In the gallery this summer, we are displaying a spectacular Ganado red weaving by Master artist Mae Jim. Customers stand in awe of the beauty of this weaving, often asking how we came to own not just one but two of her amazing weavings. The answer is bad weather and good luck.
Sometime in the mid-1970s, Mae Jim, who was one of the most talented Navajo weavers from Ganado, Arizona, was driving through Durango on a stormy winter afternoon. She had just finished a large rug, and a collector in Grand Junction told her he would buy it. When she got to Durango, she learned that all the passes to the North were closed. She was not going to get to Grand Junction that day. Discouraged but not dissuaded, she remembered hearing that the man who owned the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company in Durango often bought Navajo rugs. She walked into my dad's showroom and got a resounding "Absolutely!" when she asked if he would be interested in buying her weaving. He knew it was his lucky day and was delighted by the opportunity. What followed was a long relationship between Toh-Atin Gallery and Mae Jim, one of the finest Ganado weavers ever.
After that, Mae wove several large, beautiful weavings for our customers and us, and in 1984, she completed a 9' by 15' weaving that had been on the loom for 2 years. It became part of Lost and Found Traditions, an exhibit of traditional Native Arts that toured the United States, Europe, and China through 1988. Mae was honored at the exhibit opening in what was then Peking. She sent my brother, Jackson, a postcard from China, describing her fabulous experiences there. When the exhibit was disbanded, Jackson purchased the weaving back and never tried to sell it. By this time, Mae had just completed an equally large and spectacular weaving, despite being legally blind in one eye. We bought the rug and never sold it either.
Sadly, Mae lost her eyesight from complications with Diabetes and never wove another rug. She died in 1993 at the age of 59.
Mae's youngest daughter, Candice, was raised by her siblings. She always had a great relationship with Jackson, and he always made sure to stay in touch with her. She called him "Dad", which he loved! When Candice got married, Jackson lent her the rugs to hang inside her mother's traditional hogan, where they were woven so that she could feel her mother's presence. Jackson was honored to be at the wedding.
Because we owned Mae's last two large weavings, Jackson decided that he would claim one and I could claim the other. Over the next 20 years, I talked to him about selling "my" rug periodically. We would discuss it, and he would say, "I'll see what I can do," but it was obvious he never tried very hard to find a buyer. In the Spring of 2016, he invited me to go to Ganado High School's graduation. "One of Mae Jim's grandchildren is graduating. The whole family will be there, and it will be fun!"
Ganado High School has a gymnasium larger than many colleges. (They love Basketball!) The building was packed with family, friends, and teachers. Mae's two weavings hung as backdrops behind the stage, and as the graduates stopped to get their diplomas, each took an extra second or two to have their picture taken with the rugs in the background. Afterward, students, teachers, families, and friends stood on stage for their photographs. They were all, very clearly, so proud to have them there.
As we sat in the bleachers watching the events of the day, Jackson turned to me and said, "Do you see why we can't sell these weavings? We have to keep them available so that this community and Mae's family can enjoy and celebrate with them." The sales pitch had already been delivered when I watched the graduates take the stage, and I said, "You're right! I get it. We can't sell those rugs."
Jackson felt we had a responsibility to preserve these amazing weavings so that the family, their community, and the Navajo Nation could enjoy them at special events. Mae's family refers to Jackson as "the keeper of the rugs," and he took that title to heart. When Jackson passed away last year, we hung both weavings in the Fort Lewis College Concert Hall in Celebration of his Life and the connection he had with the Native people. I am sure nothing would have made him prouder.
One or the other of these weavings will hang in the gallery throughout the summer. Take the time to come in and enjoy them. Bring your friends. You'll be glad you did.
