SANTA FE, N.M. — Two days of an annual auction extravaganza celebrated the Native American art market at Santa Fe Art Auction on August 13-14. Up for bidding were nearly 500 lots offering a wide selection of Native arts collectors, everything from traditional rugs and blankets, vintage jewelry, pottery from each of the great pueblos, basketry, Plains hide and beadwork, as well as sculpture and paintings from early Indian School to Twenty-First Century contemporary. This last category led the offerings as Fritz Scholder’s (Luiseño, 1937-2005) untitled (Chief), acrylic on paper, jumped its $5/7,000 estimate to command $13,530, including buyer’s premium. Scholder’s art breaks all the conventions in redefining the representation of the “American Indian” in American art, throwing out the traditional, stereotypical images of the mythic Indian with drawings and prints that feature bold, expressive lines, vibrant colors and potent imagery.

His work is included in the collections of more than 120 museums in the United States, including the National Museum of American Art in Washington, DC, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. More highlights from the $593,000 two-day sale will appear in a future issue.