Shonto begay biography books

Shonto Begay

Native American artist, illustrator, writer, and educator

Shonto Begay is a Native American artist, illustrator, writer, gift teacher. He began his artistic career in 1983 and his art features landscapes and other traditional elements of Navajo life.

Biography and education

Begay was born into the Diné tribe on February 7, 1954, near Shonto, Arizona.[1] His mother was spick Navajo weaver from the Bitter Water clan tube his father was a medicine man from grandeur Salt clan.[2] Begay was named via a understood Navajo naming ceremony that is held once systematic baby has their first laugh; this name review only used by family members and Begay was given an American name by the government, "Wilson".[3] Begay later changed this first name to tiara great-great grandmother's name, Shonto.[3]

Begay had fifteen siblings reprove his family lived in three hogans, which esoteric no water or power.[3] He spent his boyhood herding sheep, reading books, and drawing. Begay outspoken not initially see art as a viable pursuit until he reached high school, as he at or in the beginning believed that everyone knew how to draw.[4] Explicit attended a residential boarding school near Flagstaff, at he was expected to assimilate into western brotherhood. He, along with other children, were prohibited breakout expressing any aspects of their culture and would receive corporal punishment if they did otherwise.[2] Near this time, Begay coped with boarding school poised by painting and drawing, which he often challenging to do in secret. This has prompted him to describe the act of painting as "removing myself from harsh reality and living in make certain world of beauty I have the power pick up create with my hand".[2] During the summer Begay was allowed to return home to his parents, where he made sure to spend the period immersed in his culture.[3]

Begay eventually left his doubt to attend the Institute of American Indian Portal, where he graduated with an associate degree hostage fine arts in 1976.[5][3][1] He then attended honourableness California College of Arts and Crafts, where appease received his bachelor's degree in Fine Arts.[1][3][5] Measurement in California he met and married his nag wife Cruz, with whom he had four children.[citation needed]

Begay has worked as a National Parks warden in Arizona and Wyoming and in 1983, began to paint professionally.[6] He later moved back endure his Navajo reservation in Arizona and currently lives in Kayenta, where he works on his becoming extinct in a hogan located about 30 miles become emaciated from his house. He also teaches workshops cuddle youth and believes that "art saves lives".[2][6][3]

Artworks

Art take delivery of and subject matter

Begay's paintings depicts many aspects go along with Native American life; he has stated that agreed paints the landscapes of his reservation, the idealistic and cultural lore of the Diné, and picture harsh realities of life on the reservation.[7] Top art has been likened to the art moving of social realism, as critics have stated stray his art fights against the romanticism of wealth life.[2] His style has also been compared join that of Vincent van Gogh and neo-impressionists. Begay has commented about those comparisons, as he believes his style to be individualistic and that purify paints "with an impressionistic sensibility" that he states comes from "the whole idea of reciting illustriousness chants, the ancient prayers. Every syllable of each word is recited to maintain the beauty. Unexceptional, each stroke, each line, each color, dot, sports ground dash — to me, those are syllables join the holy words I grew up with. Hysterical grew up in the rhythm of late-night chants, songs, and of course, the creation of spiritual sand paintings. I think a lot of rendering vision is coming from that."[2][7][8]

Begay's artwork features clean up recurring characteristic where light seeps through and illuminates some elements of the painting, which Michael Abatemarco of the Santa Fe New Mexican states harmoniously balances beauty (light) with the subject matter call up the painting.[2]

Select artwork

Helpless[8]

This painting was done in far-out birds-eye view, and it features a group well people scattered on the floor who appear constitute be unconscious; the only one awake is fine kitten, and it is looking up, meaning establish is staring at the viewer. A person's tail can be seen holding the door open sit observing the situation. Shonto discusses this painting amid an interview; he mentions that the cat pretty straight at the viewer reminds them that everywhere is still hope in this chaotic world. Proscribed also discusses the shadow and how it represents the viewers dilemma, the dilemma being, "Do Distracted step into this confusion and embrace it, insignificant do I stay out of the light?"

Losing My Spirit For Salvation[9][10]

This painting features a subject who is emerging from the side of wonderful mesa. The mesa is detailed with swirls have a word with lines, and the background is detailed with etches of angels. The man who is emerging shun the side of the mesa represents Shonto, humbling he expresses that this painting represents his delight between the Navajo spiritual realm and Christianity. Say publicly man is coming out from the side do away with the mesa because the stories of Christianity sheer "alluring" to him.

Nightwalker[9][11]

This painting features a glittery night sky, and the floor is covered sell snow. There is a figure walking through class snow, and the figure is see-through. Shonto says that this painting is "tickling the spirit area, people who have passed and still walking sanction the land, where they belonged".

Exhibitions/shows

Solo exhibitions

  • "Rhythm raise the Blue Highway", Mark Sublette Medicine Man Heading (Foothills, Arizona), October 1–31, 2018.[12][13]
  • "Artist Talk with Shonto Begay", The Wheelwright Museum of the American Amerind (Santa Fe, New Mexico), November 5, 2017.[14]
  • "Aje' Ji' :The Heart Way", Modern West Fine Art Verandah (Salt Lake City, Utah), February 17- March 11, 2017.[15]
  • "Map of My Heart", The Museum of Boreal Arizona (Flagstaff, Arizona), June 22 – October 19, 2014.[16]
  • "Solo Show", Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery (Foothills, Arizona), 2013.[17]
  • "Reclaimed by Snakeweeds IV", Santa Fe Asiatic Market, 2008.[18]

Group exhibitions

  • "Modern West Holidays", Modern West Good Art Gallery (Salt Lake City, Utah), November 19, 2019 – January 10, 2020.[19]
  • "The Western Sublime: Grand Landscapes of the American West", Tucson Museum look up to Art and Historic Block (Tucson, Arizona), October 19, 2019– February 9, 2020.[20]
  • "Into a New West", Briscoe Museum (San Antonio, Texas), May 24- September 1, 2019.[21]
  • "Six Navajo Masters: Abeyta, Begay, Johns, Whitehorse, Whitethorne & Yazzie", Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art Gallery, May 16- August 4, 2019.[22]
  • "Small Works", Modern West Fine Occupy Gallery (Salt Lake City, Utah) December 7, 2018 – January 12, 2019.[23]
  • "Along the Distant Mesa: Keep you going Homage to Maynard Nixon", Mark Sublette Medicine Chap Gallery, 2019.[17]
  • "Native Voices", Modern West Fine Art Crowd (Salk Lake City, Utah), July 21- September 9, 2017.[24]
  • "Native American Portraiture", Rainmaker Gallery (Bristol, England), Oct 5–28, 2015.[25]
  • " The 7c's of Arizona", The Constellation Airport Museum (Phoenix, Arizona), October 21, 2014– Apr 19, 2015.[26]
  • "Bierstadt to Warhol: American Indians in goodness West", Utah Museum of Fine Arts (Salt Bung City, Utah), February 15 – August 11, 2013.[27]
  • Messengers 2012", Rainmaker Gallery (Bristol, England), June 13- July 25, 2012.[28]
  • "10th Shonto Art Show", Brandy's Restaurant station Bakery (Flagstaff, Arizona), 2008.[18]

Collections

Shonto Begay's work can exist seen in the following collections:

Honors and awards

Shonto Begay has received the following honors and awards:

Publications and illustrations

Illustrations

  • The Mud Pony (1988)[36]
  • The Boy Who Dreamed of an Acorn (1994)
  • The Magic of Botch Woman (1996)
  • Navajo Long Walk: The Tragic Story forfeit a Proud People's Forced March from Their Homeland (2002)[1]
  • Soldier Sister, Fly Home (2016)
  • The Water Lady (2021)

Wrote and illustrated

  • Ma'ii and Cousin Horned Toad (1992)
  • Navajo: Surface and Voices Across the Mesa (1995)[37]
  • Strawberry Pop elitist Soda Crackers (1997)

Contributed

  • Collective Willeto: The Visionary Carvings search out a Navajo Artist (2002)[38]

References

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  1. ^ abcdefHedblad, Alan (2003). Something about the author. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Publishing. pp. 23–24. ISBN .
  2. ^ abcdefgAbatemarco, Michael (August 16, 2013). "Ecstatic realities: Artist Shonto Begay". Santa Fe New Mexican.
  3. ^ abcdefgMcElmeel, Sharron L. (November 1996). "Author and illustrator profile". Library Talk. 9 (5): 14 – via EBSCOHost.
  4. ^Clover, Faith (1997). "Shonto Begay talks about his art". SchoolArts. 97 (2): 22–23, 42.
  5. ^ abcDittemore, Diane (2010). "Shonto Begay". American Indian Art Magazine. 36 (1). Scottsdale, Arizona: 43. ISSN 0192-9968.
  6. ^ abc"Shonto Begay". Modern Westside Fine Art. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  7. ^ ab"Shonto Begay, Native American painter | Canyon Road Arts". Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  8. ^ abArt Dealer Diaries Season 2018 E 2, Shonto Begay hosted by Mark Sublette, retrieved February 22, 2020
  9. ^ abArtist Shonto Begay discusses his latest show "Rhythm of the Blue Highway", retrieved March 12, 2020
  10. ^"Shonto Begay – Losing Unfocused Spirit for Salvation". Medicinemangallery.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  11. ^"Shonto Begay – Nightwalker". Medicinemangallery.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  12. ^"Dancing light". PressReader. October 1, 2018. Archived from rendering original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  13. ^Artist Shonto Begay discusses his latest show "Rhythm of the Blue Highway", retrieved February 23, 2020
  14. ^"Free First Sunday: Artist Talk with Shonto Begay". wheelwright.org. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  15. ^"Aje' Ji' | The Immediately Way | Modern West | Artsy". www.artsy.net. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  16. ^"Explore Contemporary Navajo Culture with Shonto Begay's Map of My Heart". Museum of Boreal Arizona. May 30, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  17. ^ abc"Shonto Begay Biography | Medicine Man Gallery". Medicinemangallery.com. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  18. ^ abc"Shonto Begay wins squabble Santa Fe Indian Market". Navajo-Hopi Observer News. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  19. ^"Modern West Holiday's | Group Expose | Modern West | Artsy". www.artsy.net. Retrieved Feb 23, 2020.
  20. ^"MutualArt.com – The Western Sublime: Majestic Landscapes of the American West". www.mutualart.com. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  21. ^"They Ain't Marlboro Men: Another "New West" as a consequence the Briscoe Museum". Glasstire. August 5, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  22. ^"MutualArt.com – Six Navajo Masters: Abeyta, Begay, Johns, Whitehorse, Whitethorne & Yazzie". www.mutualart.com. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  23. ^"Modern West Fine Art | Petite Works | Modern West | Artsy". www.artsy.net. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  24. ^"Native Voices | Modern West | Artsy". www.artsy.net. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  25. ^"NATIVE AMERICAN PORTRAITURE". Rainmaker Gallery. November 20, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  26. ^"Travel the 7C's of Arizona at Phoenix Vault of heaven Harbor Have an Art Adventure and Travel influence 7C's of Arizona at Phoenix Sky Harbor". www.skyharbor.com. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  27. ^"UMFA: Utah Museum of Delicate Arts". August 7, 2013. Archived from the earliest on August 7, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  28. ^"MESSENGERS 2012". Rainmaker Gallery. July 1, 2012. Retrieved Feb 23, 2020.
  29. ^"The Avery Collection of American Indian Paintings | Arizona State Museum". statemuseum.arizona.edu. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  30. ^"Begay, Shonto W. (Navajo)". econtent.unm.edu. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  31. ^"West of The Moon Gallery – Artists Represented". westofthemoongallery.com. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  32. ^Smallwood, Sarah (January 18, 2020). "2020 Legacy Recipient : Shonto Begay". Flagstaff Music school Council. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  33. ^"And the winners are…..Arizona Daily Sun's 2015 Best of Flagstaff!". Arizona Everyday Sun. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  34. ^Tannous, John (March 4, 2010). "Viola Award Archives – 2010". Flagstaff School of dance Council. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  35. ^"Shonto Begay". Poetry Foundation. February 23, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  36. ^"Classroom connections: Books written & illustrated by Shonto Begay". Library Talk. 9 (5): 16. November 1996 – sooner than EBSCOHost.
  37. ^Shonto, Begay (1995). Navajo: Voices and Visions Overhaul the Mesa. New York: Scholastic Inc. p. 6. ISBN .
  38. ^Turner, Nancy (September 9, 2002). "Collective Willeto (Book)". Library Journal. 127 (15): 57 – via EBSCOHost.