Tony Abeyta
From a very young age, Tony Abeyta, son of artist Narcisco Abeyta, knew that he wanted to draw and paint. And from the very beginning of his career, Abeyta’s work has struck a chord not only in New Mexico, but throughout the country and around the world. He works in several mediums, including oil, charcoal, encaustic wax, copper, and a mixture of oil and sand to create dimension.
Abeyta followed an impressive path toward mastering his art. He studied in several parts of the U.S and Europe including the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Santa Fe Institute of Fine Arts where he followed a Master Study Program. He has a Masters in Arts from New York University and he attended the Ecole Des Beaux Arts in France and the Studio Arts Center International in Florence, Italy. He has exhibited all over the U.S and his work is in several museum collections including the Southwest Museum, Los Angeles; the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, Santa Fe; Montclaire Art Museum, New Jersey, Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Santa Fe; Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Santa Fe; Palm Springs Fine Art Center, CA; Museum of Arts and Culture, Santa Fe and the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.
Abeyta, who says his art is in “constant transition” and who translates paint into “an image both personal and spiritual,” has received numerous awards. Inspired to “reinforce the ideology of Indian religion, its’ strength, its’ beauty and its’ semblance,” Abeyta graces New Mexicans and many others with his “embrace [of] the myths and spiritual beliefs of the Navajo, the power of the New Mexico landscape and the cultural evolution of the American Southwest.” In addition to paying tribute to the Navajo and New Mexico through his art, he supports many community organizations and organized a benefit event supporting the Navajo Uranium Mining Ban. Abeyta believes in the transformational awareness of seeing our interconnections with land and spirit.
Photographer Jennifer Esperanza
Living and working in Santa Fe, New Mexico is a trip. Photographers in New Mexico are often expected to shoot in a “Southwestern Style.” The magic of this place is not shown in stereotypes. Very little in the national media is true when referring to Santa Fe. Most people don’t even know that New Mexico is a state. The truth here is too wild to put into a box. I have lived in Santa Fe for twelve years and have fallen under the spell of this place. I photograph families, children, models and artists, bands, vintage objects and old buildings. I photograph my life, my family and my friends. My work is published in magazines and books. I photograph the divine feminine as I see it.