Around 45 years ago, I was a round brown girl escaping the high desert heat by napping under a table while my grandparents sold their Jemez Pueblo pottery and paintings above. My grandfather, José Rey Toledo, commissioned prints from 5 of his favorite watercolors so that the public could own Puebloan fine art. The original watercolor masterpieces are now in museum collections, and after 30 years in storage, the commissioned prints are back in the market.
This December, I showcased these prints at a holiday market across the street from the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, the same place where I “assisted” my grandparents many, many moons ago. The following biography is what many of you who stopped by the table requested that I post. Thank you for all the shared memories of my grandparents and of your personal experiences living in or visiting the Pueblos, Zuni, and Hopi.
Getting my grandfather’s prints to market is part of a massive effort to organize and document his entire studio collection including sketches, artist’s proofs, originals, photographs, and written narratives. I also have a lovely collection of my grandmother’s pottery and her memories captured on cassette tapes. The grand plan is to tell the unfolding stories of both my grandparents as I open boxes upon boxes of family history. I will share my discoveries and sort my thoughts here.
Of course, I need to fund this endeavor and buy better archival storage units. I plan to post my market appearances on the nativedaughtersnativespirit Instagram account. Hope to see you there.
Native Daughters Native Spirit 