First American Art Magazine No. 6, Spring 2015 | Page 8

Arctic and Indian arts st for the 21 century 26 Maine Street Kennebunkport, Maine 207 967-2122 Earl Plummer 2014 Indian Market Best of Jewelry Award Winner Sculpture | Prints | Jewelry |Beadwork |Baskets shop online: www.homeandawaygallery.com Editor’s Greetings E NTERING OUR THIRD YEAR of publication, First American Art Magazine took a huge leap of faith on the part of everyone who made it possible. An anonymous writer suggests, “To expose your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.” Grupo Sotz’il, a Kaqchikel Maya theater troupe in Guatemala, has taken the greatest risks. By breathing life into ancient Maya stories, members of the troupe have been attacked by those loyal to a political culture and colonial-era ideology considered to be one of the most oppressive toward Indigenous peoples in the Western Hemisphere. The bravery of Grupo Sotz’il is awe-inspiring, as is their commitment to sharing the philosophy and cosmology of their ancestors to audiences today. The late Carl Ray (Cree, 1943–1978) was a member of the Professional Native Indian Artists, Inc., also known as the “Indian Group of Seven.” Now the group is celebrated, but at the time, the artists’ dealers warned them joining this group would harm their careers. According to fellow member Joseph Sanchez (Tewa descent), Ray took risks in that “he embodied himself in his work. He communicated with animals in the manner he painted. He didn’t just paint the legends; he became the legend.”1 Tarahumara people have risked poverty and isolation to live on their ancestral lands. The tourist trade that commodifies artwork is often denigrated; however, selling their basketry, weaving, woodcarving, and other artistic expressions enables the Tarahumara to participate in the cash economy and remain on their lands. Art making should not be a vocation reserved only for the independently wealthy. In hoop dance competitions, dancers compete against each other, but more importantly, they challenge themselves. Watching the Pojoaque Youth Hoop Dancers perform at Buffalo Thunder Resort, I was moved by seeing young children performing extraordinary athletic feats but also making mistakes on stage, in front of a large audience, only to recover and keep dancing. A gamble can result in failure, but finding the strength and confidence to keep going is powerful. Our profiled artists are chosen for their challenging, complex, and culturally engaged work. The art market does not always reward these traits. Troy Sice is evolving and exploring new expressions in Zuni carving, marrying precontact materials with exotic stones. Alex J. Peña is driven by his passion for mark making and complex printmaking processes, instead of giving the public the overtly Native themes it expects. Nadia Myre is willing to criticize the Canadian government and allow others to speak about their trauma in her art projects. Judith Lowry took time from a successful painting career to educate her community about an unrecognized tribe. I’m profoundly grateful to all the artists, curators, and writers throughout this issue who venture into the world, try new approaches, stumble, rise up, and ultimately prevail in their commitment to their vision and that of their peoples. —America Meredith 1. Joseph Sanchez in discussion with the author, January 15, 2015. 6 | W W W.F IR S TAM ER I C AN ARTMAG A ZI N E.C OM