If I had to name the top three traditional Navajo silversmiths working today, Jeanette Dale would be one of them. I don’t know who the others are, but I don’t think she’d be in second place.

The "Flat" style of painting, used by many Southwest Native American artists, was typical of early ledger art —paintings drawn by American Indians on ledger paper. It was also found on the teepees of Plains Indian tribes and, with a slight stretch of the imagination, can even be traced to the early rock art of the first inhabitants of the Southwest.

Navajo inlay artist Jimmy Poyer has been working with us for approximately 40 years, since we relocated to our large gallery building in Durango. He is a unique man as well as an incredible jeweler.

Awards given for art, including Navajo weavings, are always subjective. While a Blue Ribbon at the Gallup Ceremonial, the Heard Museum, or Indian Market may be interpreted to mean that the chosen piece was the “best” weaving, there are always people who will disagree.

During the Great Depression, which started 95 years ago, President Roosevelt initiated a new federal program called the Works Project Administration, which provided Federally funded jobs. This included the Federal Art Project.

Alex Sanchez is one of those artists who bridges traditional and contemporary in his jewelry. His work is heavy, and his stamp work is precise. He only uses top-quality stones. That would be enough for Sanchez to stand out among his contemporaries, but he takes the work a step further.

We are proud to announce a new collection in the Gallery, curated by Aline Randle, who loved Durango and spent summers here.

Books are treasures, particularly if they can be read and enjoyed multiple times. Horizons—Weaving Between the Lines with Diné Textiles is one of those special and unique books.

Today, it is common for Pueblo and Navajo artists to paint or carve religious figures, but in the 1930s, it was forbidden.

Gilbert Maxwell, a Farmington, New Mexico trader, wrote the first book I read on Navajo weaving. Not only was he a trader, but he and his wife were avid collectors, and he was constantly searching for more information about the history of Navajo weaving.

Mamie Deschillie lived a unique and interesting life. She was born in a hogan on the Navajo Reservation near Chaco Canyon in 1920 when the primary mode of transportation was wagon or horse.

I met Laverne Barber about 50 years ago. My father had worked with Lavern’s mother, Anna Mae Barber, a long time before that. Anna Mae was the oldest sister in what would become the family that created the Burnham Weaving Area.