Taos & Santa Fe
Sunday, June 1st, 2008My mother and I did our annual trip to New Mexico a couple of weeks ago. Though our trips are always relaxing, our primary interest is in visiting all the galleries we can fit into our time there and seeing great art (a close second would be finding and eating great food!).
The following works found their way into my focus and into my collection:
Yei Mask Sculpture by Elijah John, son of David K. John. This piece was part of a show of artwork sold to support his travel to China in search of his Navajo roots. My mother has one of his father’s Yei Masks in her collection.
Three new miniature seed pots created by Julio Mora. I met Julio during the 2005 Santa Fe Indian Market, at the Frank Howell Gallery where he was working as part of a Mata Ortiz potter demonstration. The piece he was working on that weekend became the first of his works in my collection.
A seed pot in the Mimbres style by Acoma potter Rachel Concho, sister of Carolyn Concho, who’s works are already in my collection.
The highlight of my art buying spree: "Observational Notes on Lepus" by Timothy Chapman, recently featured in Southwest Art magazine. The second my mother and I saw this painting, we both knew it would be mine. I love this piece.
These pieces are also now included in my Yallery collection. (and yes, I do collect rabbit art)
The worst part of our trip has to be our stay at the Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, where virtually anything that could go wrong, went wrong. My mother and I each paid for a night of our stay in Santa Fe at this Hilton — by the end of our stay, my mother received her money back and I received a credit of the 35,000 HHonors points I paid plus an additional 40,000 “oops sorry” points. Thanks to the manager for trying to put things right.
