Baje Whitethorne, Sr - Basha Elementary PTO

Baje Wh i tet h orn e , Sr
Navajo Artist! Author & Illustrator
! Shonto
!
Born in "#$"! near Shonto! AZ
!Many National Parks within the Navajo Nation
Monument Valley
Canyon de Chelly
Four Corners Monument
Antelope Canyon
! Grew up in a hogan%
! Style of home built by the Navajos%
! Made of wooden poles! tree bark and mud% The doorway of each
hogan opened to the east so they could get the morning sun as
well as good blessings%
As a boy! Baje enjoyed
stories passed down from
his grandparents about
their Navajo culture%
WHAT IS CULTURE?
!Beliefs! ways of living! traditions!
and arts of a particular group
!Storytelling is a big part of the
Navajo culture%
!There are many di&erent ways a
people can share stories:
!Studied !ne arts at NAU
!There" he experimented with
mixing primary colors to create
his own color palette#
He used !only the primary colors"
red# yellow and blue"
so I could learn to mix
and create my own$ colors%
!Studied 'ne arts at NAU
!There! he experimented with
mixing primary colors to create
his own color palette%
He used !only the primary colors"
red# yellow and blue"
so I could learn to mix
and create my own$ colors%
In Navajo tradition! colors are symbolic%
Black=North
Black
Gold=West
Gold
White=East
White
Blue=South
Blue
These symbolic colors are evident in the painting:
Persevering the Long Walk towards Sovereignty
Persevering the Long Walk
towards Sovereignty
!In this painting! Whitethorne
depicts his people(s return
journey home to Arizona from
Bosque Redondo% The painting is
based on the actual *++ mile
march which took place in ",-,;
this was . years a)er ,!+++
Navajos were rounded up and
forced from their homeland%
Whitethorne(s artwork
o)en includes his
trademark! a small blue
folding chair% !When I
was a boy# my parents
and grandparents
brought hoe a new card
table with six metallic
blue chairs% In the
summer months# I
would put my face
against the cool seat of
the chairs# Now# I
include the chair in my
artwork because it
reminds me of my
boyhood and because it
draws people into my
artwork when they try
to &nd it%$
! He!s written several children!s books
including:
! Father!s Boots &
! Sunpainters: Eclipse of the Navajo Sun
You can see Baje Whitethorne(s work
if you visit one of these museums!
Wheelwright Museum
The Heard Museum
The Museum of Northern Arizona
The Santa Fe Indian Market
Basha Art Museum