Handmade necklace to be signature item at SWAIA

02 Jun '10

5 min read

A handmade, one-of-a-kind necklace will be the signature item at the Southwest Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) Live Auction Gala at the August Santa Fe Indian Market. The collaborative work is by four award-winning Native American artists. The Auction Gala, sponsored by Carolyn Pollack Jewelry, is a benefit for SWAIA, presenter of the world-renowned Indian Market held each year in Santa Fe.

The SWAIA Live Auction Gala, August 21 at the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, is one of the most sought-after tickets of Indian Market weekend. This year, the auction will conclude with an opportunity to purchase a sensational necklace created by renowned Native American designers Roderick Tenorio, Veronica Benally, Fritz Casuse, and Cody Sanderson.

The necklace is being donated for the benefit auction through the generosity of the four artists. The inspiration for the finely crafted necklace comes from nature and features butterflies created by each designer mixed among flowers and Native American symbols. Created from finely wrought sterling silver, gold and precious and natural gemstones, the necklace is a unique piece of handcrafted art. It is expected to generate significant interest by collectors.

The collaboration by the four designers was first suggested by Dr. Bruce Bernstein, executive director of SWAIA, and supported by Bill and Carolyn Pollack of Carolyn Pollack Jewelry. The butterfly necklace is the latest example of a recent tradition to bring a group of artists together to work on a collaborative piece of art for the annual Auction Gala. In prior years, teams of Native American artists have customized a motorcycle, a decorative box and a concha belt with their designs.

“We provided the environment where the collaboration could blossom,” Carolyn Pollack said. “As longstanding supporters of SWAIA and the Presenting Sponsors of the gala auction, we wanted to offer an outstanding piece of art for the auction. This year's collaboration was a true group effort with the four Native Designers brainstorming together and bouncing ideas off each other. I believe the depth of collaboration resulted in a truly unique, outstanding piece. There certainly is not another one like it.”

Carolyn Pollack Jewelry is the presenting sponsor of this year's gala and the award sponsor for Best in Classification for Jewelry, the top jewelry award given at Indian Market. Carolyn Pollack Jewelry's sponsorship of the auction gala and jewelry award is part of the company's mission to promote innovation in Native American jewelry design and to introduce a new generation of collectors to contemporary Native American artists.

“Although a collaboration, the necklace has a unique contribution from each of the designers,” Carolyn Pollack said. “Each of the four artists designed one of the butterflies and they each have their own style, and yet they all came together in this piece. Fans of each designer will recognize instantly the butterfly that designer created, and yet everyone's work is integrated into the whole. It was truly a creative collaboration, and I think the end result is a stunning work of wearable art.”

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