Roxanne Swentzell
Roxanne Swentzell is a prominent Santa Clara Pueblo clay and bronze sculptor and contemporary pueblo artist whose award-winning works are featured in major public collections, including the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Cartier in Paris, and other world-class museums and venues.
Born into a family full of artists, including her uncle, well-known blind sculptor Michael Naranjo, Roxanne began working with clay at an early age. She grew up watching her mother harvest clay for pottery projects and began experimenting with clay as a small child, using her mother’s leftover scraps of clay to create small figurines. Her talent was recognized early and she attended the Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA) for two years before graduating high school.
Today, Roxanne’s deeply emotive works and unique artistic style continue to be recognized and renowned worldwide. Using the ancient technique of layering coil upon coil, her large, contemporary works reflect the range of the human experience, connecting with both Native and non-Native audiences.
Visit Roxanne Swentzell’s Tower Gallery
Located in the Poeh Cultural Center on the Pojoaque Pueblo, the Roxanne Swentzell Tower Gallery exhibits Swentzell’s ceramics and bronze works as well as curated group art exhibitions. Here, you can not only see, but also purchase Roxanne’s available works.
Roxanne Swentzell – Mother and Builder
Notable artist Rose B. Simpson, Roxanne Swentzell’s daughter, sits down with her mother for a personal interview in this article from New Mexico Magazine
Santa Clara Pueblo
The Santa Clara Pueblo is located 25 miles north of Santa Fe on the west bank of the Rio Grande. There are few places in New Mexico that can compare with the natural beauty of the landscape of the homelands of the Santa Clara people. This splendid scenery is justly famous in the Southwest. Because of the Pueblo’s large land base and variety of geographic features, Santa Clara makes good use of the natural resources for recreational purposes. Visitors are welcome to experience a number of highly diverse attractions, from tours of the Puye Cliff Dwellings to sightseeing, fishing, and camping in the nearby canyon.
*Please note: due to COVID-19, Santa Clara Pueblo remains closed to visitors at this time. Please check their website for more information.
Experience Native Art In New Mexico
Native Arts in New Mexico
New Mexico is home to a long history of Native American art. Weaving, pottery making, silversmithing, Kachina doll making, and other art forms have been in existence here long before New Mexico became a state and long before Spanish colonists came in the early 1600s. Using tools handed down from generation to generation, Native American artists spend countless hours to perfect the craft and preserve the tradition of their ancestors. Today, Native American artists continue centuries of tradition through their work
SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market
Every year in August, the Santa Fe Plaza hosts the most prestigious native American arts show in the world – the annual Santa Fe Indian Market. This one-of-a-kind event provides a unique opportunity to buy directly from Native American artists from across North America. Nearly 1,200 artists gather in this outdoor market to present their newest and best work for sale and admiration.
IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts
Located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Museum of Contemporary Native Arts is the country’s only museum of exhibiting, collecting, and interpreting the most progressive work of contemporary Native artists.
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
The Indian Pueblo Store at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC) offers an incredible collection of original handcrafted artwork from talented Native American artists., featuring both contemporary and traditional works. IPCC also hosts a Daily Artist Program that provides its visitors with another opportunity to experience Native American art. Visit with and purchase art directly from artists as they make pottery, jewelry, paintings, and other types of traditional and contemporary arts and crafts