Velino Herrera
Encyclopedia
Velino Shije Herrera also known as Ma Pe Wi, was a Pueblo Indian painter.
, Herrera attended the Santa Fe Indian School
. The Bureau of Indian Affairs
prohibited arts training, but the wife of the superintendent of the school, Elizabeth De Huff, invited Herrera and his fellow students Fred Kabotie
, Otis Polelonema, and Alfonso Roybal to paint in her living room. De Huff's painting groups have been described as a seminal event in the development of the Southwest Movement of Native American
painting. The work of De Huff's students were displayed at the Museum of New Mexico
in 1919 and museum director Edgar Lee Hewett
hired Herrera and other artists for various jobs at the museum and for the School of American Research. Herrera said, "Dr. Hewett selected a few he thought had talent and started us to painting. I was one. I have been painting ever since."
Following the exhibit at the Museum of New Mexico, press coverage promoted their work and the next year they were included in the annual exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists
in New York. Herrera's work was widely exhibited in the US and Europe and included in the Exposition of Tribal Indian Arts traveling show (1931-33). He and five other artists were commissioned to paint 2200 feet of mural
s for the Main Interior Building
of the US Department of the Interior in Washington DC. Herrera's work included realistic depictions of Pueblo life, including ceremonial kachina dances, and abstract works based on Pueblo symbolism. Unfortunately, the work of Herrera and other Native American artists was not always viewed positively in their native communities, especially when it came to depictions of traditional ceremonies. Herrera was eventually ostracized by Pueblo elders.
Herrera's illustrative work included educational materials for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He illustrated a number of books for author Ruth Underhill
. In My Mother's House, a book that he illustrated for Bureau of Indian Affairs author Ann Nolan Clark
, was named a Caldecott Honor book in 1942.
In 1954, he was awarded the French Ordre des Palmes Académiques. He largely abandoned painting after being seriously injured in a car accident, which also killed his wife.
Biography
Born in Zia Pueblo, New MexicoZia Pueblo, New Mexico
Zia Pueblo is a census-designated place in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 646 at the 2000 census; Male:310 Female:336 The pueblo after which the CDP is named is included within the CDP; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Zia Pueblo is part of...
, Herrera attended the Santa Fe Indian School
Santa Fe Indian School
The Santa Fe Indian School is a secondary school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. It was founded in 1890 as a boarding school for Native American children from the state's Indian pueblos. But in the course of its history, the school has also served as a major cultural catalyst for the...
. The Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
prohibited arts training, but the wife of the superintendent of the school, Elizabeth De Huff, invited Herrera and his fellow students Fred Kabotie
Fred Kabotie
Fred Kabotie was a celebrated Hopi painter, silversmith, and educator.-Background and education:Fred Kabotie was born into a highly traditional Hopi family at Songo`opavi, Second Mesa, Arizona, Kabotie. His father belonged to the sun clan and he belonged to the Bluebird Clan...
, Otis Polelonema, and Alfonso Roybal to paint in her living room. De Huff's painting groups have been described as a seminal event in the development of the Southwest Movement of Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
painting. The work of De Huff's students were displayed at the Museum of New Mexico
Museum of New Mexico
The Museum of New Mexico consists of six separate institutions in Santa Fe, New Mexico, including :* New Mexico Museum of Art* Palace of the Governors* Museum of Indian Arts & Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology* Museum of International Folk Art...
in 1919 and museum director Edgar Lee Hewett
Edgar Lee Hewett
Edgar Lee Hewett, D.Sc., was an archaeologist/anthropologist active in work on the Native American communities of New Mexico and the southwestern United States, and most famous for his role in bringing about the Antiquities Act, a pioneering piece of legislation for the conservation movement...
hired Herrera and other artists for various jobs at the museum and for the School of American Research. Herrera said, "Dr. Hewett selected a few he thought had talent and started us to painting. I was one. I have been painting ever since."
Following the exhibit at the Museum of New Mexico, press coverage promoted their work and the next year they were included in the annual exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists
Society of Independent Artists
Society of Independent Artists was an association of American artists founded in 1916 and based in New York.Based on the French Société des Artistes Indépendants, the goal of the society was to hold annual exhibitions by avant-garde artists. Exhibitions were to be open to anyone who wanted to...
in New York. Herrera's work was widely exhibited in the US and Europe and included in the Exposition of Tribal Indian Arts traveling show (1931-33). He and five other artists were commissioned to paint 2200 feet of mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s for the Main Interior Building
Main Interior Building
The Main Interior Building, also known as the Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building, located in Washington, D.C., is the headquarters of the United States Department of the Interior....
of the US Department of the Interior in Washington DC. Herrera's work included realistic depictions of Pueblo life, including ceremonial kachina dances, and abstract works based on Pueblo symbolism. Unfortunately, the work of Herrera and other Native American artists was not always viewed positively in their native communities, especially when it came to depictions of traditional ceremonies. Herrera was eventually ostracized by Pueblo elders.
Herrera's illustrative work included educational materials for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He illustrated a number of books for author Ruth Underhill
Ruth Underhill
Ruth Murray Underhill was an American anthropologist. She was born in Ossining-on-the-Hudson, New York, and attended Vassar College, graduating in 1905 with a degree in Language and Literature. In 1907, she graduated from the London School of Economics and began travelling throughout Europe...
. In My Mother's House, a book that he illustrated for Bureau of Indian Affairs author Ann Nolan Clark
Ann Nolan Clark
Ann Nolan Clark, born Anna Marie Nolan was an American writer who won the 1953 Newbery Medal.-Biography:...
, was named a Caldecott Honor book in 1942.
In 1954, he was awarded the French Ordre des Palmes Académiques. He largely abandoned painting after being seriously injured in a car accident, which also killed his wife.
External links
- Velino Herrera at the Koshare Indian MuseumKoshare Indian MuseumThe Koshare Indian Museum is a registered site of the Colorado Historical Society in La Junta, Colorado. The building, located on the Otero Junior College campus, is a tri-level museum with an attached kiva that is built with the largest self-supporting log roof in the world...
- Velino Herrera at the Smithsonian American Art MuseumSmithsonian American Art MuseumThe Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...