Zuni and It's Beauty Kenny Maxymowich

"If she was a cowboy, she'd be the Queen."

By Kenneth Maxymowich

sit next to her mom, Andrea Lonjose and watch beautiful jewelry being created with silverwork and precise inlay. An-

That’s what I think about Tamara, even though her musical tastes are more classic rock, old country and 90s R&B than new country. Ok, she can take a bit of this new country but she’s “old school”!

Tamara Pinto grew up in Zuni, New Mexico at a time when Native American art was rapidly gaining popularity. Starting her education, she attended Santa Fe Indian School until her junior year and then transferred to Gallup where she graduated. Grad behind her, she moved to Tucson Arizona for 8 years where she sought further education before returning home to begin her career in silversmithing. As a young girl, she would help by washing her mother’s jewelry pieces. Tamara credits her amazing mother and also her Wowo (Grandmother) Shirley Benn as her closest mentors. She tells me how blessed she is to have these beautiful ladies as her teachers still today. Growing up, Tamara was intrigued and amazed by the matriarchs of her family and the unbelievably beautiful jewelry taught me to have patience.” Determined she sat there and patiently took it all in. “It was a process” she says.

In 2010, Tamara moved back to Zuni from Tucson expecting her first child. At this time, she didn’t know what the future had in store with her being a single parent. Determined to support herself and her daughter, Tamara decided to become a silversmith with the help of her family. This profession gave her the flexibility to work from home and raise her daughter. Having her Mom and Wowo by her side with guidance, Tamara was always learning something new “whether it was new designs, new techniques to create different style pieces or trying new stones.”

drea is a legend in creating inlay pieces of art and her award-winning art adorns

multiple books and magazines. As Tamara grew older, she would they were creating. She remembers her mom sitting her down and patiently teaching her step by step. “At times” she tells me “I would get so frustrated I’d want to quit but my mom

Tamara considers her style of work as “multi-color etched inlay”. She uses a wide variety of natural stone and shell which include turquoise, coral, mother of pearl, malachite, black jet amongst others. Tamara tells me she just loves butterflies. So much so that she has a couple tattoos of butterflies. She remembers not knowing what she would create when she first started making jewelry. Her excited words came out as “ I drew out a pattern of a butterfly and that was my first piece...I just love how I’m able to use all of the colorful stones.

From my first pieces I came out with several different patterns. I’ve also made hummingbirds, owls, lizards, flowers, but mostly butterflies.” When I first started collecting strictly Zuni art, I fell in love with Tamara Pinto’s butterflies. I kept seeing her multi-colored butterflies of different styles

and designs and was star struck. I remember thinking it’s my goal to somehow get in touch with her. Who knew years later we would become friends. Tamara is one of the funniest people I know, and I had the privilege of seeing Tamara, her mom, her Wowo, her daughter Kiearah and puppy Phoenix recently and soon I’ll see them all again. When not at her worktable, she loves spending time with her family. Having three brothers, with two living out of town keeps her busy trying to get together as often as possible. Kiearah is growing up so fast and spending quality time with her is a priority.

Homework, volleyball and other sports bring them closer together. When spending so much stationary time at her worktable, Tamara says she likes to stay active. I can attest to this, as every time I call, she’s at the gym!

One of the most unique designs that Tamara has worked on is making the faces of the KISS rock band.

Her Wowo

Shirley is famous for her incredible Maidens with the most gorgeous faces.

Tamara says “It was challenging because

I never worked on faces before, something my grandmother is good at. I was pretty relieved and amazed with how the pieces turned out. At least I could tell it was them, haha!” As most members of her community are, she is quite modest. One of the most recent designs to her butterflies is incorporating only kingman turquoise and black jet. The result to me is the most amazing butterfly design to date!

Tamara Pinto has the determination, patience, pride and vision to be one of Zuni’s greatest treasures. She has youth on her side, and she tells me her mind is full of ideas and she has different unique pieces she would like to create. She’s not afraid to take on new challenges or to learn new silversmithing techniques to get a desired effect. She tells me “Once I get started on a new design, I get excited about how it will turn out. I enjoy seeing satisfaction on my customers when they see these creations.”

It’s really no wonder Tamara has had so much success and notoriety with her art. Her family on both sides include

generations of artists including silversmiths, potters, carvers and painters. Her mother alone is an award winning and extremely talented silversmith. Andrea’s grandfather is Mr. Theodore Edaakie who served as Lieutenant Governor of Zuni and is famous for his paintings of kachinas, his wonderful inlaid owl pieces and large colorful pendant necklaces. Also on Andrea’s side of the family is her sisters Valerie and India Comosona and her brother Stephan Lonjose all of which are very well respected and talented inlay silversmiths. Tamara’s Great Aunt Kelly Edaakie and other Aunts are respected artists as well. Tamara’s paternal side of the family is incredibly talented going back generations. Her father Bryceson Pinto for a time worked with gold and silver making inlay bird and animal pieces. He primarily works with nonprofit organizations now as a management consultant. Surely, it’s no secret talent runs in his family as Bryceson’s brother Marlin Pinto is one of the greatest Zuni carvers of all time winning award after award with his pieces. Another brother Randy Pinto is still creating such beautifully lifelike inlay pieces in the form of birds. Whenever I see Tamara’s butterflies, I think of her closest mentors Andrea and Shirley. Shirley Benn to me is the greatest, most humble artist still creating masterpieces today. I can remember the first time seeing one of Virgil and Shirley Benn’s inlaid Maidens in a well-respected Zuni publication and literally gasping at it’s intense beauty. Virgil and Shirley’s pieces are highly collected as their inlaid pieces are made with such precision and lifelike presence. Shirley Benn is the daughter of Daisy Hooee Nampeyo who taught pottery making in Zuni. Along with her stunning pottery pieces, she is known for her lifelike inlaid jewelry figures and also forming the Zuni dance group Olla Maidens which are still very active today. Also, on Tamara’s Hopi/ Tewa side is of course her Great, Great, Great, Great Grandmother Nampeyo who was an incredibly famous potter of Tewa Village. She used ancient techniques for making and firing pottery and used designs from “Old Hopi” pottery and sherds found at 15th-century ruins on First Mesa. Her art is in collections worldwide and her pottery displayed in highly respected museums across North America. Tamara’s Great Uncle who is Shirley’s brother Raymond Naha is one of today’s greatest Hopi painters. Ray Naha has influenced countless artists across the Native American realm with his true to life painted depictions of dancing kachinas.

In closing it’s exciting to see what will come next from the imagination, mind and worktable of Tamara Pinto. Whatever creation develops and comes to life will surely add to her repertoire of Zuni beauty as all she touches turns to gold.

“So, mamas if your daughters grow up to be cowboys, so what?!”

HON DOBINDE A:HOI’ Elahkwa, Kenny

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Special Olympics New Mexico-Gallup thanks our community of local businesses and friends for their generous 2021 donations. Your donations made it possible for our athletes to get “back in the game” following our 2020 hiatus due to COVID.

Drs. Pamela Burgess and Sharna Sutherin Aaron’s Amigo Automotive Butler’s Printing and Office Supply Castle Furniture Peter Tempest and Janet Li-Tempest Adobe Storage Baca Friendly Village MHP Jo Ann Benenati DAB, Inc. (Lebeck Family) Family Medicine Associates Fran Pawlowski Lidio Rainaldi, DDS

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Dr. & Mrs. Randolph Copeland Dallago Corporation Combined Investment, Inc. Dr. Robert D’Orazio

Earl’s Family Restaurant Douglas Felley Gallup Journey, Inc. Genaro’s Café Grant Foutz Gallup Lumber & Supply

Grandpa’s Grill Mason & Isaacson, P.A. Perry Null Trading Company Red Rock Insurance Agency Tony D. Gonzales, CPA, PA Hollywood Orthodontics John Pena Greg P Plese, CPA Rosebrough, Fowles & Foutz, P.C.

Auto Glass & Construction City Electric Shoe Shop

Troy’s Auto Sales

Cameron Cheromiah of Gallup, 2022 Special Olympics New Mexico Athlete of the Year

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