Art, books and a “wait-a-minute” women artists controversy

The Tucson Museum of Art Fair in November, 2019 was jam packed with artisans and crafts people, including some astonishing art works inspired by robots and other mechanical creatures. This year with the Covid 19 pandemic not quite over yet, participation by artists was much lower at the Museum’s 2021 Spring Artisan Market. Plenty of spaces between booths which definitely helped with social distancing.

Art books by the boxful

Perhaps because of so much available space, the museum was holding a sale of art books which had been donated. There were boxes and boxes of art and photography books classified by various categories–an absolute treasure trove!

In fact, this sale took up three booth spaces that might have gone to artisans…if more artisans had applied to participate in this two weekend event. (April 17-18, 24-25)

Over the coming months participation at other art fairs will, no doubt, reveal how many crafts people, artists and artisans have been permanently driven out of work in open air markets and how many now earn their livings primarily with online sales. Perhaps by the Fall Artisan Market more will be back selling their works under blue skies and white canopies.

Artist and Artisan Survivors

Now I want to show you the works of some artists and crafts people who did participate, before I jump into the “controversy” I stumbled upon in this event.

Here are the charming dimensional ceramics of Robin Chlad.

And Marshall Locke demonstrated just how passionate he is about mountains with his small sculptures. He can tell you precisely where each slab of stone came from.

And this chess set by BBB designs was intriguing.

Next I noticed that the Romero House Ceramic Studio was silent. Vacant. In 2019 there were ceramicists/potters both inside and out of this historic building. Then I discovered the permanent display of some interesting clay sculptural pieces in front of the studio. Maybe by Fall this site will be busy again.

Which brings me to a group of images that first impressed me and then came a “wait-a-minute” moment. Here is one image of several similar ones in the booth of Ojibway artist Daniel Ramirez.

Who should paint Native American women?

Ramirez told me that the Smithsonian had purchased the first of the panels he had painted. It was of indigenous Native American women of the Great Lakes in their historic clothing. And that he has gone on to paint other panels — and they are fairly long, maybe 5-6 feet?–of women of other Native American tribes, including one of the native women of Arizona–no tribe specified–which apparently he has already sold.

My first reaction was “That’s great! So terrific to acknowledge Native American women and their historic roles.” Then I began to wonder why a man–Ojibway nor not–was painting and selling these images of women? Is there no accomplished Native American female painter to paint these historic women? Knowing of the challenges that face many contemporary Native American women, I would have loved to see some similar work by a female artist. But perhaps she exists and I just don’t know about her.

After this I left the Artisan Fair and headed across the street to the Old Town marketplace. Normally it would be a great place for lunch but it was only partially open. I’ll show you more of it in a future blog post but here is a sneak preview:

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