Jurors’ Comments for All Awards

Award of Excellence in Two Dimensional Art ($1,000)
Desert Diamond Casino
No award given

About this Award: Awarded to the work whose quality showcases excellence in arts. Any medium is eligible.

Jurors’ Comments:

There was a unanimous agreement of the three judges that no single entry met all the standards each judge was comfortable with for awarding at this level. A number of entries were discussed that had merits. Among those that were discussed were “Saving the Navajo” (transformer, acrylic on canvas), a canvas referred to as “Raven” and “Mystic Songs” (three katsina figures emerging from kiva, acrylic on canvas). In the end, no award was given in this category for this year.

Mark Bahti: (About “Saving the Navajo”) I think it’s deserving of an award—it’s deserving of a lower level award. The comic book illustration art sort of thing seemed appropriate for it but... It’s a good beginning but it’s not there yet.  If those feathers had been attached to the head more like a Navajo warrior’s, then it would make more sense.

(About “Raven”) Sometimes you can do things that are anatomically incorrect because they look fine to the eye, but that raven’s missing three toes. There’s nothing in the War Ceremonial that relates to that. It’s almost as if what happened is: she realized she had a real technical problem figuring out how those other three toes were going to be rendered so she just left them out. I would agree that it’s innovative; but, I’m not comfortable with it as a top winner.

Susan Folwell: I feel like the other judges do. I think the reason I initially chose “Mystic Songs” was because, although coming back to a traditional theme is almost a fail-safe, what this piece gives you is a traditional theme that’s done, I think, fairly well.

(About “Saving the Navajo”) It is more of an illustration for me. And it clearly spaced off the canvas. So giving it a higher award, I’m not sure that’s appropriate. It’s an exciting statement and I’m glad to see somebody toying with that thought. Clearly there was effort put into it. It’s a very cool concept. I almost would have like to have seen that concept taken to another level. I think something that could have helped would have been, rather than concentrating so much on the figure… What is it doing other than being a transformer? Maybe having a background: a village, tipis, or something. Take it to an extra level so you go: “I get it! I really get it!!”

Martin Kim: (About “Saving the Navajo”) I agree. The feathers seem to be more a token gesture of identification. If you had seen some sort of cultural references replacing the otherwise western culture mechanical body parts. If he’d somehow interpreted some of that too, so you could see this transformer truly making a transformation from one culture to another, I would have been really impressed with it.

Larry Lominac Memorial Award of Excellence ($900)
Friends of Larry Lominac
“Ewe-volution: Phase II: Ants” by Jonathan Nelson, Diné

Description: Mixed media on vinyl. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to recognize the use of humor and animal imagery (particularly bears) in any media. Larry, who passed away in 2003, was the husband of ASM Staff member Karen Lominac. His lifelong love of animals inspired the creation of this award.

Jurors’ Comments:

Mark Bahti: It immediately makes you smile and the more you look at it the more little details you see: the ants, the sky. He’s made good use of the circular format and the idea of it being a record. But he doesn’t get too carried away with that. He’s got that circular sky sort of off-center rather than dead center on the record. It’s just a great use of medium, materials and approach. You can almost see the sheep exhausted after a day of watching ants.

Susan Folwell: I completely agree with everything Mark said. It’s a really fantastic piece. It really does put a smile on your face. And that’s really something for sure.

Martin Kim: I think the humor caught my attention at first. But more so with this piece because there is nothing about it that doesn’t state” humor”.  I love the comic character of it’s content. The un self conscious and unpolished handling of the paint is funny in and of itself.  I like the innovation of using the record platter. It is irreverent as a canvas as the sheep and ants themselves.

Award of Excellence in Painting or Drawing ($500)
Arch and Laura Brown
“Pow-wow II” by Randall Wilson, Navajo

Description: Acrylic on canvas. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded for high quality in craftsmanship in painting or drawing.

Jurors’ Comments:

Susan Folwell: I think in terms of being able to use texture, the person has done a fairly good job, and also with the lighting. You definitely get a clear sense of the face and the figure - everything from the fur to the feathers.

Martin Kim: I feel like the figure is one of the most difficult things to accomplish when you are rendering in paint. To have a sense of luminosity and character in the figure and not just a photo reproduction is the hardest balance to hit. I think this artist has a very sure hand with a brush and fully understands the subject matter.

Mark Bahti: (About the Runner-up, his choice, acrylic painting “Summer Mesa”) I like the fact that it’s a little departure in terms of subject matter from what you see in American Indian painting and yet it makes perfect sense. It’s a beautiful scene up in the mountains, presumably Utah—San Juan, somewhere in that area. I like the pointillist approach to it. I am familiar with this artist and this is definitely a departure from what he’s been doing for a couple of decades. So he’s moved into a new area and seems to have some confidence and mastery with the technique he chose to use.

Award of Excellence in Painting or Drawing ($500)
Arch and Laura Brown
“Fire Buffalos” by Anthony Chee Emerson, Navajo

Description: Oil-based inks painted on Plexiglas, then transferred to paper. Japanese origami papers pasted on after process. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded for high quality in craftsmanship in painting or drawing.

Jurors’ Comments:

Mark Bahti: I don’t think it was necessarily the intent but we all bring our own history to viewing art—the Japanese buyers in American art, particularly jewelry more than anything else, are having a huge influence among some of the artists. They’re there and they’re shaping the market in significant ways. So whether he intended it or not, that’s how I kind of relate to it. I like that he’s stepping beyond the boundaries of what he’s done before.  And he seems to have technical control of what he’s done. He’s not floundering—I’ve seen enough bad monoprints.

Susan Folwell: I think it’s well handled. The imagery, I don’t know… I’m not sure what I’d do differently though. I don’t have any suggestions. It’s beautiful. Technically it’s a beautiful piece.

Martin Kim: This captured my attention because of the complexity of the process the handling of the ink as well as the handling of the paint and background. It drew all the judges’ attention for its technical excellence

Award of Excellence in Katsina Doll Carving ($500)
Parker Family
“Kachina Mana” by Aaron Honanie, Hopi

Description: Wood stain and acrylic on cottonwood. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to the katsina carving that best portrays adherence to traditional representation and use of materials.

Jurors’ Comments:

Martin Kim: There are a couple of characteristics about this figure that really draw me to it. One of them is actually the muddiness and the patina on her shoes. To me that kind of grounds the figure in a way that is more representational than I usually see in sculpture like this. But maybe even more so, I just love the hem of her skirt. This is a level of detail I’ve never seen in other carvings of this figure or any other for that matter. She has a pose that is not only dynamic for its asymmetry but it gives an animation to it. It’s as if for a moment her eye has caught something and you really see a response. Two other details of technical merit strike me. One is the deer scapula held in her right hand that would go with the use of the rasp in her left. It’s such an innocuous element but it’s such a culturally appropriate element to include that with this figure. I like that it has that kind of depth of content. And secondly, when I look at the base of her feathers I see behind them the other feathers. They’re just lightly carved in, suggested in a way that gives additional depth to this detail. It’s so important on these carvings. 

Susan Folwell: Agreed with Martin that the award should go to Kachina Mana. (About the Runner-up, her initial choice, a butterfly and corn maiden wood sculpture, “Sunrise Harvest”) It’s very clear that it’s not traditional, especially the painting and the carving. But I do really just like the use of it. I think the shape is interesting, the undulating shape. Certainly the hand holding up the corn maiden is very untraditional. But I really do like the piece. And of all the pieces here, just to stand on merit, I think it’s very interesting.

Mark Bahti: Agreed with Martin that the award should go to Kachina Mana. (About the Runner-up, his initial choice, Deer Dancer) This is a Rio Grande style deer dancer. Those are the kind of deer antlers that only occur on deer that hunters dream about: more elk-like really. But it’s an aesthetically pleasing figure. That particular dancer is not one that you see done over and over again. So a part of it, the fact that it’s not a common one appeals to me. (About Susan’s initial choice, “Sunrise Harvest”) This one came very close for me. The only thing that threw me off were the feathers, they look more like flames. They should come to something approaching a point to the quill. That’s the only thing that disturbed me enough that it turned me from that. Otherwise it was interesting and I very much like the sculptural style.

Award of Excellence in Pottery ($500)
Anonymous in Memory of Leonard Chana
“4 Direction Pottery” by Sheldon Nunez-Velarde, Jicarilla Apache

Description: Micaceous pottery vessel with lid, traditionally fired. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to work that shows the best quality in craftsmanship and use of ceramic material. All pottery is eligible.

Jurors’ Comments:

Susan Folwell: I chose the micaceous bean pot. It’s a beautiful form. It’s very technically well done. It’s a lovely firing to add a really nice dimension to the micaceous look. And I like the lid; it just adds something to the pot. It just gives it more. It’s just a beautiful, charming piece.

Martin Kim: I was completely seduced by the form, the deep undercut and the radical shoulder-handling. It’s a difficult feat in coil pottery regardless, but in micaceous clay, even more so. I think that in micaceous clay, form is everything—since it’s not contingent on painterly effects or handling of the brush or themes. So it has to be a virtually flawless form and the balance of the lid to the form I thought was excellent.

Mark Bahti: (About the Runner-up, his choice, Large Polychrome Jar, a San Ildefonso Pueblo jar with feather and plant design) I chose it for a couple of reasons. One is that the size is ambitious. It’s not easy to construct something like that without getting drying cracks. It’s a revival of sorts of an earlier polychrome style. The patterning on it: the corn, the checkerboard—whatever you want to call it—is unusual. So it’s a nice form, it’s an ambitious size, and it’s an older revival without being slavish about it. It’s got some innovation and a little freshness to it.

Award of Excellence in Clay ($400)
Casas Adobes Barber Shop
“Manifest” by Andrew Harvier, Taos & Santa Clara Pueblos & Papago

Description: Hand built vase with all natural earth clays, hand burnished, etched symbols and inlaid turquoise. Fired outdoors in traditional manner. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded for high quality in craftsmanship and vision in the use of clay. All pottery and figurative clay are eligible.

Jurors’ Comments:

Mark Bahti: I kind of liked the layering, the textures of the patterns on it. Basically the layering of the patterns is what caught my eye and then the sort of cross between the basket or the corn motif around the neck. The finishing down into the inside there is what I would call a complete piece. They didn’t neglect an aspect or surface. Initially I was put off a little bit by the inlay because it’s just frequently done and often gratuitously done. I’m not even sure it was that valuable to this piece. But at least in this case it shows a greener turquoise, they didn’t go with the usual bright blue on it and it tied in a little bit better with some of the plant motifs that were used on it.

Martin Kim: I also selected this piece for several of the merits that Mark selected. It has a variety of techniques that are being used on it. It is not an overly heavy piece even though it’s deeply carved. So there was a lot of planning involved: knowing where the carved areas would occur. The incised carving at the bottom is radically different in character than the rhythmic carving that divides the burnished top of the piece and the bottom. I thought it was a good segue. The stones didn’t add a lot for me but they worked well with color of the clay.

Susan Folwell: (About the Runner-up, her choice, Stone Polished Pottery with Turquoise Inlay) The reason I chose this piece is just for what it is. It’s polished well, the shape is beautiful, and what I like about the design. I normally probably wouldn’t choose inlay but what I find fascinating about this is how complementary it is to the shape itself. It truly is a lovely piece. The texture that was put into the inlay is very clean. It’s a very clean piece, very technically skilled.

Award of Excellence in Basketry ($300)
Ann Parker and Angelo Joaquin Jr.
Hopi Coil Plaque by Alberta Selina, Hopi

Description: Katsina maiden with rain cloud. Natural plant colors except black from commercial dye. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded for high quality in craftsmanship in basket arts.

Jurors’ Comments:

Mark Bahti: It’s a very nice tight weave and an ambitious pattern: you don’t see figurative work to begin with that much and on small pieces it’s even less common.

Susan Folwell: I agree with Mark. It’s beautiful. It’s really lovely: very well done.

Martin Kim: The use of katsina imagery and complex details in basket miniatures is just even more challenging. It’s a very, very impressive basket.

Award of Excellence in Figurative Clay ($300)
Bahti Indian Arts
“Seed Pot #1” by Carolyn Concho, Acoma Pueblo

Description: Traditional handmade seed pot. All natural clay mined at Acoma Pueblo; all natural vegetal and mineral paints from vicinity of Acoma Pueblo. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to acknowledge excellence in non-vessel ceramics.

Jurors’ Comments:

Martin Kim: This was the unanimous choice although there was some interest in a similar vessel that had an all-butterfly motif, “Seed Pot #2”. The selection of these seed pots that had no real opening we thought removed them from the vessel category and made them eligible for this award. This one had a great deal of visual complexity: well-balanced, well-handled and the relief elements added enormous aesthetic value to it too.

Susan Folwell: Actually I think I just like the animals and the variety, the comic character of the relief figures and the variety, here. It’s charming and really well done. Just the handling of the relief on the pot is really well done. It was a hard choice between the butterflies and the one with variations of rabbits and lizards and butterflies. But this you can see how the artist chose to handle… whether it be the ear that’s uplifted or the snout of the lizard or just the whole body of the ladybug. It’s just really well done.

Mark Bahti: It was a close one with “Seed Pot #2” because there was a certain rhythm going on there with all the butterflies’ right wing up and turning. But this one’s the one just because of the diversity of critters on there.

Award of Excellence in Textiles or Weavings ($300)
Cele Peterson’s
Germantown Men's Wearing Blanket by Charlene Laughing, Navajo

Description: Natural and commercial dyes on commercial wool; woven on traditional upright Navajo loom.

About this Award: Awarded to acknowledge excellence in craftsmanship in all forms of weaving. Baskets, rugs and other fiber arts are eligible. View this piece

Jurors’ Comments:

Susan Folwell: It’s a beautiful weave; the color combination; it’s just technically well done. The color combination I think is very sophisticated. I realize this can tend to be sort of a generic pattern but I think the artist’s use of coloration was handled exceptionally well. It’s very pleasing.

Martin Kim:  I picked this because, in the context of all the entries that show trends in Navajo weaving today; there’s a level of visual complexity that’s coming to dominate the styles and designs of so many new rugs, that I feel it is almost uncontrolled.  It’s too much information; it’s too much display of “Look what I can do.”  I think there is technical mastery in all the rugs that were presented here, but the one with the slight conceit of quoting the Germantown style has something going for it that I really like, and that’s brevity.  It is the use of color in it that enlivens this otherwise very simple pattern, and it deserves recognition for that, flying in the face of the marketplace. 

Mark Bahti: This is my second choice. To be honest I realize that one of the reasons that put me off initially was the conceit of the identification of the style of the pattern. But putting that aside, the background is very pleasing to my eye. The hotter red in it going to scarlet is what my eye kept snagging on and tilted me towards the Crystal.

(About the Runner-up, his choice, the Crystal rug) I looked at the nine-in-one rug. It’s really different for that style in that usually they’re right up against one another and these are floating against a field, which is nice. But it’s not at all uncommon. This one, for a Crystal, was a little different with the panels in it and it had both symmetry and asymmetry going on. Symmetry to the extent that it has an identifiable pattern on the diagonal; but asymmetry going on in that as you go up or down and sweep across as the eye normally does, you get some randomness so when your eye gets to the point where it’s looking for the irregularity or asymmetry it can find it, but at the same time there’s a visual feel that compensates for it. It’s unusual. Usually, if you see these kinds of panels at all they tend to be boxed in rather than having this terraced motif on it. And you almost never see it with a Crystal pattern. You can see it in a banded Wide Ruins element. Some of the elements are from old style Crystal rugs. So it was a nice arrangement overall, a pleasing combination of colors, which isn’t easy to do. Sometimes you end up with a color too weak or too strong on it. [The Crystal rug later won the Award of Excellence in Textiles.]

Hartman H. Lomawaima Memorial Award of Excellence in Jewelry ($300)
Morning Star Traders, Inc.
“Corn Pollen Bracelet” by Lorenzo Shirley, Navajo

Description: Silver and Kingman turquoise. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded for high quality in craftsmanship in jewelry and silversmithing, in recognition of Hartman Lomawaima's efforts to help Native American artists and craftsmen.

Jurors’ Comments:

Mark Bahti: This is a very unusual sand-cast. It’s very much a corn pattern. I chose this partly because this award is named for Hartman who was Hopi and corn is important in Hopi life. It’s well-formed and doing a cast like this in a good curve without it kinking or bending at key points is difficult. They got a good clean cast, a nice asymmetrical turquoise which they worked with and continued to keep in an asymmetrical setting rather than trying to somehow right it and square it up Then they gave it a blanched finish. They didn’t oxidize it or do anything to heighten the contrast; they just blanched it to give it a more visual pop, in my opinion. So from a technical standpoint, a design standpoint and the appropriateness of the motifs to who Hartman was, it just seemed like it was the most appropriate one.

(About pieces that were considered but not chosen) There were a couple of others that came close. I really quite like the belt with the pottery shards. The problem is that the buckle just does not belong design-wise, scale-wise or anything else. It just missed. The buckle needs to be rethought because the belt’s great. There was a bracelet with very fine Spondylus shell and turquoise vertical inlay that was quite nice and had very much a Hopi aesthetic to it; I could see Hartman wearing that. The stamp work on the ends is perfunctory and just doesn’t carry through the warmness of the rest of the piece. And by that I don’t mean the color, I mean just the feel of it, abruptly ends where the stamp work begins.

Martin Kim: The quality of the craftsmanship is self-evident and I agree with Mark’s assessment of the technical achievement and the beauty of the handling of the asymmetrical stone.

(About the Runner-up, his initial choice, “Brown Bear” bola tie) After I looked across the entries in jewelry it seemed that there were many that were equally high level of craftsmanship and could fairly draw recognition on that quality alone. So I decided I would look instead for something that spoke more to Hartman and I thought as an award that was a memorial award it would appropriate to show respect for the honor that he brought to his clan. And so the Bear Clan symbol on this swayed me in that direction purely for the focus of the award.

Susan Folwell: (About the Runner-up, her choice, Bola Tie with Carnelian and Montana Agate) It is beautiful in its simplicity and it’s something that could be worn by a man or a woman. I think it’s done technically well. It’s just a very attractive piece; very warm and inviting. I appreciate it very much.

(About a piece that was considered but not chosen) I’d like to comment on the belt with the pottery shards as well. What really threw it off for me was the buckle. I really appreciate the belt. It’s a beautiful piece of work, something I would certainly want in my own collection. But I think the buckle really needs to be rethought.

Award of Excellence in Sculpture/Carving ($250)
Gallery West
“A Summer's Sun” by Hector Valencia, Pascua Yaqui

Description: Steel, glass, sandstone and powder coating. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded for high quality in craftsmanship in sculpture or carving.

Jurors’ Comments:

Susan Folwell: The scale of it works well. I like the use of color, mixed media, and very contemporary elements but in something that still has a hint of cultural significance. I think it's a beautiful piece.

Mark Bahti: I love this. There's nothing timid about it; it's a nice bold piece. The stone that he picked is suggestive of the desert. And then the metal grille: boy, if that doesn't feel like what you're lying on when you get out in the sun in mid-July in the Sonoran Desert, nothing does.  So it's a wonderful abstract piece that conveys something very, very real and concrete. I think it's a real successful piece.  There's nothing thrown in here that doesn't belong, nothing gratuitous in it.

(About the alabaster sculpture, “Nurturing”, that was considered but not chosen) The pose is beautiful; the composition is good; there's so many things working for it. The one thing that I noticed almost immediately though, as I drew closer to it, is the patterning (for example, on the shawl) needs a little more care, a little more touch-up. It's not flawed; it just feels like it's incomplete. Where the triangles and diamonds are, those little points and corners just need to be a little better finished. He's got the thing that's hardest to get in a piece of sculpture, which is the feel of it so all he needs to do now is concentrate on the technique, which he can do.

Martin Kim: I find it very fascinating that a sculptor could move into totally abstract material and make a very contemporary statement, and still have some kind of cultural content reference to it.  I think it strikes a good balance, taking advantage of the picture sandstone's ability to evoke a landscape. It is well crafted and I also like its human scale, it's like talking to a person.

(About the alabaster sculpture, “Nurturing”, that was considered but not chosen) I absolutely agree with Mark. I was so drawn to that piece because it has a human presence to it which is the thing that every artist wants to get out of a piece of stone. There's a sense of intimacy, it's well rendered until you look at the pattern detail, and then the craftsmanship falls apart.  A little more time on that and I think it would be truly an outstanding piece.

Award of Excellence in Traditional Carving ($250)
Karen and Stephen Strom
“Spirit of the Deer” by Louis David Valenzuela, Yaqui

Description: Hand carved Yaqui deer dancer. Cottonwood and horsehair. Paper flowers represent nature. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded for carving that adheres most to cultural content, other than a Katsina doll.

Jurors’ Comments:

Martin Kim: I understand that the root of it, with the paper-mâché flowers that represent blessings, that these represent the flower world: the point of origin for Yaqui culture, and also a goal of spiritually reuniting with that world. The Pakola dancer and Pakola mask and the deer dancer above and the deer with the flowers in his head are all very accurate in detail to traditional forms of these objects and their images as used in ritual.  I am concerned about the back of the piece lacking some kind of detail. Sculpture generally means to me that it’s three-dimensional and should work from all directions. I would be excited to see something like this address its back side as well.

Susan Folwell:  This piece is vibrant. It’s clearly Yaqui; it’s clearly of Southern Arizona. It’s an intriguing piece.  It’s a good scale: a very interesting size, a workable size. I’d like to see, on the back side, more attention paid to the all-around sculptural aspect of it.

(About the Runner-up, Mark’s choice, “Walking in the Clouds”) That was something that I was considering. They are beautifully carved folk art pieces.  But in terms of, if this is for cultural context, this piece could be from anywhere: from South America through Mexico. So, in that regard, as beautiful as they are, it was just a little more too generalized to me.

Mark Bahti: (About the Runner-up, his choice, “Walking in the Clouds”) I was very taken with the two-part saguaro picker until I saw this one.  I wound up choosing it because a lot of things go on about the saguaro harvest that this embodies. A lot of it’s sort of buried in there. Someone traditional from out at the Tohono O’odham Reservation would immediately pick up all of the context. For example, you’ll see imagery of people using the saguaro fruit pickers to bring down the clouds.  The saguaro fruit ripens just about the time the rainy season begins.  The rainy season is the beginning of the New Year and in fact when the first red fruit lands on the ground you’re supposed to pick it up, hold it over your heart and breathe a silent prayer of thanksgiving on the intake for having made it to the beginning of a new year.  So clouds, the fruits, the act of picking fruit, and the rains are all tied together.  This also has Boboquiviri Peak on it. The whole story is in this one piece.

Gordon Carle Award of Excellence in Tribal Arts ($250)
Jamie Gittings
“Messenger of the Spirit” by Patrick Scott, Navajo

Description: Ceremonial fan of turkey tail feathers, goose feathers, beads, deer hide, and leather fringe. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to recognize high quality in diverse media that do not fit into conventional categories.

Jurors’ Comments:

Mark Bahti:  It's well done with both the beadwork and the thread and feather work.  With this particular artist I would expect that level of work; but what sets this above his normal work is the painting, the dying that he did on the turkey feathers—it’s a very nice touch. 

(About a piece that was considered but not chosen, Apache Fiddle) I regret that high quality was the criterion because I would have loved to have given something to the Apache fiddle, the dark colored one, because it's nice to see that traditional craft being kept alive.  For fifty years it’s been—almost gone.

Martin Kim: I concur with Mark in his assessment of the fan being the award winner on the basis of the quality of its craftsmanship; but, I too am upset over not being able to acknowledge the Apache fiddle maker. I think that this is an important craft, that it’s a dying craft, and especially in the single string. I think there are only two cultures, the other one's Chinese, that have the single string fiddle. So it was exciting to see it being revived, but the lack of attention to detail did not warrant award recognition in this category.

[The 1-String Apache Fiddle later won a Judge's Choice Award and the 2-String Apache Fiddle later won the Ruth E. Gittings Acquisition Award.]

Susan Folwell: No comment

Southwestern University Award of Excellence in Carving ($250)
Jamie Gittings
“Sunrise on the Mesas” by Richard Honyouti, Hopi

Description: Hand carved alder, oil based stains. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded for high quality in craftsmanship in carving. Any medium is eligible.

Jurors’ Comments:

Mark Bahti: It’s almost a narrative progression in terms of having the prayer feathers on either a triangle or spring (probably, based on the pollywog there) and the rain cloud motif above them.  That goes into the rainbow bars that interact with the full sun motif and the top mirrors the bottom on it. So, even though it’s a linear piece it suggests a cycle and it's well executed: there are no overcuts on any of the corners. It's very precisely done, but without having that machine laser-cut feel that some things can have when they're too precise.

Martin Kim: The precision of the cutting also drew my vote to this. The palette of using stains rather than opaque paint to take advantage of the wood.  I think the piece just works very well visually.

Susan Folwell: (About the Runner-up, her choice, “Good Harvest”) I’ve chosen it because it seems to be a very complete idea. There are two separate pieces, one of the saguaro and one of the woman collecting the cactus. It’s clearly a folk art piece; but, it's carved beautifully and it relays its message very clearly. It's a very beautiful sculptural piece.

Award of Excellence in Textiles ($200)
Gloria F. Ross Center for Tapestry Studies
Crystal Rug by Charlene Laughing, Navajo

Description: Crystal design rug with natural and commercial dyes on commercial wool. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to acknowledge excellence in technical achievement in any form of weaving or fiber arts. Rugs, baskets and other fiber arts are eligible.

Jurors’ Comments:

Mark Bahti:  Basically it's interesting for the panel motifs, which you normally expect to see in a Wide Ruins rug rather than a Crystal.  Having it in a Crystal gives the pattern a real interesting overall visual complexity that’s mediated a bit by the diagonal orientation of the pattern. So there is a symmetry of sorts. Yet there's asymmetry enough to keep it visually interesting—balanced with enough symmetry to give the eye a place to rest. [See Mark’s additional comments on this piece under Award of Excellence in Textiles or Weaving.]

Martin Kim:  You also brought to my attention the keystone marking elements between the patterns that are in the parallel bands. I find that very interesting too.  And, really, this is just a technical tour de force. 

Susan Folwell: No comment

Judges Choice Award ($200)
Pam and Roland Shack
“Indian Cadillac” by Clarence Lee, Navajo

Description: Three-dimensional sterling silver bolo with inlaid turquoise and coral. View this piece

About this Award: This award is also called the "passion award". Each juror selects one piece after all other awards have been decided. The Judge's Choice Awards are designed to bring recognition to a work that each juror, independently, feels is outstanding. These pieces may have been overlooked due to the limited number of awards or because they fell outside other award categories.

Juror’s Comments:

Susan Folwell:  It's a great piece of artwork. The old Indian truck, the Indian with his two dogs getting water, the wheels spin around, there's a spare tire at the bottom, and the muffler and the key to the engine up here. I just think it's a great, really, really fun piece of work.  It's clear that the artist had a really good time making it and really didn’t hold back and I appreciate that.

Judges Choice Award ($200)
Ralph and Ingeborg Silberschlag
1-String Apache Fiddle by Anthony Belvado, San Carlos Apache

Description: Hollowed out and hand carved split agave stalk with mesquite root peg and string holder and tin inlay; includes horsehair strings and mulberry bow. View this piece

About this Award: This award is also called the "passion award". Each juror selects one piece after all other awards have been decided. The Judge's Choice Awards are designed to bring recognition to a work that each juror, independently, feels is outstanding. These pieces may have been overlooked due to the limited number of awards or because they fell outside other award categories.

Juror’s Comments:

Mark Bahti: I chose the Apache fiddle for my Judge's Choice award for several reasons.  One is this is a craft that needs to be encouraged, to be kept alive. And, secondly, the way this artist approached it is not simply keeping alive an artifact.  He did his own technique of putting this together. He created his own glue and wood chips for sealing off the ends. He applied tin or galvanized metal to the inside, attaching it to the body with rivets, which is technically a difficult feat.  He created a 21st century Apache violin. I admire him for keeping this craft alive and keeping it real by keeping it in this century. [See additional comments on this piece under the Gordon Carle Award of Excellence in Tribal Arts.]

(About another piece that was considered but not chosen, “Changing Woman”) The vessel up to the handles is wonderful.  It's spontaneous, there's enjoyment, there's an artistic vision going on, and then it hits the shoulder with the feather motif and it just feels like it changed gears and whatever excitement and vision was going on stopped there. I would recommend to the artist to keep going where you were headed when you were building the rest of the vessel, because you've got a good vision and a good eye going.

Judges Choice Award ($200)
Ralph and Ingeborg Silberschlag
“Fawn” by Margia Simplicio, Zuni

Description: Beaded fawn on cloth. View this piece

About this Award: This award is also called the "passion award". Each juror selects one piece after all other awards have been decided. The Judge's Choice Awards are designed to bring recognition to a work that each juror, independently, feels is outstanding. These pieces may have been overlooked due to the limited number of awards or because they fell outside other award categories.

Juror’s Comments:

Martin Kim:  My choice for Judge's Choice award is “Fawn,” a beaded baby fawn. The attention to detail—especially anatomical detail, very humorous—really catches the eye. But the craftsmanship in this is exceptional. The use of the red beads to break up the yellow beads in the field underneath the white spotted beads lends so much depth and character to what might be an otherwise anonymous folk art. This is a piece where you know there was an individual artist who made it. I'm glad to see the beaded tradition kept alive.

Hartman H. Lomawaima Memorial Acquisition Award ($3,000)
Friends of the ASM Collections
Reversible Herringbone Inlay Necklace by Charlene Sanchez Reano & Frank Reano, San Felipe

Description: Necklace with graduated elements inlaid in a herringbone pattern. One side is coral and turquoise. The other side is turquoise, coral, lapis, mother of pearl and shell. Each side has a small element near the closure with the design of the opposite side. View this piece

About this Award: This special acquisition award is open to all works on display at the Fair; they need not be entered in the Friday competition to win. Art works winning acquisition awards become part of the museum's permanent collections. They are chosen for their technique and artistry as well as for the way in which they compare and contrast with other items in our collections. Any medium is eligible.

Jurors’ Comments:

Diane Dittemore, Patrick Lyons, Susan Beckerman, Frank Finkenberg, & Jean Nerenberg: We were honored to have Charlene and Frank here at the fair, and to be able to purchase such an exquisite necklace from them through the Friends of ASM Collections’ Hartman Lomawaima Memorial Acquisition Award. It is a fitting tribute to Hartman, who was a great appreciator—as well as maker—of jewelry. Being able to demonstrate the continuity of the turquoise and shell inlay process from our ancient examples through Charlene and Frank’s necklace is just one way ASM can enlighten our public about longstanding cultural traditions of the Southwest.

B.C. Waddell Memorial Acquisition Award in Jewelry ($500)
Waddell Trading Co.
Carnelian, Montana Agate and Peridot Pendant by L. Bruce Hodgins, Navajo

Description: Figure pendant on handmade silver chain. View this piece

About this Award: Art works winning acquisition awards become part of the museum's permanent collections. They are chosen for their technique and artistry as well as for the way in which they compare and contrast with other items in our collections. Any medium is eligible.

Jurors’ Comments:

Diane Dittemore & Patrick Lyons: Bruce’s work continues to demonstrate a wonderful eye in his selection of stones, and great artistry in the bold, clean lines of this pendant. ASM has other examples of Bruce’s work that were prizewinners in past SWIAFs, and so we will be able to demonstrate his development as an artist through the years

Ruth E. Gittings Acquisition Award ($500)
Jamie Gittings
2-String Apache Fiddle by Anthony Belvado, San Carlos Apache

Description: Hollowed out and hand carved split agave stalk with mesquite root peg and string holder; includes horsehair strings and mulberry bow. View this piece

About this Award: Art works winning acquisition awards become part of the museum's permanent collections. They are chosen for their technique and artistry as well as for the way in which they compare and contrast with other items in our collections. Any medium is eligible.

Jurors’ Comments:

Diane Dittemore & Patrick Lyons: ASM may have the largest collection of Western Apache fiddles, and it is important that we continue to add to it with examples from contemporary artists such as Mr. Belvado. He has nicely combined the traditional with the innovative in this fiddle and bow set. [See additional comments on this piece under Gordon Carle Award of Excellence in Tribal Arts.]

Staff Acquisition Award ($475)
Arizona State Museum Staff
Flower Vase by Carlos Laate, Zuni

Description: Vase with deer house; hand coiled from natural clays, hand painted with natural paints and kiln fired. View this piece

About this Award: Art works winning acquisition awards become part of the museum's permanent collections. They are chosen for their technique and artistry as well as for the way in which they compare and contrast with other items in our collections. Any medium is eligible.

Jurors’ Comments:

Diane Dittemore & Patrick Lyons: Carlos Laate managed to create a pot with traditional Zuni shape, colors and designs, but at the same time a very contemporary look. The black seems to verily float on the red background, and has a smoky almost Gothic appearance.

ASM Director’s Choice Award of Excellence ($300)
Arizona State Museum
“Shush ” (Reversible Necklace) by Benson Manygoats, Navajo

Description: Handmade bear necklace made of 14k gold inlaid with Australian opal, red coral, sugilite, Acoma jet, turquoise, spiny oyster, lapis, malachite, and varisite. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to acknowledge excellence in quality, this award is selected by the ASM Director. Any medium is eligible.

Juror’s Comments:

Beth Grindell: I was attracted to this piece for two reasons. The first is the array of bears that go around the necklace. It brought to mind my mentor, friend and boss Hartman Lomawaima of the Bear Clan, and that's why I was immediately attracted to it. But, secondly, it's just really great wearable art. You can wear it on one side and have classic coral and gold; you can wear it on the other side and mix it up and show all different colors of stones. It will wear with anything.

Wilma Kaemlein Memorial Acquisition Award ($250)
Arizona State Museum
“Mother's Enduring Reflections” by Priscilla Tacheney, Navajo

Description: Archival print. View this piece

About this Award: Art works winning acquisition awards become part of the museum's permanent collections. They are chosen for their technique and artistry as well as for the way in which they compare and contrast with other items in our collections. Any medium is eligible.

Jurors’ Comments:

Diane Dittemore & Patrick Lyons: Both of us were struck by the painterly quality of the photo and its compelling cultural content. This is the first time we have purchased a photograph by a contemporary Native photographer for our permanent collections.

Friends of Lorraine Honanie Youth Award of Excellence ($200)
Friends of Lorraine Honanie
“Red Blessing Seed Pot” by Jachelle Yazzie, Navajo

Description: Wheel-thrown of white clay; hand carved with commercial paints. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded for youth work that exceeds standard qualities of excellence in craftsmanship or visual appeal. Artists of age 17 and under are eligible.

Juror’s Comments:

Martin Kim: This pot exhibits all the qualities you would expect even in top quality adult pottery. It has good visual strength, symmetry and excellent craftsmanship.

Youth Acquisition Award ($150)
Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society
“Black Turtle” by Emanuel Vigil, Jicarilla Apache

Description: Pottery vessel of traditional micaceous clay, traditionally fired in a reduction atmosphere. View this piece

About this Award: Art works winning acquisition awards become part of the museum's permanent collections. They are chosen for their technique and artistry as well as for the way in which they compare and contrast with other items in our collections. Artists of age 17 and under are eligible.

Jurors’ Comments:

Diane Dittemore & Patrick Lyons: Emanuel Vigil’s micaceous pot with a turtle-shaped lid demonstrates the promise of this young artist in continuing the strong pottery traditions of Jicarilla Apaches of the northern Rio Grande.

Youth Award of Excellence ($100)
Jean Bassett
“My Little Buckle” by Courtney Manygoats, Navajo

Description: Handmade sterling silver buckle inlaid with mother of pearl and purple spiny oyster shell. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to recognize quality in any artistic medium. Artists of age 13 to 17 are eligible.

Juror’s Comments:

Martin Kim: This shows spiny oyster shell inlaid into a buckle that has stamped and fabricated work on the face. The action on the clasp is very smooth. It has good scale and is very wearable for a work of art.

Youth Award of Excellence ($100)
Jean Bassett
“Mother Earth” (Jewelry Box) by Chenoa Custer, Navajo

Description: Tufa-cast sterling silver box with lid, inlaid with turquoise. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to recognize quality in any artistic medium. Artists of age 13 to 17 are eligible.

Juror’s Comments:

Martin Kim:  All sides of this lidded silver box are tuff-cast, so there's an enormous amount of work in creating the mold, as well as casting the pieces and assembling them. The piece shows quite a bit of attention to detail, and there's an ever-changing visual story.  I like that it goes on the lid as well as around the box. Just as a footnote there's a charming element inside the box: at the bottom on the felt there's a sun symbol.

Youth Award of Excellence ($50)
Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society
“The Native Story” by Taya Yazzie, Navajo

Description: Sandstone with ink. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to recognize creative effort in any artistic medium. Artists of age 12 and under are eligible.

Juror’s Comments:

Martin Kim: This piece is charming for several reasons, one of which is the extension of a longstanding tradition of pictorial graphics on rock. So this is really a part of the cultural heritage and at the same time it's executed in a way that shows an interest to tell a real story in today's terms.  A combination of traditional imagery and some interpretation makes it a great piece, showing that culture is living on in youth.

Youth Award of Excellence ($50)
Hadley and Associates
“Kiva Pottery” by Emanuel Vigil, Jicarilla Apache

Description: Pottery with interior rattle made of traditional micaceous clay and traditionally fired. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to recognize creative effort in any artistic medium. Artists of age 12 and under are eligible.

Juror’s Comments:

Martin Kim:  Micaceous clay is a very complicated clay to work in the closed vessel form. It's not a clay that's easy to mold, and this vessel shows good structure and form all the way around. They had good fortune with the firing, with some flashes. This is an effective use of micaceous clay, which is all about form.

Youth Award of Excellence ($50)
Mike and Kay Rukasin
“Baby Jesus” by Xavier Romero, Santa Clara Pueblo

Description: Two-piece clay figurine. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to recognize creative effort in any artistic medium. Artists of age 12 and under are eligible.

Juror’s Comments:

Martin Kim: A really charming piece of folk art, but not lacking in craftsmanship.  The burnish is excellent. And the simple rendering of the nodule on top of the small ceramic tray that creates a figure is really great folk art.

Youth Award of Excellence ($50)
Mike and Kay Rukasin
“Talking God Brings Rain” by Quanah John, Navajo

Description: Traditional ye'ii figure; acrylic on canvas. View this piece

About this Award: Awarded to recognize creative effort in any artistic medium. Artists of age 12 and under are eligible.

Juror’s Comments:

Martin Kim: This piece is really notable for its scale, a very ambitious effort for a youth under 12 years old—to try to command a full canvas of this size and actually use the negative space and make meaningful imagery. I think this is somebody who has a great future as a painter