Zuni artists gather in Flagstaff

ABOVE: Ceramic pottery dominated the show at the Flagstaff Zuni Festival May 24. BELOW: Anderson Peynetsa's Zuni pottery was on display in Flagstaff. [courtesy photos]

By Ernie Bulow
For the Independent

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A late-season snowstorm couldn’t put a damper on the 18th Annual Zuni Festival of Arts and Culture last Saturday at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. The white stuff did put a chill on the craftspeople and artists who were scheduled to demonstrate their skills in the museum’s Golightly Historic courtyard but it didn’t keep the crowds away.

The sun came out just in time for the raising of the Zuni Pueblo flag with the help of Miss Zuni, Samantha Soseeah, dressed crown to toe in her best traditional outfit. A small group braved the chilly wind and spitting sleet for the flag-raising.

By noon May 24, the rambling museum was packed with locals and collectors from all over the west. Dance and music groups were packing Branigar Hall as the Nawesta Family Dancers followed the Zuni Pueblo Band who was preceded by the Young Olla Maidens, balancing their famous pottery.

In the nearby Lockett Gallery, Dan Simplicio spoke to a packed house on the subject of Zuni Art and Economy. He seemed to be caught by surprise when an audience member asked him what happened if a member of the Zuni tribe didn’t have any aptitude for one of the traditional arts. The obvious answer, supported by a superior showing at the museum, was, “It just doesn’t happen. Zunis seem to be born artists.”

There has been a four-year hiatus since the last Zuni show which used to be held late summer in Flagstaff. Many of the exhibitors thought that the early summer date was better all around—for artists and collectors. The Museum of Northern Arizona also hosts long-running festivals for Hopis (July 4-6) and Navajos (Aug 1-3) along with dozens of other cultural programs.

Barely inside the Museum visitors were greeted by Tony Eriacho and his presentation on how to tell fake Indian arts from the real thing. He was answering tough questions about everything from stabilized turquoise to German silver (which has no silver content whatsoever). He patiently explained the origin and use of katsina dolls—Zunis call them koko—and the fact that Navajos don’t actually have the figures in their own culture but copy them from the Pueblos.

One of the things that make the festivals at MNA so enjoyable is the emphasis on cultural education. Eriacho was mobbed with questions—most of them pretty sensible. Dan Simplicio had several different presentations and several other Zunis spoke on cultural matters. The A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center presented several vintage films.

The variety of arts and crafts was impressive in both range and quality. For many years traditional metalsmithing and lapidary work—intricate inlay and delicate use of stone—dominated the Zuni creative world. Zuni art was once synonymous with needle work and inlay, along with the distinctive Dishta channel work. These days there has been a huge revival in pottery and other once common forms like beaded figures.

A number of Zunis have revived the three-dimensional beadwork of dancers, animals, and mounted figures. Margia Simplicio won “Cultural Arts” awards for a giraffe and a beaded dog. She builds up the forms from scratch, rather than use plastic animals and other ready-made armatures. She is one bead-worker who is carrying on a family tradition.

The Zunis are still very sensitive about selling their katsina dolls because of their religious significance, but there are several carvers currently working. Many Hopis have long since departed from any tribal or “folk” type carving and moved the dolls into the arena of fine art, but Zunis have stayed with a more traditional style.

There weren’t a lot of carvings available, but the prize-winning Shalako set by Michael Jamon was spectacular. He titled the set, “The Coming of the Ancient Gods from the Spirit World.” Shalako is, of course, the huge winter ceremonial that ends and begins the Zuni ceremonial year. The Shalako figure itself is ten feet tall. He is accompanied by a group of katsinas known collectively as “the Council of the Gods”, which includes a number of participants.

Jamon’s group of figures included the Long Horn and his partner Hututu, the Yamuhaktos and the warrior Salamopias. Two mudheads and Shulawitsie, the little fire god are also in the group. Jamon included the alternate Shalako who goes unmasked. What really made Jamon’s dolls outstanding was his attention to detail.

One of the traditional differences between the dolls of Hopi and those of Zuni is the A:shiwi preference for dressing their dolls, rather than just painting on the details. This includes kilts, tiny fox skins, feather ruffs, jewelry and rattles. Michael’s dolls were exquisitely appointed, down to tiny moccasins on their feet.

Historically the Pueblo of Zuni has produced some of the greatest ceramics ever to come out of the Southwest. Zuni potters were no only excellent, but quite prolific. By the middle of the last century the art had virtually died out. Then a revival started and pottery has been making a steady comeback. At the Flagstaff show it is fair to say that the ceramic arts dominated everything else.

There was a nice selection overall, from very traditional to ultra-modern. The traditional Zuni pottery ware had designs painted over a white slip, which is the look most associated with ceramics of the Pueblo. Modern potters have largely abandoned the familiar white slip for other decoration. Anderson Peynetsa’s “Black on Red” pot won first place and the MNA Spirit Award.

Peynetsa had a great showing and a table full of awards, but my favorite among his pieces was basically a traditional olla up to the rim, where it morphed into the head of a duck with an elaborate crest. The head is cleverly formed to make the spout and handle of a pitcher. He admitted that the crest was the hard part to execute. Ducks, as well as other water animals, are sacred to the Zuni people.

Another big award winner in the ceramic category was Noreen Simplicio, who won second place with a large, traditionally painted olla form with a neck resembling the old pueblo. The lid carries on this terraced house effect. It was another nice example of a traditional form, turned into something modern and original. My favorites among Noreen’s pots are the ones with lizards scurrying around on them. Her lizard pieces have become so delicate they have a surrealistic quality to them.

Predictably, there was a fine showing of Zuni jewelry in virtually every style: petit point, needle point, and channel in the Dishta style. Veronica Poblano took the top award in the traditional category with a perfectly executed inlay of an “Olla Maiden.” The Zunis have dominated the jewelry business over the years with this kind of material. The common themes for the pictorial inlay have been animals and katsina figures.

Second place in traditional work was a wonderful dragonfly necklace by Colin Coonsis, who told me his mother Rolanda Haloo had helped with the piece. Colin made the silver beads from scratch. The several dragonfly figures are nicely inlayed in Mexican fire agate.

Another Coonsis piece caught my eye and Colin told me he hadn’t finished it in time for judging. An eager collector bought it on the spot, ribbon or not. It started out to be a butterfly necklace in a similar style to the dragonflies, but inlayed with Chinese turquoise which almost looks like jade. It was strikingly modern in design, even though the inlays were quite traditional.

It was supposed to be a necklace, Colin told me. While he was assembling the silver part of the piece he put it down on the workbench in a pile. The leaf or wing elements that were supposed to hang above the butterfly on the necklace resembled the shank of a bracelet and he assembled it that way instead of the original intention.

The leaf elements give the bracelet a very modern look; very dynamic and energetic, as though poised to leap. A lucky accident that inspired a whole new design.

In the modern jewelry category there were plenty of fine entries, dominated by Carlton Jamon’s “Silver Fetish Bowl with Necklace,” which took first place and Best of Show honors. Carlton ran an art gallery in Gallup for several years and is well-known in the area.

The runner-up was magnificent in its own right, a piece by Duran Gasper titled “Prayers of the Red Beard Rain Dancer,” a wrap-around bracelet with super fine stone inlay. Gasper and his late brother Arnie are both famous for their multi-stone inlay.

No Zuni show would be complete without a nice selection of fetishes and the Festival didn’t disappoint. The biggest challenge for Zuni fetish carvers, working in such a traditional form, is in finding new styles, new figures, and new materials. Claudia Peina has been hugely successful with her corn maidens and buttefly girls. She often works in deer antler, with appliqués of silver and inlays of turquoise and other stone.

Claudia took first place in sculpture with a large figure called “Butterfly Maiden” which echoed some of her smaller pieces. The maiden’s wings are constructed of sheet silver. She also had some striking fetishes carved from a new stone called angelite. This gemstone, resembling turquoise, was only recently discovered. It is baby blue with a purplish cast that is quite striking.

In more traditional fetishes Lorandina Sheche took first place for a six directional set. There are six hunting animals in Zuni tradition—each one represents a cardinal point. There are the four direction plus up (zenith) and down (nadir). Lorandina is the daughter of two of the most famous fetish makers in history, Arron and Thelma.. Todd Westika’s version of the six directions took second place in the contemporary fetish category. He carved a spiny-oyster shell and fitted with six carved ears of corn. Each of the directions has a color and a particular stone associated with it.

I only noticed one thing missing from the Zuni Festival and that was traditional food to go along with all the art and information. About noon I could have really used one or two of those delicious Zuni tamales—hot and spicy. The success of this year’s show should ensure its future.