Long summer working hard in the studio. We miss out on a lot of activities because Val and I are always preparing for our biggest show of the year. We don't mind too much because this is what we do! Our work is very time consuming and labor intensive so, to even have a small inventory lots of time is needed.
This year all the hard work and missing out on summer things paid off! We won the Best of Show Award!
The 97th Annual Santa Fe Indian Market Announces Best of Show Winner
This year's overall Best of Show winner is Kevin Pourier of Pine Ridge, South Dakota.
"My work is a belt with portraits of Native women from around the country. During the Standing Rock protests, there was a lot of coverage about men. But the women were there. They were cooking and taking care of the families and then out on the front lines. My wife said, 'you need to create something for the women warriors.' The portraits are carved buffalo horns, used by my Lakota ancestors since the beginning of time," said Mr. Pourier as he accepted the award.
The title of the belt is “Winyan Wánakikśin”(Women Defenders of Others) Buffalo Horn Belt. It has portraits of 8 Native women carved and inlaid with mother of pearl, Malachite, sandstone, pink coral, gold mother of pearl, pipestone, turquoise and Lapis. Portraits are etched on polished horn by hand with a diamond coated burr. The tipi frame, which represents women for being the backbone of the People, each one had 1400 dots! Textured one dot at a time. The women are Bobbi Jean Three Legs, Roxanne Swentzell, Suzan Harjo, Jodi Archambault-Gillette, Tipiziwin Young, Suzie Silook, Wanda Batchelor, Mary Kathryn Nagle. All who have done Amazing things for their People from grassroots to nationally! Best of Show SWAIA 2018
The response to the piece was AMAZING! The Power of the all the elements came together in this piece and it really showed! The buffalo horn, the amazing story behind each portrait that was carved and the fact that the piece is so relevant to what is going on today with the Women's Movement.
This art piece isn't just about the strong, resilient, Power of Native women but, its about the Movement of Women of ALL Nations!
This amazing piece of art will be going to the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.
My hopes are that this will be displayed front and center to bring about awareness that our Powerful women are standing up TODAY for their families, communities, and Nations and will bring about discussion and create awareness that Native Peoples are here TODAY and not just "museum curiosities" from the past and our concerns are REAL and relevant!
