See the collection—NEW in bronze
It seems strange that over a year ago in April I was at the Toadlena Trading Post with my friend and colleague, renowned painter James Ayers.
The two of us were so inspired by the intricate works of art that the weavers of the trading post created that over dinner on the Navajo Reservation, we came up with the idea for Honoring Weavers in Canvas and Bronze, the first show of our new philanthropic organization, Wopila Artist Guild.
Fiesta at Toadlena
The art opening is part of the trading post’s bi-annual party—and what a party it will be! In addition to James and I sharing our works with the public, there will be food, music by actor Wes Studi’s band, and all the weavers and local families coming out and having a great time.
You are, of course, invited.
Please see our Toadlena Trading Post travel Guide for directions to the trading post.
20% of the proceeds will go to charity
Our goal with Wopila and this art show is to increase funding for Native American Youth art education.
Twenty percent of the proceeds from the three of James’s paintings and my three sculptures will be donated to the Toadlena Young Weaver’s Project, a non-profit fund administered by the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe.
The artwork
These are the the finished bronzes that will be unveiled on June 18th.
The Chaperone
The Lesson
Saving the Day
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I had the help of several Navajo weavers who provided input on my early versions of the clays.
For example, Master Weaver Emily Watchman looked at Saving the Day, my sculpture of a Navajo man on a horse and asked: ‘Where are his earrings? My grandfather always wore earrings.’ I would have never known this aspect without her input.
Craig gets feedback on his sculpture from Master Weaver Emily Watchman
The #1 of each sculpture has these special features:
- A miniature Navajo rug (approx 6″ x 18″) with the title of the piece handwoven into it
- A special walnut “jewelry box” style base with a drawer that can house the tiny rug, the catalog, and photos of the piece with the weavers (and other show ephemera)
- The title is laser cut into the jewelry box and then highlighted with gold pigment.
I personally invite you to attend
Let’s make the first annual Wopila art show the best yet. I invite you to join me, James Ayers, and the nice folks at the historic Toadlena Trading Post.
If you have interest in purchasing one of the sculptures, please contact me: contact Craig Bergsgaard Studios.
About Wopila Artist Guild
Wopila Artist Guild is an informal artist association organized in 2010 to promote pre-eminent Western art while also supporting Native American youth art education. Wopila was founded by sculptor Craig Bergsgaard and painter James Ayers in 2010. Artists with a similar dedication to giving back to the arts are invited to contact Wopila for more information.