Professional Indian artists and artisans have received 12 first place awards and student Indian artists and craftsmen nine first place awards plus other honors, in the 1967 Biennial Exhibition of American Indian Arts and Crafts. The exhibition is sponsored by the Center for Arts of Indian America, a non-profit organization.
The exhibition is open to the public through December 15 at the Department of the Interior Art Gallery, Interior Building, 18th and C Streets, N. W., Washington, D.C.
Entries for the exhibition were gathered on an invitational basis from 138 Indian artists and craftsmen representing more than 40 tribes throughout the Nation. The over 250 items entered include paintings, sculpture, graphic arts, pottery, textiles, basketry, jewelry, and carving.
Prizes and awards include Bureau of Indian Affairs purchase awards and Center-donated prize funds, Oklahoma State Society, Arizona State Society, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc., special cash awards, and a student grand award contributed by Phillips Petroleum Co., The American Indian Society of Washington, D.C., Arrow, Inc., Indian and Eskimo Cultural Foundation, and the Interior Department Recreation Association.
Judges were: James McGrath, Director of Arts, Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, N.M.; Jack Perlmutter, Head, Graphic Arts Department, Corcoran School of Art, Washington, D.C.; and Warren M. Robbins, Director, African Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
Mrs. Stewart L. Udall, president of the Center, said the judges were impressed and stimulated to find not only that the works of art were based on the rich tradition that is the background and the environment of these artists, but that the artists are also concerned with contemporary expressions, and searching for a synthesis that combines the modern and traditional.
Exhibits were divided into two categories -- professional and student.
The Grand Award of $500 in the professional category went to Fritz Scholder, California Mission Indian, and Sacramento, Calif. The Grand Award of $275 in the student category went to Elmer Yazzie, Navajo, Shiprock, N.M.
Among other awards in the professional category were:
Special Award, Ruthe Jones, Delaware-Shawnee-Cherokee, Okmulgee, Okla.; Marie Tsosie, Navajo, Window Rock, Ariz.; ,Josephine Peters, Karak, Hoopa, Calif.
Special Cash Awards to first place winners: painting, Earl Eder, Sioux, Poplar, Mont.;
Graphic arts: Linda Lomahaftewa, Hopi-Choctaw, Second Mesa, Ariz.; sculpture, Peter Seeganna, Eskimo, Sitka, Alaska;
Pottery: Margaret Tafoya, Santa Clara Pueblo, Espanola, N.M.; Dolores Castillo, Spokane, Oswego, N.Y.;
Baskets: Lucy George, Cherokee, Cherokee, N.C.;
Jewelry: Charles Loloma, Hopi, Hoteville, Ariz.;
Textiles - woven: Lola Yazzie, Navajo, Window Rock, Ariz.;
Printed: Edna Massey, Cherokee, Stillwell, Okla.;
Carvings: Lawney Reyes, Colville, Seattle, Wash.;
Mixed media: George Morrison, Chippewa, Providence, R.I.;
Other: Alice Cadotte, Sioux, Fort Yates, N.D.
Bureau of Indian Affairs purchase awards for first prize items were made to seven of these professional artists and craftsmen in six categories. These winners were Earl Eder, Linda Lomahaftewa, Peter Seeganna, Margaret Tafoya, Dolores Castillo, Lucy George, and Lawney Reyes.
In the student classification nine Stewart L. Udall Cash Awards were made to first place winners in seven categories. They were: Painting, Connie Red Star, Crow, Lodge Grass, Mont.; graphic arts, Brenda Holden, Miwok, Phoenix, Ariz.; sculpture, John Co Romero, Taos Pueblo, N.M.; pottery, Johnny Romero, Taos Pueblo, N.M., and Eugene Stabler, Omaha, Macy, Neb.; jewelry, Isaac Koyuk, Eskimo, College, Alaska; textiles, Eliza Vigil, Tesuque Pueblo, N.M., and James Holmes, Potawatomie, Neillsville, Wis.; other, Herbert Stevens, Apache, San Carlos, Ariz.
