2008 BEST OF SHOW WINNER: SHELDON HARVEY
October 10, 2008 - Santa Fe, NM
SOUTHWESTERN ASSOCIATION FOR INDIAN ARTS RECOGNIZES SWAIA'S 2008 BEST OF SHOW WINNER: SHELDON HARVEY
Sheldon Harvey wins two Best of Classifications and then takes Best of Show
(SANTA FE, NM) - Sheldon Harvey (Navajo) is a self-taught artist who works in several mediums. This emerging artist, at the cusp of turning thirty, won Best of Class in two categories, painting and sculpture, and took home the esteemed Best of Show 2008 prize for his contemporary painting "Trickster Ways," a 45" x 45" oil on canvas. Harvey is a top prize winner in only his fourth year participating in the Santa Fe Indian Market-after trying for two years to get accepted into Market. Harvey states, "It is a real honor. It's mind-blowing actually; I thought it would take ten or fifteen years." Harvey cited R.C Gorman and Dan Namingha as Native artists that he admires for their success and ability to contribute significantly to the canon of Native art. His work is "non-traditional" in appearance and is visually rooted in Modernism with references to Picasso, de Kooning and Kandinsky.
Harvey's execution and materials are contemporary, but his subject matter is rooted in traditional stories from his childhood in Lukachukai, Arizona which is near the Four Corners area. A fluent speaker of Navajo, Harvey draws from his rich cultural heritage and has developed a vibrant visual language to convey his interpretation of this subject matter. His art is a significant cultural expression of who he is as an artist, a Native, Navajo, and a person living in the twenty-first century. After attending Diné College and studying computer science, Harvey decided to pursue art as a career.
Harvey, who has been making art since his youth, but devoting only the past seven years to being a full-time artist, asserted his long-term commitment to art and art-making. He says, "I plan on doing this for the rest of my life." Harvey realizes the importance of the business side of art making and wants to invest in his longevity as an artist by becoming more informed about marketing and promoting his work to a broad audience. Harvey intends to use his award monies to invest in his career through more marketing, a website, traveling to promote his work, as well as putting some of it away for future development. He says his goals involve establishing a presence in art markets on both coasts and also internationally. Harvey would like to broaden his horizons and seek new perspectives through cultural exchange with other peoples globally. He expressed an interest in learning more about other cultures while having the opportunity to teach people about Native culture. Additionally, Harvey has future plans to secure a gallery space in Albuquerque. Harvey may be at the beginning of his career, but he has already garnered critical acclaim and shows promise for becoming a vital presence in Contemporary Native Art.
Portrait courtesy of Sara Stathas © 2008. Painting photo courtesy of Wendy McEahern Photography © 2008.
For interviews, images or additional information, please contact John Paul Rangel at
(505) 983-5220 or jprangel@swaia.org.