| Announcer |
Welcome to an Arizona State Museum podcast. This podcast is part of a series of short interviews with Native American artists. This interview took place at the Southwest Indian Art Fair in 2008. For more information on Arizona State Museum podcast, go to www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/podcast, or go to iTunes, keyword Arizona State Museum. |
| Lisa Falk |
I’m Lisa Falk, director of the Arizona State Museum’s education department and I am sitting with Anthony Garcia. He is a jeweler from the Pascua Yaqui tribe. And he lives up in Guadalupe, which is near Phoenix. How are you, Anthony? |
 |
| Anthony Garcia |
Oh, fine, thank you very much. |
| Lisa |
Thanks for joining me today. I wanted to ask you how you got your start in jewelry making. |
| Anthony |
Actually it runs in my family. My older brother was actually my teacher, and he taught me right out of high school to be a silversmith. I kind of picked it up from there, and he showed me some technical skills through a lapidary to do my own stone-cutting. So, he showed me the basics, and I kind of picked it up from there. |
| Lisa |
And you mentioned that he travels around the world and that he gets the stones in the rough and that’s what you use? |
| Anthony |
Yes. I purchase all my stones from him, because he gets really high-grade stone. And I like to use high-grade stone |
| Lisa |
And what’s your favorite mineral or gem that you work with? | 
 |
| Anthony |
It is probably turquoise. I like it because it’s the easiest to get the polish on. |
| Lisa |
Any particular kind of turquoise? |
| Anthony |
I like Sleeping Beauty, Bisbee, Kingman, all the Arizona stones. |
| Lisa |
OK. Can you tell me what kinds of things you make into jewelry? Are you making necklaces? What are you making? |
| Anthony |
I make pendants, rings, bracelets, belt buckles, ranger sets, earrings. I also do pins. I do hummingbird pins, and lizards. |
| Lisa |
Why hummingbirds and lizards? |
| Anthony |
Because they are kind of like a traditional animal that the Yaquis kind of revere. They revere hummingbirds because they fly around, and they are part of their culture pretty much. And I just like the colors in them pretty much too. |
| Lisa |
The hummingbirds. And the lizards? |
| Anthony |
The lizards are just part of Arizona. I feel that you see them everywhere. I see them everywhere in my house, geckos. They come out at night and you see them with their different colors and the way they move, I like to catch that in the piece. |
| Lisa |
And you said you learned from your brother to do silversmithing. How old were you when you start learning? How long have you been doing this? |
| Anthony |
I was probably in the eighth grade, 12, 13 years old when I first was exposed to the art field. And after high school, I kind of picked it up from my older brother. |
| Lisa |
And this is what you do to make your living? |
| Anthony |
Yes, it is. |
| Lisa |
So you are pretty successful then? |
| Anthony |
I hope to be. |
| Lisa |
Do you do shows just in Arizona, or do you travel beyond? |
| Anthony |
Actually mainly around Arizona and the states around Arizona is where I travel to. Like New Mexico, I’ve been to Colorado, California, Texas, just the Southwest states pretty much. I haven’t really traveled across the U.S. yet. |
| Lisa |
And I know we have a piece in our collection at the Arizona State Museum. Are there other collections that hold pieces of your work? |
| Anthony |
Actually, they are the only museum that has a piece in their permanent collection. But the museum, the Heard Museum always purchases from me, so they carry my stuff in their gift shop. |
| Lisa |
Oh, lovely. And can you tell me where you get the ideas for your designs? |
| Anthony |
Mostly it comes from the stone. Once I get the stone I like to just, like imagine what I can put the stone in. So it comes from the stone and the stone kind of tells you what it wants to be pretty much to me. |
| Lisa |
And what do you like best about being a silversmith and a jeweler? |
| Anthony |
Just the excitement that people see when they see your work. That is what I kind of get a thrill out of. |
| Lisa |
It is wonderful. Is there anything else you’d like to add? |
| Anthony |
I just hope to be participating in more shows around the country. |
| Lisa |
Well, your work is lovely. |
| Anthony |
Thank you. |
| Lisa |
Thank you very much. |
