The University of Arizona
 

NEWS
RELEASE

Exhibit Features Yoeme Art Form

Date of Release: February 22, 2006

Yeome presence in the Tucson area dates to the turn of the last century when many fled north from Mexico escaping persecution by the Mexican government. The United States government officially recognized culture group in 1978, granting them the reservation of New Pascua northwest of Tucson.

Carving Culture: The Yoeme Masks of Frank Martinez
A retrospective of the pahkola masks of Frank "Chico" Martinez
February 20 - April 2, 2006
Paths of Life Gallery at Arizona State Museum

This intimate exhibit is the latest iteration of Arizona State Museum's year-long celebration of Mexican masks. Currently running through November 2006 at ASM is the larger exhibition "Masks of Mexico: Santos, Diablos y Mas."

Arizona State Museum's newest exhibition, "Carving Culture: The Yoeme Masks of Frank Martinez,” celebrates Yoeme pahkola mask carving.

(Tucson, AZ) Frank “Chico” Martinez was born July 28, 1958 in the Yoeme (Yaqui) village of Old Pascua in Tucson. Under the instruction of his uncle, Luis Garcia, he began to carve pahkola masks at the age of twelve. Soon, he became a pahkola dancer performing at Yoeme fiestas throughout southern Arizona.

Pahkola means "old man of the fiesta" in the traditional language of the Yoeme. Such masks are worn by hosts, or masters of ceremonies, of the group's traditional rituals and celebrations.

In the 1980s there was a florescence of mask carving among the Tucson Yoemem and Martinez was at the forefront of the movement. He not only carved traditional and innovative masks for his own use as a pahkola dancer but he offered his carvings for sale to an outside market. As a result of his success, many young men from the community asked Martinez to teach them to carve masks. His influence on mask carvers carried over into the 1990s but by that time, the market for Yoeme masks began to wane. Sadly, very few of his former students continue to carve.

Martinez has carved pahkola masks yearly since his teenage years. Illness and hard times have not detoured his craftsmanship and creativity. His son, Francisco (Frankie) Robles Martinez, Jr. tragically passed away in 2004 at the age of 21. He, like his father, began carving pahkola masks in his early teens and was literally the future of Tucson Yoeme mask carving. His masks were similar in style and design to his father’s but he had his own flair. His passing has left a hole in the hearts of those who knew him, as well as an irreparable hole in the fabric of Yoeme tribal masking traditions.

This exhibit "Carving Culture: The Yoeme Masks of Frank Martinez" is a testament to the elder Martinez' skill and artistic abilities. It is also a dedication to the memory of Frank, Jr.

Curated by Tom M. Kolaz, the exhibition features twenty-four masks by Frank Martinez, two carved figures that are collaborative pieces with his wife Feliciana, and two masks by his late son Frank, Jr.

Kolaz received his B.A. and M.Ed. from the University of Arizona. He has held a variety of museum positions including assistant curator of ethnographic collections at Arizona State Museum. Presently he is a museum fellow at Arizona State Museum. Kolaz began his research and fieldwork among Tucson’s Yoeme pahkola mask carvers in 1980. He is currently preparing a manuscript that will update his research and a published article from 1985.

Kolaz wishes to thank the Martinez family: Eduardo, Frank, Eddie Jr., Feliciana, Connie and Lucy. He wishes to dedicate this exhibit to the loving memory of Francisco (Frankie) Robles Martinez, Jr.

Arizona State Museum is located just inside the Main Gate at Park Avenue and University Boulevard on the UA campus in Tucson. 520-621-6302

You may contact Tom Kolaz via email.

Diane Dittemore, ASM curator of ethnological collections can be reached at 520-621-2079 or you may send Diane email.