New Photo Essay: "Inside the Hopi Creators' World"
Photographer Kitty Leaken traveled to a remote part of Arizona's Painted Desert, where she was invited to capture a rare and intimate glimpse of a Hopi artisan and his family.
Dear Friends,
Last spring, when we were putting together this issue on Native American Craft, Santa Fe-based photographer Kitty Leaken happened upon an unusual opportunity. She had volunteered to deliver some silk to Tuba City, Arizona, about a 6-hour drive away, not far from the remote Hopi village of Moenkopi. The fabric was to be assembled into luxurious, one-of-a-kind coats, which would be hand-painted by Hopi artisan Lorne Honyumptewa. The artisan allowed Leaken to not only visit (a rarity in itself), but also to document his work and family life. The result is a highly unusual glimpse of an Indigenous world that most of us don’t know, and that receives very few visitors.
I hope you’ll enjoy the results in this week’s feature offering, a beautiful new photo essay titled, “Inside the Hopi Creators’ World.” The story accompanying Leaken’s photos is written by RoseMary Diaz, our guest editor, and a member of the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico.
We’ll continue to add to our Fall issue on “Native American Craft: The Southwest" through mid-November. Each Friday, we’ll release a feature story, short article, mini-documentary, photo essay, or podcast. While most offerings will be related to some aspect of our theme, we also try to present a few stories on other topics each quarter so that there's something for everyone. In fact, we have one of those this week—a new audio version of our story, “The Puppeteer,” which profiles the brilliant, zany, and hilarious master puppeteer Michael Montenegro. This delightful podcast includes cuts from some of Montenegro’s shows, which I promise will bring you some smiles, and perhaps even a few belly laughs.
In the meantime, I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read, watch, or listen to within our pages—currently free of charge, and free of ads. We welcome your thoughts via email, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for donating to our cause when you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Sincerely,
Todd Oppenheimer
Editor & Publisher, Craftsmanship Quarterly
Native American Craft: The Southwest
In our first issue on Native American craft, which we hope will be joined by others in the coming years, we look at the unusually rich and varied craft traditions of some of the Southwest’s Indian tribes. These communities rarely let outsiders see much of their cultural practices, but thanks to the tireless work of a few New Mexico writers and others, who have spent years developing relationships with members of the region’s tribes, we can offer you a glimpse into the work of some remarkable Indigenous artists and artisans.
