The Santa Fe New Mexican from Santa Fe, New Mexico • 78

00 Lifetime Achievement awards BY D. L. DAVIS This year SWAIA is recognizing four internationally known artists Lucy Lewis, Acoma, Jose Rey Toledo, Jemes, Matilda Thomas, Tohono O'Odham and Harrison Begay, Navajo for their dedication and contributions to American Indian art. The process begins with nominations. A committee looks at several criteria.

Artists must significantly contribute to an art form and be a master at their craft," says Upton Ethelbah (Greyshoes), chairman of the Lifetime Achievement Awards committee. "They must have done it for a lifetime. i Usually they have created a whole family who follows in their footsteps," says Ethelbah, who mentions that Lewis had four generations of potters The artists chosen have won many awards at American Indian arts festivals as well as general art festivals. Their work has been exhibited and sold around the world and is in permanent collections at many museums For some this includes the Museum of the American Indian in New York City, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C Museum of Man in San Diego and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, as well as the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented at a ceremony that also will honor the Fellowship artists and the Youth Fellowship artists It takes place at the governor's mansion on Thursday Zotigh drummers will perform, and caterer Norma Naranjo will serve a traditional feast The invitation-only party will include tribal officials, past honorees, winners' families and others Here's a brief look at those chosen for this prestigious award 1 i Harrison Begay Harrison Begay began as a painter at the Santa Fe Indian School's Dorothy Dunn Studio, which was created to teach traditions in painting 1 Begay uses watercolors and silk screens. He creates animal pictures, such as deer and horses, as well as pictures of Navajo ceremonies or activities, such as weaving In 1951, he co-founded Tewa Enterprises, a company designed to promote and sell American Indian arts This was one of the first companies of its kind.

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