought-after by collectors preferring “wearable art”, as she is the only Navajo weaver using silk and alpaca besides traditional Churro yarn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis bubbly, creative, and caring woman who is 70-something years young is sometimes as complicated as some of her weavings.. or as innovative, strong, and yet as simple, because all those adjectives apply.  For the Navajos weaving is an inherited occupation.  Traditionally little girls learn it from their grandmothers, or in Kathy’s case, from her own mother, who learned it from generations before.  Kathy Marianito is a true descendant of master weavers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSteve Getzwiller, considered one of the premier experts and dealers of Navajo weavings, knows very well of Kathy’s heritage. “Certainly her lineage doesn’t come any better, because her great-great-grandmother Juanita was considered one of the finest blanket weavers in the 1870s and 1880s.  Juanita’s husband, Manuelito, was one of the most prominent leaders of the Navajo people.”  It was Manuelito, Kathy’s great-great-grandfather, who was instrumental in negotiating the Navajos release from Fort Sumner and Bosque Redondo in 1868, returning to their homeland, the only displaced tribe allowed back on their true native soil.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKathy grew up hearing about her famous ancestor, as well as tales of “The Long Walk,” The excruciating walk to exile, and then their triumphant return.  Growing up on the reservation in New Mexico, she also watched her mother weave.  “When I was really young, maybe 8 or 9, I stole her yarn.  I would put it on the fence and would ‘weave’ it there, until my grandfather found out and told my mother.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer mother finally taught Kathy how to set up a real loom and weave…lessons which at first did not come easy to the rather headstrong little girl.  “When I really started, it was difficult.  She told me to put it up on my own, and that was rough, but she just kept telling me to do this and that, and fix this and that… ‘You have to learn it, so you know next time to do it better.’”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe apparently listened well, because her weavings started to come quickly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I used to make six of them in the summertime, and I used to take them to the trading post and buy my shoes, my clothes, that I needed to take back to school.  When I go to boarding school, we don’t come home for two year!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKathy never forgot her mother’s words about how these lessons on the loom would stay with her, so she would always have her own income.  “I never forgot how to weave or to do things my own! My very own hands, my designs… that’s how I got started.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere were other lessons too, such as how to wash the sheep's wool, and then dry and card it, spinning and dying it different colors using plants such as sage for green, sunflowers for yellow or green tumbleweeds for black wool.  “We tried everything,” she says with a laugh.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen she was 15, however, lessons such as these came to an abrupt end.  That’s when she was told she was about to be married to a man she didn’t really know.  “That was tradition,” she says.  “But I don’t want to get married at 15 years old.. got a lot of dreams and all that.. didn’t have time to hand around and be a wife.  So.. I took off.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe teanager rode her horse to the trading post, taking with her some clothes and what money she had, and boarded a bus for Salt Lake City.  And so her new life began, learning firsthand about the world outside the reservation, educating herself and becoming a seamstress.  She moved to California and had her own apartment, with only occasional visits home. “I’d come back to the reservation, but it was lonely because I was a city girl now!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYears later, during one of those visits, her mother told her she missed her and asked her to stay.  Kathy did, but returned to the reservation with purpose.  “I got a job as a health representative.  I used to visit homes and take care of people in the community, working with the doctors, the policemen, the lawyers, and I’d talk to the people.  I’d almost lost my language, but that’s how it started.  Then I went back to weaving, to help my mother and to finish her weavings.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePart of her job was working with alcoholics going through detox and she discovered helping people learn different crafts also helped them learn different habits.  “I taught grandmothers, young girls… I’d teach them to sew, quilt, how to design them, even how to make tools for weaving.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlong the way Kathy met Lorenzo Marianito, a Navajo medicine man who also came from a family of weavers.  This time she did not run away, and their marriage has remained strong, like her weavings.  Her eyes still sparkle when she looks at them, and there’s a definite twinkle when she watches her grandson Sean, who often is by her side as she weaves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSteve Getzwiller came into her life in 1998, after hearing about Kathy’s weaving skills.  That’s when she was making rugs.  Not anymore.  Since then the two have continued to raise Navajo weaving to the next level, being the first to use silk as a fiber in traditional designs, and the only ones incorporating alpaca into “wearable art.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere are very few weavers who understand how to weave a blanket and not a rug.” Says Getzwiller.  “A rug would not be comfortable when worn, while a blanket will drape and fit your form.  It has to do with how she warps her loom and how she packs it, and that sort of thing,” he explains.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGetzwiller calls their work together true collaboration.  “How it really works,” he said with a laugh,\u003cbr\u003e“is I tell her what I want, and then she does what she wants!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe’s the first to tell you, though, that the results are timeless.  “Her work is a major departure from contemporary Navajo weaving.  I hate to use the term ‘revival’ but it’s about bringing some of the best things that came before back to the forefront.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Kathy excels in new forms of her art, the traditions grow stronger.  She recalls when she was little, listening wide-eyed to elderly women relatives, the nieces of Manuelito.  “Their stories about ‘The long Walk” …they never forgot the walk,” she says.  “And I used to think, “What a wonderful way to be so strong, to walk that far and come back.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt’s not just the mechanics, but the passion from within which truly sets an artist apart.  Such is the way with Kathy Marianito, who is strong enough to walk so far and still come back to her roots.\u003c\/p\u003e"}

{"id":8931070836958,"title":"The Coloradoan - Arizona's Cowboy and Indian Trail - January 2010","handle":"the-coloradoan-january-2010","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/trippin1.jpg?v=1748552563\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/trippin3.jpg?v=1748552720\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eFor ease of reading online……\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eARIZONA’S COWBOY \u0026amp; INDIAN TRAIL\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy Bob Willis for the Coloradoan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you had visited southern Arizona back in the 1880s, you wouldn’t have found the place nearly as hospitable as it is today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRestless Apaches, armed incursions from Mexico, the rough landscape and summer temperatures that exceeded 115 degrees made life rough around these parts.  Times have changed for the better, and if today you’d like to reenact a modern day version of Cowboys and Indian, this is the place to do it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTUCSON\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTucson is Arizona’s second-largest city, although it entered the 21st century with a slight hesitance, being somewhat reluctant to shed its Old West Mexican heritage.  The Old Pueblo sits amidst a natural bowl filled with historic sites and attractions and surrounded by five mountain ranges.  It offers a great starting point for a southern Arizona Adventure that’s Chock full of culture, scenery, some bumpy, dirt roads, wilderness campsites, ghostly places and a Desert floor and beneath the ground make sure to put museum on your list as a must-visit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSOUTH OF TUCSON\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDue south of Tucson on U.S. Highway 19, don’t overlook the “White Dove of the Desert”.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSan Xavier del bac Mission has the distinction of being the oldest Catholic church in America still serving its original congregation.  Founded in 1692 by Father Kino, it is now owned by the Tohono O’odham tribe.  Notice that the mission has but one complete tower.  The Legend has it that levies were not paid to the Spanish government until churches were completed.  As one version of the story goes, it was deliberately left unfinished thereby avoiding the tax.  This is a stunning place to visit and create some memorable photographic images.  Shoppers will enjoy native craft shops situated across from the mission.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHeading southeast from Tucson on US Highway 10, beyond Colossal Cave and the Saguaro National Park, you’ll find yourself in Benson.  Here, the Amerind Foundation museum houses an extensive private collection of Native American and western art, archeology, history and cultural exhibits.  Founded by Connecticut businessman in the 1930s, it has grown into a true desert oasis for lovers of arts, crafts and southwestern artifacts and is well worth a stop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNearby, a lesser-known point of interest is the sale gallery of Steve Getzwiller whose knowledge and support of Navajo weaving and history is legendary.  Getzwiller works closely with a number of the best northern Arizona Navajo weavers and has been instrumental in re-introducing the Churro wool that was once a mainstay of native weavers.  Most of the original Churro sheep were wiped out by Kit Carson in his raids in and around Canyon de Chelly.  The Getzwiller collection may be visited by appointment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEastbound on US Highway 10 is Willcox, which is most famous for Rex Allen.  It’s only natural that you’ll find the radio and film star’s Cowboy Museum located here along with the Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame.  Historic Railroad Avenue is worth a stroll to see the recently renovated Southern Pacific Depot.  Southeast of town, visit the old Willcox Cemetery where you’ll find the grave of Warren Earp, and brother Wyatt.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHeading south from Willcox, the upgraded road is not named but you’ll find a sign indicating that you’r heading toward the Cochise Stronghold in the Coronado National Forest.  This is spectacular but forbidding land of box canyons, washes, hard trails, cliffs, spires and natural rock fortresses that makes it easy to understand why the legendary Chiricahua Apache chief used these hills for a safe haven.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen he died in 1874, native legend has it that is body in full regalia, his horse, rifle and dog, were dropped into a tight canyon that was kept secret.  Perhaps you’ll feel his spirit as you camp at the Stronghold.  It’s a rugged primitive site with not facilities, so take all the necessary precautions when you visit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the camping area, stretch your legs on the rugged three-mile hike to the vista that overlooks the entire region.  As you  hike along, be on the lookout for petroglyphs left behind by early natives and keep a close watch for Apache warriors behind the rock formations and atop the craggy pinnacles.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTOMBSTONE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1878\/, Ed Schieffelin discovered silver in some of the region’s roughest Apache territory.  He was advised by his fellow prospectors and friends, “The only thing you’ll find out in that place is your own tombstone.”  So, Tombstone it became and was soon home to about 10,000 miners and camp followers.  Two years later when John Clum published his first newspaper in the town, the masthead read the Tombstone Epitaph.  His logic was simply that any town named Tombstone had to have an interesting epitaph.  Over the last 122 years, the Epitaph has lived up to the promise of being interesting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSome years back while scanning the Epitaph, a classified ad caught my eye. “DOG- German Shepherd. Housebroken. Free to a good home. Will eat anything.  Especially fond of children!”  The classified inspired about a dozen or so good-natured reader (myself included) to offer their children so the dog wouldn’t go hungry.  The letters to the editor column continued the high-spirited fun for a least a month.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe “Town Too Tough To Die” has certainly proved Any Warhol’s 15 minutes of fame wrong since Tombstone’s 20 or 25 seconds of fame has lasted nearly 120 years.  More silver has been extracted from the pockets and purses of tourists than was ever taken from the mines below the city.  Today, it’s home to about 1,500 residents’, down about 90 % from the early 1880s.  The famed Crystal Palace Saloon at Allen and Fifth streets was a favorite watering hole for the debonair Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Doc, Holiday and Johnny Ringo.  While they were tossing down a shot or two, or enjoying a  hot, game of faro, Lillian Russell and Eddie Foy were among the entertaining across the street at the bawdy Birdcage Theater.  Today, the Birdcage is a museum.  You might be challenged to find all 140 bullet holes in the walls and ceilings resulting from more than a dozen gunfights that were pretty much regularly scheduled events during the town’s heyday.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA few streets away at the Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, you’ll find a building full of artifacts and recreated rooms, including a sturdy three-rope gallows in the back courtyard.  Incidentally, that courthouse was constructed in 1882 for a grand total of $43,000.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBoo hill Cemetery lies on a hill outside of town and is home to about 250 folks who fought for their rest.  Some are famous but most were never known and long forgotten. There’s a few soiled doves buried here, some prospectors who contracted rapid consumption, some who contracted rapid lead poisoning, and even one or two who were hanged by mistake.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-29T14:08:54-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-29T14:02:19-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46857270821086,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":null,"requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":false,"name":"The Coloradoan - Arizona's Cowboy and Indian Trail - January 2010","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":-1,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":null,"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/coloradoan.png?v=1748630467"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/coloradoan.png?v=1748630467","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36357636686046,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":6.088,"height":91,"width":554,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/coloradoan.png?v=1748630467"},"aspect_ratio":6.088,"height":91,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/coloradoan.png?v=1748630467","width":554}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/trippin1.jpg?v=1748552563\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/trippin3.jpg?v=1748552720\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eFor ease of reading online……\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eARIZONA’S COWBOY \u0026amp; INDIAN TRAIL\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy Bob Willis for the Coloradoan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you had visited southern Arizona back in the 1880s, you wouldn’t have found the place nearly as hospitable as it is today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRestless Apaches, armed incursions from Mexico, the rough landscape and summer temperatures that exceeded 115 degrees made life rough around these parts.  Times have changed for the better, and if today you’d like to reenact a modern day version of Cowboys and Indian, this is the place to do it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTUCSON\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTucson is Arizona’s second-largest city, although it entered the 21st century with a slight hesitance, being somewhat reluctant to shed its Old West Mexican heritage.  The Old Pueblo sits amidst a natural bowl filled with historic sites and attractions and surrounded by five mountain ranges.  It offers a great starting point for a southern Arizona Adventure that’s Chock full of culture, scenery, some bumpy, dirt roads, wilderness campsites, ghostly places and a Desert floor and beneath the ground make sure to put museum on your list as a must-visit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSOUTH OF TUCSON\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDue south of Tucson on U.S. Highway 19, don’t overlook the “White Dove of the Desert”.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSan Xavier del bac Mission has the distinction of being the oldest Catholic church in America still serving its original congregation.  Founded in 1692 by Father Kino, it is now owned by the Tohono O’odham tribe.  Notice that the mission has but one complete tower.  The Legend has it that levies were not paid to the Spanish government until churches were completed.  As one version of the story goes, it was deliberately left unfinished thereby avoiding the tax.  This is a stunning place to visit and create some memorable photographic images.  Shoppers will enjoy native craft shops situated across from the mission.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHeading southeast from Tucson on US Highway 10, beyond Colossal Cave and the Saguaro National Park, you’ll find yourself in Benson.  Here, the Amerind Foundation museum houses an extensive private collection of Native American and western art, archeology, history and cultural exhibits.  Founded by Connecticut businessman in the 1930s, it has grown into a true desert oasis for lovers of arts, crafts and southwestern artifacts and is well worth a stop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNearby, a lesser-known point of interest is the sale gallery of Steve Getzwiller whose knowledge and support of Navajo weaving and history is legendary.  Getzwiller works closely with a number of the best northern Arizona Navajo weavers and has been instrumental in re-introducing the Churro wool that was once a mainstay of native weavers.  Most of the original Churro sheep were wiped out by Kit Carson in his raids in and around Canyon de Chelly.  The Getzwiller collection may be visited by appointment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEastbound on US Highway 10 is Willcox, which is most famous for Rex Allen.  It’s only natural that you’ll find the radio and film star’s Cowboy Museum located here along with the Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame.  Historic Railroad Avenue is worth a stroll to see the recently renovated Southern Pacific Depot.  Southeast of town, visit the old Willcox Cemetery where you’ll find the grave of Warren Earp, and brother Wyatt.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHeading south from Willcox, the upgraded road is not named but you’ll find a sign indicating that you’r heading toward the Cochise Stronghold in the Coronado National Forest.  This is spectacular but forbidding land of box canyons, washes, hard trails, cliffs, spires and natural rock fortresses that makes it easy to understand why the legendary Chiricahua Apache chief used these hills for a safe haven.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen he died in 1874, native legend has it that is body in full regalia, his horse, rifle and dog, were dropped into a tight canyon that was kept secret.  Perhaps you’ll feel his spirit as you camp at the Stronghold.  It’s a rugged primitive site with not facilities, so take all the necessary precautions when you visit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the camping area, stretch your legs on the rugged three-mile hike to the vista that overlooks the entire region.  As you  hike along, be on the lookout for petroglyphs left behind by early natives and keep a close watch for Apache warriors behind the rock formations and atop the craggy pinnacles.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTOMBSTONE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1878\/, Ed Schieffelin discovered silver in some of the region’s roughest Apache territory.  He was advised by his fellow prospectors and friends, “The only thing you’ll find out in that place is your own tombstone.”  So, Tombstone it became and was soon home to about 10,000 miners and camp followers.  Two years later when John Clum published his first newspaper in the town, the masthead read the Tombstone Epitaph.  His logic was simply that any town named Tombstone had to have an interesting epitaph.  Over the last 122 years, the Epitaph has lived up to the promise of being interesting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSome years back while scanning the Epitaph, a classified ad caught my eye. “DOG- German Shepherd. Housebroken. Free to a good home. Will eat anything.  Especially fond of children!”  The classified inspired about a dozen or so good-natured reader (myself included) to offer their children so the dog wouldn’t go hungry.  The letters to the editor column continued the high-spirited fun for a least a month.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe “Town Too Tough To Die” has certainly proved Any Warhol’s 15 minutes of fame wrong since Tombstone’s 20 or 25 seconds of fame has lasted nearly 120 years.  More silver has been extracted from the pockets and purses of tourists than was ever taken from the mines below the city.  Today, it’s home to about 1,500 residents’, down about 90 % from the early 1880s.  The famed Crystal Palace Saloon at Allen and Fifth streets was a favorite watering hole for the debonair Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Doc, Holiday and Johnny Ringo.  While they were tossing down a shot or two, or enjoying a  hot, game of faro, Lillian Russell and Eddie Foy were among the entertaining across the street at the bawdy Birdcage Theater.  Today, the Birdcage is a museum.  You might be challenged to find all 140 bullet holes in the walls and ceilings resulting from more than a dozen gunfights that were pretty much regularly scheduled events during the town’s heyday.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA few streets away at the Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, you’ll find a building full of artifacts and recreated rooms, including a sturdy three-rope gallows in the back courtyard.  Incidentally, that courthouse was constructed in 1882 for a grand total of $43,000.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBoo hill Cemetery lies on a hill outside of town and is home to about 250 folks who fought for their rest.  Some are famous but most were never known and long forgotten. There’s a few soiled doves buried here, some prospectors who contracted rapid consumption, some who contracted rapid lead poisoning, and even one or two who were hanged by mistake.\u003c\/p\u003e"}

{"id":8930877833438,"title":"Code Magazine - Steve Getzwiller and Hiroki Nakamura - 2012","handle":"code-magazine-2012","description":"\u003ch1\u003eSteve Getzwiller and Hiroki Nakamura 2012\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/HirokiNakamurawearingNavajoBlanket_a7fcfefb-c90f-438b-a66e-a66e2a7dae14.jpg?2571612777950588733\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/CodeSteveGetzwillerArticleonNavajoArt_725d4415-2452-4c37-887c-f3ad76ea4819.jpg?2571612777950588733\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/IndigoBlanketinJapan_10182d63-c81a-4f30-9364-3bee36c76d3a.jpg?2571612777950588733\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/NakamuraandNavajoInfluence_d184fc64-3a15-4244-b37f-01470c843361.jpg?2571612777950588733\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeptember 2012 -- CODE MAGAZINE contacted us about an article some months ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is exciting to see Europe’s appreciation of Navajo Art and Design.  Along with the article on Steve, there was a feature article on Niroki Nakamura, Japanese Designer, and as he says, “I wanted to “clash’ my design philosophy into Navajo Culture.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSteve Getzwiller\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrue Navajo pieces are serious undertakings, as Steve Getzwiller of Nizhoni Ranch Gallery in Sonoita, Arizona, will tell you.  The hand-woven, rugs commissioned by Getzwiller and produced by Southwest American Navajo can take anywhere from between a month to a year or more to complete, with careful consideration given to the sourcing of materials and dyes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen he was young, Getzwiller sixth generation rancher, traded his childhood collection of rifles and shotguns for his first Navajo rugs.  Since then, he’s worked with hundreds of weavers over the past four decades, becoming one of the world’s leading experts and proponents of the living art form prized for its rich history, incomparable quality, and intricate geometric patterns and colors. “I’m a collector first and foremost,” says Getzwiller.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNizhoni, the name of the home and gallery he shares with his wife Gail, means “beautiful” in Navajo.  “We have clients from all over the world.” The centerpiece of Getzwiller's work is the Navajo Churro Collection, named for the Spanish breed of sheep’s wool Getzwiller reintroduced to Navajo weaving.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“To bring the designs back to wearable art is natural,” says Getzwiller, explaining that the original 17-19th century pieces were prized wearable possessions.  A good “wearable blanket” of the time was worth 40 horses.  It wasn’t just stylish though, said Getzwiller, “It was woven so fine and tight it could shed water.  It could save your life in those times!”  \u003cem\u003eInterview by Jason Jules\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHiroki Nakamura\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMystery surrounds Visvim’s Hiroki Nakamura.  While the Japanese designers’ work has become synonymous with the idea of new classics, interviews with him often focus on abstract concepts and give little away about the man himself.  CODE met up and had a down to earth conversation about his curiosity and looking back in order to see the future.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHiroki Nakamura wearing Navajo First Phase Chief Blanket\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe says, “The Navajo blankets are beautiful, and I realized that the beauty of Navajo craft is unevenness. It’s not perfect, yet somehow, it’s so harmonized, which is something we’ve lost in modern manufacturing. With today’s production and digital world, everything is made flat with digital cameras and computers. It’s kind of like we’re missing a feeling – missing the hands-on feeling” .\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-29T13:59:48-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-29T13:45:33-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46857068839134,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":null,"requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Code Magazine - Steve Getzwiller and Hiroki Nakamura - 2012","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":1,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":null,"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Code1_6122dd43-0136-44e6-916a-973fab7a6826.jpg?v=1748552351"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Code1_6122dd43-0136-44e6-916a-973fab7a6826.jpg?v=1748552351","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36353739555038,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.661,"height":757,"width":500,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Code1_6122dd43-0136-44e6-916a-973fab7a6826.jpg?v=1748552351"},"aspect_ratio":0.661,"height":757,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/Code1_6122dd43-0136-44e6-916a-973fab7a6826.jpg?v=1748552351","width":500}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003ch1\u003eSteve Getzwiller and Hiroki Nakamura 2012\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/HirokiNakamurawearingNavajoBlanket_a7fcfefb-c90f-438b-a66e-a66e2a7dae14.jpg?2571612777950588733\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/CodeSteveGetzwillerArticleonNavajoArt_725d4415-2452-4c37-887c-f3ad76ea4819.jpg?2571612777950588733\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/IndigoBlanketinJapan_10182d63-c81a-4f30-9364-3bee36c76d3a.jpg?2571612777950588733\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/NakamuraandNavajoInfluence_d184fc64-3a15-4244-b37f-01470c843361.jpg?2571612777950588733\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeptember 2012 -- CODE MAGAZINE contacted us about an article some months ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is exciting to see Europe’s appreciation of Navajo Art and Design.  Along with the article on Steve, there was a feature article on Niroki Nakamura, Japanese Designer, and as he says, “I wanted to “clash’ my design philosophy into Navajo Culture.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSteve Getzwiller\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrue Navajo pieces are serious undertakings, as Steve Getzwiller of Nizhoni Ranch Gallery in Sonoita, Arizona, will tell you.  The hand-woven, rugs commissioned by Getzwiller and produced by Southwest American Navajo can take anywhere from between a month to a year or more to complete, with careful consideration given to the sourcing of materials and dyes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen he was young, Getzwiller sixth generation rancher, traded his childhood collection of rifles and shotguns for his first Navajo rugs.  Since then, he’s worked with hundreds of weavers over the past four decades, becoming one of the world’s leading experts and proponents of the living art form prized for its rich history, incomparable quality, and intricate geometric patterns and colors. “I’m a collector first and foremost,” says Getzwiller.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNizhoni, the name of the home and gallery he shares with his wife Gail, means “beautiful” in Navajo.  “We have clients from all over the world.” The centerpiece of Getzwiller's work is the Navajo Churro Collection, named for the Spanish breed of sheep’s wool Getzwiller reintroduced to Navajo weaving.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“To bring the designs back to wearable art is natural,” says Getzwiller, explaining that the original 17-19th century pieces were prized wearable possessions.  A good “wearable blanket” of the time was worth 40 horses.  It wasn’t just stylish though, said Getzwiller, “It was woven so fine and tight it could shed water.  It could save your life in those times!”  \u003cem\u003eInterview by Jason Jules\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHiroki Nakamura\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMystery surrounds Visvim’s Hiroki Nakamura.  While the Japanese designers’ work has become synonymous with the idea of new classics, interviews with him often focus on abstract concepts and give little away about the man himself.  CODE met up and had a down to earth conversation about his curiosity and looking back in order to see the future.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHiroki Nakamura wearing Navajo First Phase Chief Blanket\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe says, “The Navajo blankets are beautiful, and I realized that the beauty of Navajo craft is unevenness. It’s not perfect, yet somehow, it’s so harmonized, which is something we’ve lost in modern manufacturing. With today’s production and digital world, everything is made flat with digital cameras and computers. It’s kind of like we’re missing a feeling – missing the hands-on feeling” .\u003c\/p\u003e"}

{"id":8930772091102,"title":"Homes Across America' - TV Episode - HGTV - 2004","handle":"homes-across-america-hgtv-2004","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2qB4N2BAOYk?rel=0?ecver=1\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoon after Nizhoni Ranch Gallery opened it's Sonoita location, in the winter of 2004, we received a call from Homes Across America that they would like to feature our home and gallery in a series they were presenting. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe were thrilled of course, and we immediately went into action, as we needed to replace a shag carpet in the great room before the shoot, and we only had 2 weeks to accomplish this!  We contacted David Perrino of the \u003ca rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" title=\"The San Pedro Mesquite Company\" href=\"http:\/\/www.designbiz.com\/net0\/CompanyWelcome.asp?CompanyID=63240\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSan Pedro Mesquite Company\u003c\/a\u003e and he accepted the challenge. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the end, the floor and mantel - all made from beautiful mesquite wood - were installed and finished the night before the photo shoot. (talk about cutting it close!) We were very excited to present our home, gallery, Navajo weavings, new mesquite floor and mantel to the world!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe episode appeared on \u003cem\u003eHomes Across America\u003c\/em\u003e, HGTV,  December 20, 2004\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- split --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"float: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.04.59_PM_medium.png?v=1479604547\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.10.47_PM_medium.png?v=1479604549\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.09.25_PM_medium.png?v=1479604549\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.06.32_PM_medium.png?v=1479604548\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.05.44_PM_medium.png?v=1479604548\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.05.27_PM_medium.png?v=1479604548\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-21_at_7.48.22_AM_medium.png?v=1479743341\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-29T13:43:26-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-29T13:36:27-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46856953200862,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":null,"requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":false,"name":"Homes Across America' - TV Episode - HGTV - 2004","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":0,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":null,"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/HomesAcrossAmerica_showheader.jpg?v=1748551357"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/HomesAcrossAmerica_showheader.jpg?v=1748551357","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36353662320862,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":3.267,"height":300,"width":980,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/HomesAcrossAmerica_showheader.jpg?v=1748551357"},"aspect_ratio":3.267,"height":300,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/HomesAcrossAmerica_showheader.jpg?v=1748551357","width":980}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2qB4N2BAOYk?rel=0?ecver=1\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoon after Nizhoni Ranch Gallery opened it's Sonoita location, in the winter of 2004, we received a call from Homes Across America that they would like to feature our home and gallery in a series they were presenting. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe were thrilled of course, and we immediately went into action, as we needed to replace a shag carpet in the great room before the shoot, and we only had 2 weeks to accomplish this!  We contacted David Perrino of the \u003ca rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" title=\"The San Pedro Mesquite Company\" href=\"http:\/\/www.designbiz.com\/net0\/CompanyWelcome.asp?CompanyID=63240\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSan Pedro Mesquite Company\u003c\/a\u003e and he accepted the challenge. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the end, the floor and mantel - all made from beautiful mesquite wood - were installed and finished the night before the photo shoot. (talk about cutting it close!) We were very excited to present our home, gallery, Navajo weavings, new mesquite floor and mantel to the world!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe episode appeared on \u003cem\u003eHomes Across America\u003c\/em\u003e, HGTV,  December 20, 2004\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- split --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"float: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.04.59_PM_medium.png?v=1479604547\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.10.47_PM_medium.png?v=1479604549\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.09.25_PM_medium.png?v=1479604549\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.06.32_PM_medium.png?v=1479604548\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.05.44_PM_medium.png?v=1479604548\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-19_at_5.05.27_PM_medium.png?v=1479604548\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/Screen_Shot_2016-11-21_at_7.48.22_AM_medium.png?v=1479743341\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}

{"id":8930699706590,"title":"Fiber Arts - Threads of Tradition - Nov\/Dec 2010","handle":"fiber-arts-nov-dec-2010","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/FA_1.jpg?v=1748550759\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/FA_2.jpg?v=1748550759\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBelow is the article in easy to read format.  Enjoy!!\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTHREAD OF TRADITION\u003cbr\u003eby Susan Sorg\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFROM ONE GENERATION\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e to the next, weaving traditions are passed on with a single thread.  The design, palette, and style may differ, but the thread remains constant, trying each generation to the next.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSo it is with Navajo weavers Lucy Begay and her daughter, Ellen.  Both not only follow the traditions of Navajo weavers but live in the most traditional way of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDine,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e or Navajo people, on their native land, the Navajo Nation of Arizona.  Almost seventy, Lucy spends summers at her sheep camps (passed down through generations) weaving by daylight, as there is no electricity.  The rest of the year is spent with her ninety-six-year old husband in their traditional Hogan, a home they share with daughter Ellen, now in her mid-forties.  Wherever they live, they weave.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEllen translates as Lucy, who speaks only Navajo, describes watching her own mother weave until one day she raveled a Blue Bird flour sack for thread to try it herself.  It was Lucy’s grandmother who actually taught her the technique, just as Ellen learned from her grandmother, as is the Navajo way.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe weavings Lucy and Ellen create are considered the Three Turkey Ruins style of Burntwater.  Navajo weaving styles are regional, with Burntwater weavings known by the geometric patterns and border.  The intricate color palette they use has been passed down in the family for generations. Lucy makes her own natural dyes from native plants she gathers while tending her sheep.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout thirty years ago, Lucy’s weavings captured the attention of Steve Getzwiller, a well-known expert and dealer of Navajo weavings.  “I became their market,” he says, “I would commission specific designs initially, but in the last two decades I have encouraged them to do their own thing.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeaving with Churro wool as their ancestors did, mother and daughter first set the warp and hang it to dry for about two weeks, which draws it up tight and removes any shrinkage.  Just before insetting the yarn, they finger-twist it to make it even tighter.  One piece can easily take several months to complete, but with dazzling results.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“If you’re not knowledgeable about Navajo weaving,” Getzwiller continues, “your eye is going to tell you, ‘Hey” This Is beautiful!’  And if you do know something about Navajo textiles, you’re going to say, “Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this before!”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOregon businessman Gary Beaudoin began collection their works ten years ago.  “It’s amazing how their art is quite pure,” he says, “The luxury of the isolation allows their creativity.  It’s the way they can transform an original abstract geometric design from their heads to the loom.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHe was so taken with their works he took pieces to the San Jose Museum of Quilts \u0026amp; Textiles (SJMQ\u0026amp;T) in California, certain he had the making of a worthy exhibit.  One look and the museum staff were convinced.  Museum curator Deborah Corsini describes the work as “just dynamic, electric kind of weaving.  It was the intricate, sophisticated designs that really caught our eye.”  The subsequent  SJMQ\u0026amp;T Exhibition, Navajo \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWeaving in the Present Tense: The Art of Lucy and Ellen Begay\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (February 16 – May 4, 2010), was a success with, efforts currently underway to tour it to other venues.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“To have their story told and their art expressed is an important thing to do,” says Beaudoin, “Navajo weaving is on its last knee and needs an infusion of interest.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2025-05-29T13:34:37-07:00","created_at":"2025-05-29T13:30:04-07:00","vendor":"Nizhoni Ranch Gallery","type":"","tags":["About Us","no-price-showing"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":46856874819806,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":null,"requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Fiber Arts - Threads of Tradition - Nov\/Dec 2010","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":1,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":null,"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/FA2010.jpg?v=1748550667"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/FA2010.jpg?v=1748550667","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":36353597538526,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.713,"height":783,"width":558,"src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/FA2010.jpg?v=1748550667"},"aspect_ratio":0.713,"height":783,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.navajorug.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/FA2010.jpg?v=1748550667","width":558}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/FA_1.jpg?v=1748550759\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1207\/9128\/files\/FA_2.jpg?v=1748550759\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBelow is the article in easy to read format.  Enjoy!!\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTHREAD OF TRADITION\u003cbr\u003eby Susan Sorg\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFROM ONE GENERATION\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e to the next, weaving traditions are passed on with a single thread.  The design, palette, and style may differ, but the thread remains constant, trying each generation to the next.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSo it is with Navajo weavers Lucy Begay and her daughter, Ellen.  Both not only follow the traditions of Navajo weavers but live in the most traditional way of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDine,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e or Navajo people, on their native land, the Navajo Nation of Arizona.  Almost seventy, Lucy spends summers at her sheep camps (passed down through generations) weaving by daylight, as there is no electricity.  The rest of the year is spent with her ninety-six-year old husband in their traditional Hogan, a home they share with daughter Ellen, now in her mid-forties.  Wherever they live, they weave.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEllen translates as Lucy, who speaks only Navajo, describes watching her own mother weave until one day she raveled a Blue Bird flour sack for thread to try it herself.  It was Lucy’s grandmother who actually taught her the technique, just as Ellen learned from her grandmother, as is the Navajo way.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe weavings Lucy and Ellen create are considered the Three Turkey Ruins style of Burntwater.  Navajo weaving styles are regional, with Burntwater weavings known by the geometric patterns and border.  The intricate color palette they use has been passed down in the family for generations. Lucy makes her own natural dyes from native plants she gathers while tending her sheep.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout thirty years ago, Lucy’s weavings captured the attention of Steve Getzwiller, a well-known expert and dealer of Navajo weavings.  “I became their market,” he says, “I would commission specific designs initially, but in the last two decades I have encouraged them to do their own thing.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeaving with Churro wool as their ancestors did, mother and daughter first set the warp and hang it to dry for about two weeks, which draws it up tight and removes any shrinkage.  Just before insetting the yarn, they finger-twist it to make it even tighter.  One piece can easily take several months to complete, but with dazzling results.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“If you’re not knowledgeable about Navajo weaving,” Getzwiller continues, “your eye is going to tell you, ‘Hey” This Is beautiful!’  And if you do know something about Navajo textiles, you’re going to say, “Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this before!”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOregon businessman Gary Beaudoin began collection their works ten years ago.  “It’s amazing how their art is quite pure,” he says, “The luxury of the isolation allows their creativity.  It’s the way they can transform an original abstract geometric design from their heads to the loom.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHe was so taken with their works he took pieces to the San Jose Museum of Quilts \u0026amp; Textiles (SJMQ\u0026amp;T) in California, certain he had the making of a worthy exhibit.  One look and the museum staff were convinced.  Museum curator Deborah Corsini describes the work as “just dynamic, electric kind of weaving.  It was the intricate, sophisticated designs that really caught our eye.”  The subsequent  SJMQ\u0026amp;T Exhibition, Navajo \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWeaving in the Present Tense: The Art of Lucy and Ellen Begay\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (February 16 – May 4, 2010), was a success with, efforts currently underway to tour it to other venues.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“To have their story told and their art expressed is an important thing to do,” says Beaudoin, “Navajo weaving is on its last knee and needs an infusion of interest.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}