Joe Cajero was born in 1970 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and raised in Jemez Pueblo. He is a descendant of a long line of Pueblo artists, including his father, a painter, and his mother, a potter. As a young man, Cajero often accompanied his mother to Indian art shows throughout the Southwest.

David John was born in 1963 and raised just east of the Hopi Mesas at Keams Canyon, Arizona. As a young boy, he was close to his grandfather, a Navajo Medicine Man revered by the Navajo people. His grandfather shared stories of the Navajo Creation with David and trained him to help gather materials and perform ceremonies.

Oreland Joe is among the finest sculptural artists in the world. He was born in 1958  in Shiprock, New Mexico. Of Diné (Navajo) and Ute descent, he was raised in the Four Corners area, spending his youth on both the Navajo and Ute reservations. He wanted to be an artist from a young age and never let go of that dream.

Charlie Pratt was of Cheyenne-Arapaho and French descent and grew up surrounded by art and artists. As a child, he watched his grandfather, a jack-of-all-trades, make everything from jewelry to houses, and he learned early how to shape people and animals from river clay between El Reno and Concho, Oklahoma.

We are deeply saddened to share that Jackson passed away yesterday after suffering a stroke on Tuesday.

Jackson loved this business—especially the artists he worked with and the clients who appreciated their work. He often said he couldn’t imagine retiring, because this life was such a part of who he was. A gifted storyteller, Jackson frequently shared glimpses of his own life and experiences with you through this newsletter. His humility, warmth, and approachable nature endeared him to so many over the years.

There are people in this world who know from an early age what they want to do with their lives. For most of them, it never happens. Real life, families, children, rent, and a million other things cause dreamers to take a different fork in the road. Once you take that different path, it is hard to break away and return to your original goal. 

Link to the Four Corners Forum Podcast

On Friday, April 21, Mom was the first one at the Gallery. She usually has been for the past 40 years. She would unlock the building, get the lights on, fire up the computer, and get the Gallery ready for business.

Yes, there is a day to recognize and celebrate Native American Heritage. It is the day after Thanksgiving. The month of November is Native American Heritage Month.

Navajo sculptor Alvin Marshall has been carving works out of stone for about 40 years. When we opened our current location in 1983, he and Orland Joe often traveled the show circuit together, selling their works.

The two of them traveled to Europe and studied in Italy, learning to work with marble and visiting the great museums where they studied the works of the classic Italian sculptors.