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Barbara Goldeen and John Selmer, owners of South Pasadena’s Santa Fe Crafts, are thrilled to welcome back to town renowned Hopiland master artists Makwesa Chimerica and Gerald Lomaventema this weekend, October 6 & 7 from 10am to 5pm both days. It is an extraordinary opportunity to meet these artists, see what beautiful pieces they bring and perhaps acquire some of their exquisite work.
Chimerica is from the village of Hotevilla on Third Mesa in North Central Arizona and is a traditional katsina doll master carver. He gathers all of his cottonwood root, the material the dolls are carved out of, to make all of his mineral paints and he has gone back to carving very traditional katsina dolls which have been revived as of late. Selmer tell us, “these traditional dolls have had a real resurgence in the last 15 to 20 years. Makwesa goes into old texts and research materials to discover old style dolls that haven’t been carved in a very long time and he brings them back for a modern audience.” Chimerica is very involved with and participates in traditional activities at Hotevilla and participates in educational events at places like the Wheelwright Museum. Santa Fe Crafts had Chimerica last come to South Pasadena five years ago.
Lomaventema is from the Second Mesa and is an award-winning and well respected Hopi jeweler. Selmer explains that Lomaventema’s style has evolved as of late to a more traditional, old style of jewelry making that is atypical of Hopi style. Hopi, now, uses a lot of overlay, where they take two sheets of silver and they cut one out and texture the other one and put them together, giving a sort of shadow box look. “Gerald has gone back, you can see, into stamp work,” says Selmer, “and stone setting so it almost has a Navajo look. But in very early Hopi jewelry that’s how it was done. It will be very interesting to see what he brings.”
Selmer promises very unique, one of a kind pieces, and says, “it’s a great opportunity because every piece has a story. That’s the best part.”
Meet Makwesa Chimerica and Gerald Lomaventema on Friday and Saturday October 6 & 7 from 10am to 5pm at Santa Fe Crafts – 1123 Mission Street in South Pasadena.
www.santafecrafts.com
Parking in the back and on the street.
