A FEW BIOGRAPHIES OF ARTISTS SHOWING ON SkystoneTrading.com
GENEVA APACHETO, Navajo
Born 1969 in Soccoro, New Mexico. She was raised in Alamo, NM. Taught to silversmith by her mother Genevieve Apacheto.
DARRYL BACENTI, Navajo
Darryl Becenti was born in 1957 in Gallup, NM. He was taught silverwork by his brothers-in-law, David and Leroy Reeves in 1980. Darryl is also a sand painter.
HAROLD BACENTI, Navajo
Harold Becenti is from the southeastern part of the Navajo reservation, near Crownpoint, New Mexico. He has been a silversmith for over ten years, He has three children and is married. Harold has worked alongside Emma Bighand, who is also a Navajo silversmith. He specializes in traditional antique styles using heavy gauges and stamping, and prefers to work with silver and turquoise. His favorite pieces of art to craft are bracelets,rings, pendants and pins. When not working he enjoys listening to music.
HARRY BEGAY, Navajo
Harry Begay lives in the Gallup, NM area and has been silversmithing for over 35 years. He is well-known and his work is collectible. He has always worked using old-style techniques such as tufa casting, creating his own stamps and buying scrap silver to melt and pound into ingots. Harry is known for heavy gauge jewelry with a soft, lovely patina. His work has always been in demand, but he has not been able to produce as much after a recent heart attack.
JIMISON BEN, Navajo
Jimison Ben smiths during the summer when he is on vacation from teaching welding at the University of New Mexico's Gallup branch.
JIMMY BENALLY, Navajo
Jimmy Benally is in his mid-40's to 50's and has been silversmithing for many years.
EMMA BIGHAND, Navajo
Emma Bighand is from the southeastern part of the Navajo reservation, near Crownpoint, New Mexico. Her older brothers and sisters, who are also silversmiths, influenced her decision to take up jewelry making at an early age. Emma learned her art primarily from her parents, who are accomplished silversmiths. She has been working at her art since 1984.
Working with the basic elements of silver and stone, Emma crafts exquisite pieces of jewelry that anyone would be pleased to wear and enjoy. Her favorite creations are pendants and brooches. Emma loves working with the one-of-a-kind stones, designing around their unique colors and shapes.
When she is not silver smithing, Emma enjoys horseback riding on the reservation, working with her sheep and collecting antiques.
ANDREW CADMAN, Navajo
Andy Cadman was born in 1966 in Gallup, New Mexico. He started silverworking in 1989 and is an accomplished jeweler with many awards to his credit. Andy is Gary and Sunshine Reeves’ half brother and was taught by them.
DARRELL CADMAN, Navajo
Darrell Cadman was born in Gallup, New Mexico in 1969. He began his career in silversmithing in 1992. He is a brother of Andy Cadman and half-brother to Gary, David, and Sunshine Reeves, well-known silversmiths. He signs his work D. Cadman.
DONOVAN CADMAN, Navajo
Donavan Cadman was born in 1968 in Gallup, New Mexico. Donavon started to work with silver in 1991 and learned by watching his brothers, Andy, Darrell and Sunshine.
JEREMY DELGERITO, Navajo
Jereme Delgerito is in his early twenties and has been working in the silversmithing business since age 16 when he began as a janitor. By watching others in the shop, he gradually advanced in his skills to learn buffing and actual smithing. He is very flexible in his abilities, being able to master many techniques well, from stamp work to repousse to silver overlay. He lives life enthusiastically, has four children, and resides in Smith Lake on the Navajo Reservation.
ETTA AND RANDY ENDITO, Navajo
Etta Endito grew up in Crownpoint, New Mexico. She gradually learned how to work with silver by assisting her mother after school. By the time she was 15, she was smithing part-time on her own as well. At age 18, she inaugurated her career as a full-time silversmith. After graduating from the Technical and Vocational Institute in Albuquerque in 1986, she began creating her own designs. Now she and her husband, Randy, and her sons work as a tam to create elegant, contemporary, well-crafted designs. Randy helps her with heavy design stamping, shaping, and buffing. Her two older boys, although young, are contributing their artistic talents in design. Etta uses her total environment to stimulate design ideas for her jewelry. "I just go to town and look around. If I see something - a building, signs, or even things in my son's toy box - I get ideas from that. I look for things that will look good in a contemporary design. Then I work on paper to change things around." Eventually, her family team produces a finished piece of unique jewelry. "That's what I like about being a designer," says Etta, "how it comes out." In 1998 Etta's work was featured in the Indian Craft Shop, Department of Interior, in Washington, DC. She was one of eight Native American artists chosen from throughout the United States for this honor. Her work was also shown in the 1998 Spring Indian Market in Washington, DC. -->
LaROSE GANADONEGRO, Navajo
LaRose Ganadonegro was born in 1956 in Crown Point, New Mexico. She started to work with silver in 1984 and works along side her husband, Archie.
DELBERT GORDON, Navajo
Delbert Gordon was born in Fort Defiance, Arizona in 1955. He was raised in Tohatchi, New Mexico. Delbert is a self taught silversmith and goldsmith. He has been a good teacher for other silversmiths.
DERRICK GORDON, Navajo
Derrick Gordon was born in Gallup, New Mexico in 1971. He was taught by his uncle, Delbert Gordon, to silversmith in 1990.
ALBERT JAKE, Navajo
Albert JakeAlbert Jake was born in 1959 in the Zuni Pueblo south of Gallup, New Mexico. He learned silversmithing from his parents. He has been smithing since 1987 and also creates sandpaintings and makes pottery. During the summers he works as a forest fire-fighter. He lives with his wife and two daughters today in Ramah, New Mexico, near the Zuni Pueblo.
VERDY JAKE, Navajo
Verdy Jake grew up in a family with thirteen children. Her oldest brother began silverwork and then taught the rest of his siblings, including Verdy. Her hallmark is a "V." She lives at Smith Lake on the Navajo reservation. She is in her thirties and has four children.
MARY JOHN, Navajo
Mary John lives and works in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A local Indian jewelry company hired her in 1993 and taught her everything she knows about silversmithing. Mary make earrings, pins, pendants, and bracelets. She excels at silver stamp work, stone setting, and cut silver designs. She signs her work with a single "M". "I'm always interested in learning more about my craft," she says. When she is not working, Mary enjoys cooking, going to movies, and playing Bingo.
NILA JOHNSON, Navajo
Nila (pronounced neela) Johnson is an experienced silversmith who specializes in old style cluster bracelets. She is known for the excellent quality of her work. She has three daughters, aged 8 to 20, and lives on the Navajo reservation.
ALVIN LEE, Navajo
Alvin Lee is a cousin of Albert Jake.
MARVIN & LILLIE LOVATO, Santo Domingo Pueblo
Marvin & Lillie Lovato, a husband and wife team, meticulously carve intricate heishe beads out of turquoise, coral, other semi-precious stones and shell. Attention to both beauty and quality has earned them prized at the New Mexico State Fair and the Santa Fe Indian Market. "We're trying to make something contemporary and still conform to the framework of our traditional ways," Marvin says. "There is an idea behind everything. For example, turquoise means life. In my necklaces with turquoise, that piece is like a life." Marvin and Lillie work out of their home on the Santo Domingo Pueblo in Northern New Mexico. Marvin is also very active on the Santo Domingo Tribal Council.
ALVIN MONTE, Navajo
Alvin Monte works in both gold and silver, often making his own stamping tools. Although his parents were silversmiths, he is self-taught. The inspiration for designs can come to him in dreams, he says, or from petroglyph or Pueblo designs.
Born in Socorro, New Mexico, Mr. Monte grew up in Canoncito, New Mexico. He graduated fromt eh high school there. He is married and is teaching his nine-year-old son, who shows silversmithing talent, the art. This sone is already making bracelets. A pastimes, Mr. Monte likes to draw, fish and camp.
BARBIE MONTE, Navajo
Barbie Monte was born in Soccoro, New Mexico in 1970. She was raised in Alamo, New Mexico. Barbie was taught to do silver work in 1992 by her sisters and mother, Margie Monte.
GIBSON NEZ, Navajo
Gibson Nez grew up on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in Dulce, New Mexico. He is three-quarters Navajo and one-quarter Jicarilla Apache. Gibson Nez is a self taught silversmith, former rodeo bronc rider. He has won the prestigious Smithsonian Medal of Honor, more than 700 blue ribbons and has been featured in magazines and books. He has been a featured guest artist in many museums and galleries across the United States. Gibson is known for his fine-line chisel work and his skillful inlay of turquoise, coral, lapis and other gemstones. He uses no castings in his work. His jewelry is in the private collections of such celebrities as Elizabeth Taylor, Willie Nelson, Robert Redford, Goldie Hawn, Joan Lunden and many others.
LEONARD NEZ, Navajo
Leonard Nez, Navajo, is from Canoncito, New Mexico. Leonard is a master silversmith who works both in silver and gold and has won awards at some of the most prestigious competitions. Leonard Nez is a quiet and deeply spiritual man who finds his inspiration from the Lord, his daughter and from the people who appreciate his work.
LENA PLATERO, Navajo
Lena Platero, Navajo, 1954, is a self taught silversmith who makes remarkable feather jewelry. "Platero" means silversmith. C203-498
GARY REEVES, Navajo
Born 1962 in Gallup, New Mexico. Started silver work in 1972. Brother to David Reeves and half- brother to Sunshine Reeves. He shows at Heard Museum, Santa Fe Indian Market and has won many awards. He has exhibited all over the southwest. His work is sold typically only at upscale galleries and shops in the southwest and on display at only the best, old line trading posts.
DANIEL "SUNSHINE" REEVES, Navajo
Navajo artist Daniel Reeves, also known as "Sunshine Reeves" was born in 1966 in New Mexico. Sunshine Reeves' older brothers, Gray Reeves and David Reeves, taught him the craft of silversmithing. He is a world-renowned artist, taking several 'Best of Show' awards and 1st place ribbons at the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial held in New Mexico each year. His jewelry is also showcased at the Peabody Museum, Harvard University, and the Heard Museum. He stamps his work D. Reeves or Sunshine Reeves.
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ANGLO JEWELERS:
CHARLIE FAVOUR, Anglo
Charlie Favour was born in 1950 in Prescott, Arizona. While growing up around ranches and rodeos, he began braiding when he was 11 years old. In 1970, Charlie started doing leatherwork professionally by opening a leather and Native American art store. Throughout his career, Charlie has been a serious student of all aspects of Native American crafts as well as leatherwork of the old time cowboys. He has achieved a high degree of expertise in many areas of work including Native American footwear, beadwork, hand-tanning hides, traditional western tooling and braiding.
DENNIS HOGAN, Anglo
Born October 6, 1964, Dennis was raised in a small community in central Indiana. In 1987, Dennis graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana where he received his BA in Economics and Studio Art. His continued interest in the American West his passion for fine art finally drove Dennis to leave behind a career in financial planning and move to Abiquiu, New Mexico in 1996. “My business career provided me valuable experience but my heart was always in the arts. I wanted to be different and free from the traditional business race.” “My life has been an accumulation of experiences, influences and hard work. I owe so much to my friend Charlie Favour, my wife Lydia and to my family for always supporting my artistic journey. I have found a life free of the pressures I once knew. I am lucky to be an artist.”
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