Reunion of the masters
highlights arts, crafts
Annual exhibit "not in competition with Ceremonial"

Jeremy Boucher, left, watches painter Baje Whitethorne work on a painting Thursday, August 7 at the Gallup Cultural Center. Whitethorne is one 28 Native artist contributing to the Reunion of the Master show at the Gallup Cultural Center. [photo b y Cable Hoover / Independent]

By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — It’s sometimes called the alternative ceremonial, but people connected with the Reunion of the Masters explain that they are in no way in competition with the larger event that is held at this time at Red Rock Park.

The Reunion is now in its eighth year and is put on by 28 of the most famous names in the Native American arts and crafts scene — artists, weavers, and potters — who spend their days and evenings at the Gallup Cultural Center talking to visitors and youngsters who want to follow in their footsteps. It continues through Saturday.

With the aid of the Southwest Indian Foundation, members of the group have spent thousands of hours over the past eight years encouraging young people — both Native and non-Native — to look within themselves and see if they have that seed of talent within them to one day justify having the name master after their name.

Visitors also get a chance to buy some samples of their work, from the children’s books that have been illustrated by Pine Springs, Ariz., artist Irving Toddy, to original artwork that costs thousands of dollars.

Twenty-five percent of all of the money from the works sold this week go into a special scholarship fund sponsored by the masters and SWIF. During this past year, the group has given out $25,000 in art scholarships. This year, a separate program for college freshman has been added.

Bahe Whitethorne, who was raised in Shonto and is now a full-time artist working out of Flagstaff, is one of he founders of the group. He looks upon members of the group now s part of his family and enjoys being able to socialize with them at these reunions and events sponsored by the group.

Like many of the others, he donates many hours to working with young people and helping raise funds for the youth scholarships. There’s nary a day, he said, that he doesn’t spend part of it at least talking about the group.

Cheryl Laughing, a weaver from Crystal, said she thinks its important to have someone out there encouraging young Navajo to think about weaving either as a career or a sideline because not many are doing it nowadays. For many Navajo with artistic ability, painting looks easier, she said, because after an hour, you can have a finished product while a rug takes weeks and sometimes months to finish.

The fact that the event is held at the same time as the Ceremonial at first led to Ceremonial officials giving the newcomers a frosty reception, but that has warmed up over the years and both groups have come to realize that each, in their way, helps to draw in people for the other event.

Most of the masters have had a relationship with the Ceremonial. All have, at one time or another, won ribbons at the event, and some still compete on occasion.

But Toddy said he feels his days of competing are over.
“We should leave the Ceremonial for the young artists coming up,” he said.