User:Sprig2022/Pablita Velarde

Early life

Just like in traditional Pueblo culture Pablita Velarde was given her name Tse Tsan by her grandmother when she was three years old. At St. Catherine's Indian School she was barely fed the bare minimum and not allowed to speak Tewa. Due to not being allowed to speak Tewa when Velarde learned to pray she would always pray in Tewa.

Work

“Velarde drew from motifs found on petroglyphs, pottery, and ancient Pueblo murals to enlarge the scope of her subject matter” (Tse Tsan: Pablita Velarde)

Personal life

Pablita Velarde married Herbert Hardin. During World War II Herbert was deployed to the army where over a period of seven years they had two kids together: Herbert Hardin Jr., and Helen Hardin. Her daughter and granddaughter both became accomplished painters in their own styles. After Herbert was discharged from the army and became a cop. As a cop he still didn’t make as much money as Velarde did which is something that he made known. The pair realized that they weren’t meant to be married to each other and they soon filed for divorce. Even though Herb certainly enjoyed the additional income from his wife’s art sales, he didn’t approve of me getting too popular” pg. 120 (Pablita Velarde: In her own words)Herbert then moved across the country to work for the CIA and would periodically send Velarde money as a form of child support. During this period in time Velarde was almost entirely raising her children and making the money for the house by selling her paintings.

Critics

“She was convinced that her generation was the last to experience traditional life in the pueblo and that it was her responsibility to record what she could for her children” pg. 130 (Pablita Velarde: In her own words). Elders from Santa Clara Pueblo didn’t want her to paint and publish her book Old Father Storyteller because it was taboo to depict Pueblo mythology and rituals. Velarde thought that it was important to keep the traditions alive through her work because she believed that Pueblo culture was diminishing. Elders on the other hand believed that people who were already a part of the culture would keep it alive and it didn’t need to be published into a book because that would’ve only been for non-pueblo people.

Awards


 * 1949
 * Second Purchase Award Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, OK
 * 1953
 * Grand Prize, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, OK
 * 1954
 * Purchase Award, Denver Art Center, Denver, CO
 * 1955
 * 1st Grand Prize, 1st Special Award, 1st Poster Award, 3rd Grand Award, Gallup Ceremonial, Gallup, NM; Purchase Award, DeYoung Museum, San Fransisco, CA; 2nd Award, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, OK; 2nd Prize, Penwomen’s Biennial, Albuquerque, NM
 * 1955
 * Palmes Academique award from the French Government, Gallup Ceremonial, Gallup, NM
 * 1956
 * 1st Award, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, OK
 * 1956
 * 1st Award, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, OK
 * 1958
 * Purchase Award, Museum of New Mexico Art Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
 * 1959
 * Twentieth Century Art Club of St. Louise Award, Museum of New Mexico Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; 1st Award, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, OK; 1st Award, Gallup Ceremonial, Gallup, NM; two 2nd Awards and 3rd Award, New Mexico State Fair, Albuquerque, NM
 * 1960-70
 * Information not available
 * 1977
 * Governor of New Mexico Award for Achievement in the Arts, Santa Fe, NM
 * 1978
 * Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
 * 1984
 * SWAIA, 63rd Indian Market 1st Prize, Santa Fe, NM; SWAIA, 63rd Indian Market, 3rd prize for Pueblo dolls, Santa Fe, NM
 * 1985
 * SWAIA, 64th Indian Market, 1st Prize, Sante Fe, NM
 * 1986
 * Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, Best in Category, Gallup, NM
 * 1987
 * Native American Indian Culture, Woodard’s Award, Scottsdale, AZ; Cherokee National, Trail of Tears, Best in Class, OK
 * 1988
 * Living Treasures, Santa Fe, NM; SWAIA, 67th Indian Market, 1st prize, Santa Fe, NM; Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts and Crafts, 1st Prize, San Ildefonso, NM
 * 1989
 * SWAIA, 68th Indian Market, 1st Prize, Santa Fe, NM; SWAIA, 68th Indian Market, Best in Category, Helen Hardin Memorial Award, Santa Fe, NM; Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts and Crafts, 1st Prize, San Ildefonso, NM
 * 1990
 * SWAIA, 69th Indian Market, Helen Hardin Memorial Award, Sante Fe, NM; Women’s Caucus for the Arts, New York City, NY; The Erna S. Ferguson Award, UNM Alumni Association, Albuquerque, NM
 * 1991
 * Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts and Crafts, Best in Tradition, Special Award, San Ildefonso, NM
 * 1994
 * Lifetime Award, Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ; Magnifical Award, Albuquerque, NM
 * 1996
 * Rounder’s Award, College of Las Cruces- presented by Governor gary Johnson and the Director and Secretary Frank A. Dubois
 * 1997
 * SWAIA Lifetime Achievement Award, Santa Fe, NM; N.A.A.S.A Lifetime Contribution, North American Artis, Berkeley, CA
 * 1999
 * New Mexico Governor’s Award for Achievement in the Arts, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, NM
 * 2000
 * March 25, National Women’s History Month, 1st Annual Indian Pueblo Cultural Center National Women’s History Awards, Albuquerque, NM; New Mexico Committee of the National Museum of Women in Arts, Santa Fe, NM