A Little Gallery Doing Big Things
Galisteo, NM: Indigenization at Duende Gallery
By Kateri Smith (Blackfoot, Métis, Anatolian Greek descent)
UNDER THE BRICK EAVES of the little adobe building in the equally small town of Galisteo deep in the Galisteo Basin of New Mexico is Duende Gallery the host of the show Indigenization curated by Jaime Herrell (Cherokee Nation) and Robert King (Choctaw Nation) in collaboration with the Tia Collection. Indigenization runs until July 27, 2025.
At the opening, parking wound around the block on both of the edges of the two-lane street. The boards are worn by years of use in the repurposed space, complete with the small community stage intact, not the stark concrete and metal monstrosities which burn into the landscape.
Artwork spanning generations includes those of Jesse Littlebird (Laguna and Kewa Pueblos) and Everton Tsosie (Diné) mingled with those of the late T.C. Cannon (Kiowa/Caddo, 1946–1978) and James Luna (Puyukitchum, Ipai, Mexican-American, 1950–2018) lining the walls and juxtaposing the Indigenous full-size paintings with images of the non-Indigenous.
Non-native artworks ranging from Vincent van Gogh to Jean-Michel Basquiat provide foils. Some contrast Indigenous imagery while others reintegrate the influences connecting to the larger movements of the art world while keeping the Indigenous-made artworks prominent.
Indigenization introduces some artists are new to the Santa Fe scene such as Martine Gutierrez (Maya descent), a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow. Her Demons, Xochipilli ‘The Flower Prince,’ p91 from Indigenous Woman contrasts with Edward Curtis’s photogravure Substitute Sacred Headdress-Piegan, and her Demons, Chin ‘Demon of Lust’ p93 From Indigenous Woman contrasts with his Hopi Snake Priest.
The exhibition also features mainstays in the Santa Fe art scene such as David Bradley (White Earth Ojibwe) whose Hopi Maiden, Homage to Warhol is directly inspired by Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe. Indigenization creates many more dialogues between works exhibited.
I cannot overstate how the exhibition space shows off the works in a fresh way. The warmth of the gallery’s previous use, as the century-old community center La Sala de San José, lends to this feeling. This show is a must-see for those interested in Indigenous artwork and who want to see two of the up-and-coming Indigenous curators in Northern New Mexico.
Links
-
- Indigenization at Duende Gallery, 5637 Highway 41, Galisteo, NM | map
- Tia Collection, Santa Fe, NM, private art collection
- Kateri Smith, LinkedIn