Dolores is a boundary breaking artist who combines contemporary ideas with historical significance while maintaining cultural influences - Bryant Nagel Galleries

My Artist Statement: “HAPPY ART MAKES A HAPPY HOME” I believe every home should have at least one piece of art that brings a smile or a special connection to the viewer. Using the historic art form, and changing it up to add humor, whimsy and a feminine touch is my goal in my art. Please view my pages and enjoy yourself…and smile!

While doing family genealogy research in the mid 1990’s, Dolores stumbled upon a fellow Caddo tribal member who had been imprisoned in Ft. Marion Florida for 3 years from 1875-1878. It didn’t take long for her to discover the amazing art coming from that prison during the incarceration of 72 men from the Caddo, Kiowa, Comanche, Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. She began researching ‘ledger art’, it’s meanings and how to read this pictographic language. “I researched the historic ledgers, read every book I could find, took numerous road trips to see the old historic ledgers and found some wonderful mentors and professionals willing to help me.” As a trained water colorist, Dolores soon found herself collecting old ledgers from the mid to late 1800’s and switched her medium to colored pencils and antique paper. Dolores has several art galleries and museums shops who carry her work.

“Warrior Art” is a common description of the ledger art style, and was considered a male art form in the past. Her work veers far from the usual imagery typically seen in most contemporary ledger art. With a female perspective, the images can be humorous or serious while immersed in Native American heritage, iconography and pop culture. Peter Max and the psychedelic pop-art movement has been an influence in her art work as well as the art-deco movement and Japanese textiles. Dolores’ images may represent bison hunters riding past colorful teepees, or bright Cadillacs racing across the page. Tongue-in-cheek humor, bright colors, and vivid imagery is her way to stand out from the other ledger artists as well as honoring her ancestors.

Dolores enjoys working with institutions, universities and museums presenting the history of ledger art as well as sharing her work. A few of these institutions include National Museum of the American Indian, Washington DC; Brown University, Providence RI; University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN; and UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, as well as others. She has been mentioned in several articles in magazines and newspapers. A few include Southwest Art Magazine, Cowboys and Indians, Native American Art Magazine, Western Art Collector, American Art Collector as well as the Santa Fe New Mexican. Dolores is one of four subjects in a book written by Richard Pearce, Women and Ledger Art, published by the University of Arizona Press. Her work is in the collections of the Hood Museum, Newbery Library, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of American History, The White House, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Tweed Museum, Museum of Indian Arts and Crafts as well as others. She has participated in several Art Markets and Show winning ribbons in numerous ones. She has experience as a freelance writer and a past member of the Standards Committee for the Santa Fe Indian Market and past board member for the Lawrence Indian Art Show.

EDUCATION MARKETS AND SHOWS

IAIA Santa Fe Indian Market

Washburn University Heard Indian Fair and Market

Topeka West High School Small Works/Great Wonders - National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum OKC

Coeur d’Alene Galleries - Miniatures by the Lake -Coeur d’Alene ID

Cowgirlup! Desert Cabarello Western Museum - Wickenburg, AZ

 
 

Professional Organizations

SWAIA Standards Committee Member, Santa Fe, NM, 2009-2013

Lawrence Indian Art Show Executive Committee, Lawrence, KS, 2001-2007