Master sculptor visiting Sisters

Master sculptor Cliff Fragua will be in for a three-day show this week.

Fragua lives as a traditional Towa on the Jemez Pueblo of New Mexico.

The People refer to their pueblo, recognized as a sovereign nation, as Walatowa, which translates to "This is the place." Cliff was born on the pueblo in the mid 1950s, has spent most of his life on it, and both his home and large sculpting studio, Singing Stone, are upon these ancestral homelands.

The Jemez River begins in the tall timber and high plateaus of North Central New Mexico, flows south and carves out painted desert walls along the way. This results in stunning canyons, which have inspired famous artists such as Georgia O'Keefe and Gustave Baumann. At the south end of Canon de Don Diego lies the Jemez Pueblo, dependent upon the seasonal Jemez River. Though the elevation is 5,500 feet, the environment outside the riverbed is dryland country, low scrub and brush.

The community of Jemez Pueblo is mostly closed to the public. There are no overnight accommodations. Dave's Burgers, when it is open, serves the only food in town. On certain ceremonial days, outsiders can attend and observe, but even these are no longer announced due to the crowds that began to overwhelm the events. Though set in a gorgeous location, rich with both a deep history and strong culture that goes back at least 800 years, the Towa remain a private people. This characteristic serves them well with regard to retaining their identity and ways within the current slide toward a more homogenous, worldwide culture.

Make no mistake, however, Cliff's been out and about in the world. His awareness ranges from small villages in Italy, famous for their marble, to major cities throughout the United States. He attended the San Francisco Art Institute while also studying as a student at the prestigious art school for Native American youth in Santa Fe, Institute of American Indian Art. He's done shows in Chicago and New York City. Besides being a traditional individual among his people, he's a rather accomplished conga drum player, recreational weightlifter, and frequent traveller.

Cliff's a pretty good artist, too.

Po'Pay is both the name of a famous puebloan man of the 1600s and a statue that graces the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The man, a traditional spiritual leader, led a revolt against the Spanish intruders who had come to New Mexico 80 years earlier, first conquering and then enslaving the Pueblo Peoples. The revolt drove 2,000 Spanish out of the region within days of the August 13, 1680 uprising.

It was the most successful resistance in history against the Western world by any of the indigenous peoples of North America. Nearly 400 of the invaders - soldiers, government officials, and priests - were killed in the first days before the exodus.

Po'Pay subsequently became a legendary figure among all Pueblo People.

The statue Po'Pay depicts the man as he prepares for the August 13 revolt. Though the work was sculpted within the traditions of classical Greek marble statues, the posture that Po'Pay strikes is that of a thoughtful and more humble individual. It lacks the dramatic Greek "heroic pose" that most ancient Mediterrean statues

embody.

Po'Pay became the 100th and final statue to be added to the nation's Capitol, representing two from each state. It is the only statue of those one hundred carved by a Native American. Though Fragua has created many sumptuous pieces of art in his life, continues to make other magnificent and monumental sized pieces, Po'Pay will forever be his signature work.

Fragua's works range in appearance from modern-contemporary to indigenous stylized to classical. He works with stone from all over the world. Cliff's won numerous awards for his works and served on committees and foundations that promote sensible, ethical practices within the Native American art world.

Cliff Fragua will be in Sisters for the 4th Friday Art Walk on April 28; will give a presentation on Saturday, April 29; and a working demonstration on April 30. New works will be unveiled during this weekend. All appearances will take place at Raven Makes Gallery, located at 182 E. Hood Ave.