Read It Now - River Trading Post

January:March 2013
Volume 10, Issue 1
Trading Post Times
R i v e r
T r a d i n g
J E W E L RY
AND
W E AV I N G S
River Trading Post will be the
focal point for Native art this
winter season in Scottsdale.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
P o s t
AND
P A RT I E S , O H M Y !
SHIPROCK TRADING POST
TRUNK SHOW: FEBRUARY 14-16
Join us as we welcome awardwinning jewelers, sculptors,
potters and carvers to our tenth
annual pre-Heard Market
event.
***
Trading Post Times
Begins Year 10
2
A Navajo Boy Follows in
Dad’s Footsteps
2
Stop Thief!
3
The End of the Trail: The
Story
3
Sculpture to Make You
Smile
4
MULE CREEK TRADING TRUNK
SHOW: FEBRUARY 7-9
This trunk show can be a little
overwhelming. Thousands
upon thousands of vintage
bracelets, necklaces, rings,
and other jewelry will be offered for sale by Steve Westergom of Mule Creek Trading
Company.
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST:
Opening reception is Thursday,
February 7th from 6-9 pm. Show
continues through Saturday,
February 9th.
• Mule Creek Trading Company Trunk Show
February 7 - 9
River Trading Post
Scottsdale, AZ
For additional information see
rivertradingpost.com or call us
480-444-0001.
• Shiprock Trading Post Trunk Show
February 14 - 16
River Trading Post
Scottsdale, AZ
• River Trading Post Scottsdale Sixth Arts of
Native America Show and Sale—March 4
Scottsdale, AZ
• Heard Museum Indian Market
March 4 - 5
Phoenix, AZ
• ArtFeast. River Trading Post Santa Fe.
February 22. 5pm to 8pm.
Santa Fe, NM
• Traditional Pueblo Arts Pottery
Ongoing
River Trading Post, Scottsdale
www.puebloarts.com
10TH ANNUAL ARTS OF NATIVE
AMERICA SHOW AND SALE:
FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 2
A new addition to our Scottsdale season, Shiprock Trading
Post’s Kent Morrow will be on
hand with a dazzling display of
colorful Navajo weavings.
From pictorals to Ganados to
revivals, find your perfect Navajo rug during this show.
Visit with and buy from Cliff
Fragua, Pahponee, Mark
Fischer, Edward Charlie, Harold Stevens, and many more
top artists before the Market
opens on Saturday. Enjoy fry
bread or Navajo tacos and
dance to the beat of Hopi drum
group Spirit Clan. It’s the best
party in town!
Opening reception is Thursday,
February 14th from 6-9 pm. Show
continues through Saturday, February 16th.
Opening reception is Thursday,
February 28 from 6-9 pm. Show
continues through Saturday,
March 2nd.
R A N C H H O US E R E STAUR A NT J O I NS RT P S A NTA F E
I N A N N UA L A RT F E A ST F O R S AN TA F E K I D S
River Trading Post and Santa
Fe’s Ranch House Restaurant
have teamed up in a weekend
celebration to support kids in
the area through scholarships,
art materials, and mentorships.
ArtFeast Santa Fe is the city’s
premier winter celebration with
a weekend of fabulous food and
art events.
The Edible Art Tour will be
held on Friday, February 22
from 5 to 8pm, at River Trading
Post, Santa Fe...and at other
fine Canyon Road galleries.
Santa Fe’s Ranch House Restaurant
and River Trading Post get together to
benefit Santa Fe’s youth.
Page 2
Trading Post Times
T R A DI N G P OS T T I M E S B E GI NS V O LU M E 1 0
Back in November of ‘03, we
thought that our friends and
collectors of American Indian
art might enjoy tips, tidbits and
information about the American Indian art world, and about
happenings around our place.
Since the first issue in January,
2004, we have covered hundreds of subjects, in digest format, ranging from artist profiles, to legal issues surrounding
American Indian art, to great
places to visit.
The Trading Post Times enters its 10th year of bringing tips, tidbits,
information and opinion to friends of River Trading Post
We are gratified by the compliments that we’ve received over
the years, and are surprised by
the number of folks that have
retained every issue since that
first one. And we’re surprised
to find the Trading Post Times
turn up as a resource in places
like the Heard Museum.
As with many publications, this
one has been digitized and incorporated into our website
www.rivertradingpost.com
where every issue can be enjoyed.
The art and the places of Native
America are as vibrant and
beautiful as ever, and we hope
to continue our quarterly visits
with you in the months ahead.
A T A L E NT E D N AVA J O B OY F OL LOWS I N D A D ’ S
F O O T ST E P S
We’ve known Zach Ben since
he was a little kid. (above left)
Today, he is barely old enough
to drive a car, at the “ripe old
age of 16”. (below left) Zach
has come into his own, reaching for the stars with his very
own sand paintings.
Under the watchful eye of dad,
Joe Ben, Jr. and intensive training by Navajo elders, young
Zach searches throughout Na-
vajoland and beyond to find the
many colors of earth used as
the “paint” in his creations.
Since the day that Zach’s dad
offered a blessing for our Scottsdale gallery, we have watched
him grow.
And now, we’re happy to help
Zach continue his growth by
featuring his very special work
in our River Trading Post galleries.
E X QU I SI T E Q UI L L E D R E GA L I A D I SP L AY E D A T
R I V E R T R A DI NG P O S T - S A NTA F E
Great quillwork has become a lost art, replaced generations ago
by the favored (and easier to work) European trade beads.
Recently we happened upon an exception. A beautifully decorated Sioux men’s ceremonial regalia dating back to 1970 that
includes the soft buckskin shirt, leggings, breechclout and moccasins adorned with lavish quillwork.
Today, this exceptional set is spotlighted in our Santa Fe gallery
for all to enjoy.
Volume 10, Issue 1
Page 3
T H E E N D O F T H E T R A I L : T H E S TO RY
An icon in American Indian
Art is the renowned sculpture
entitled The End Of The Trail.
nearby his Wisconsin home.
Shaler was saddened by their
disappearance over the years.
The original model of the
famed sculpture was created by
17 year-old James Earl Fraser
in 1894. When he finished, it
was just 18 inches tall.
As a tribute to the American
Indians, Shaler commissioned
Fraser to cast the statue in
bronze, a project that took two
years at a cost of $50,000.
Fraser was asked to replicate
his work in plaster for the 1914
Panama Pacific International
Exposition in San Francisco.
The famed sculpture was inveiled at its present site in
Wapun, Wisconsin in 1929,
and today is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites.
There, the masterpiece was
seen by Clarence Shaler, the
son of pioneer farmers who had
contact with Indians living
The image of this historic bronze, even its silhouette, has become an
icon representing the plight of American Indians who were displaced
all over the country during the 18th and 19th centuries.
S T OP T HI E F !
Theft of American Indian art
from homes, galleries and institutions is not all that uncommon. In fact it is a huge problem.
Most frequently thieves attempt
to sell the stolen goods to galleries, or other unsuspecting buyers as an item that came from
“grandma’s collection” or an
“uncle’s estate.”
We have experienced that more
than once.
Enter ATADA (The Antique
Tribal Art Dealers Association)
with its unique Theft Alert.
The ATADA Theft Alert is an
e-mail bulletin that is sent on an
urgent basis to American Indian art dealers, that describes
stolen item, including images
and related police reports.
The Indian Art dealer community is a small one, and as a
result of the ATADA Theft
Alert many items are quickly
recovered, and the perpetrators
are arrested.
While success statistics are not
available, we do know that the
system is effective. The thief
that lifted an item from one of
our galleries was apprehended
and arrested as he attempted to
sell the goods to a California
gallery, thanks to a sharp
ATADA Member
For more information check
out ATADA.org and stop a
thief.
The ATADA Theft Alert frequently
stops thieves in their tracks.
F O U R G R E AT C O L L E C TO R
E X P E R I E NC E S
Scottsdale
Whether you are decorating
your home or are an avid collector of fine American Indian
art, you will find River Trading
Post has a great mix of historic
and contemporary art from
over 50 tribal nations.
Come visit. Enjoy!
River Trading Post
314 N. River Street
Dundee, Illinois 60118
847-426-6901
610 B. Canyon Road
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
505-982-2805
7033 E. Main Street
Scottsdale, Arizona 85251
480-444-0001
www.rivertradingpost.com
Santa Fe
Dundee
RTP On-Line
314 N. River Street
East Dundee, IL 60118
Phone: 866-426-6901
www.rivertradingpost.com
Arts of Native America
S C UL P T U R E T O M A K E Y OU S M I L E
In a world where things are
often serious and sobering,
Oneida sculptor Mark Fischer
always manages to create happiness and smiles with his
famed Turtle Clan Art.
For 12 years, Mark Fischer was
involved in Native American
education, and was instrumental in establishing several Native American scholarships for
Wisconsin colleges.
Working with hand-cut copper
and silver solder, Fischer injects
a bit of whimsy and humor into
each of his works, while retaining many elements of his
Oneida tribal tradition.
He continues to be an advocate
of education by promoting the
importance of Native American
awareness through his sculpture, and by his interactive storytelling with collectors and
young audiences.
Pieces like Moondancer (left) and
Turtle Story Teller (right) are
wonderful examples of the fun
brought to the art of the awardwinning sculptor.
Fischer is a member of the
Oneida Nation of Green Bay,
Turtle Clan. Hence, Turtle Clan
Art.
Mark’s work is featured at
River Trading Post. You can
enjoy a Podcast with Mark
Fisher on the River Trading
Post website,
www.rivertradingpost.com.