Photo by Cathy Short
Carol Lujan, a clay and glass artist, is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and lives and works in both Arizona and New Mexico. She is of the Totsohnii (Big Water) clan and her original clan is Hashtl’shnii (Mud Clan). Carol’s contemporary clay and glass art is inspired by her family, her native culture and heritage and the beautiful landscape of the Southwest.
Her colorful clay masks are influenced by the Navajo deities and her clay sculptures reflect the strength, humor and spirit of indigenous women of the Southwest. Additionally, her glass art transforms traditional native art into a contemporary nontraditional art form. The designs on her glass rugs are inspired by her grandmother’s rugs as well as historical Navajo rug designs from the mid 1800s. Various traditional indigenous designs and symbols, combined with the contemporary medium of glass, compliment and strengthen one another and provide a unique piece of art.
Artist CV 2020
Contact Information.
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109
480-540-9928
email: [email protected]
Art Education
Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Santa Fe, New Mexico. Photography & Traditional Clay, Audit, 1996 & 2010.
Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Glass Sculpture, Audit 2018, 2019, 2020
Workshops:
Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2014
Pojoaque Art Program, Pojoaque, New Mexico, 2011.
Mesa Art Center Glass Program, Mesa, Arizona, 2015-2020
Featured Artist
2017 Featured Artist, Pueblo Grande Indian Art Market, Phoenix, Az., December.
2006 Featured Artist, Southwest Indian Art Fair, Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, February.
Testimonials/quotes from collectors
"“Carol Chiago Lujan’s artwork is extraordinary in its beauty, elegance and originality. Her works are contemporary treasures that evoke and honor the compelling grace of traditional culture.”
M. Bortner, Phoenix, Arizona.
Art Show Awards
2013-2020
Year 2020
2020 Honorable Mention in Sculpture, 2020 Heard Museum Indian Art Market, Phoenix, Arizona.
Year 2019
2019 First Place Award in Glass Sculpture, 98th Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe, NM, Aug.
Year 2018
2018 First Place Award in Glass Sculpture, 97th Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe, NM, Aug.
2018 Second Place Award in Glass Sculpture, 97th Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe, NM, Aug.
2018 Honorable Mention, Glass Sculpture, 97th Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe, NM. Aug.
2018 First Place Award in Glass Sculpture, Heard Museum Indian Art Market, Phoenix, Az.
Year 2017
2017 Second Place Award in Glass Sculpture, 96th Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe, NM, Aug.
2017 First Place Award in Glass Sculpture, Heard Museum Indian Art Market, Phoenix, Az.
2017 Second Place Award in Glass Sculpture, Heard Museum Indian Art Market, Phoenix, Az.
Year 2016
2016 First Place Award in Glass Sculpture, Heard Museum Indian Art Market, Phoenix, Az.
2016 First Place Award in Glass Sculpture, 95th Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe NM.Aug.
2016 Second Place Award in Glass Sculpture, 95th Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe, NM.Aug.
Year 2015
2015 Second Place Award in Glass Sculpture, 94th Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe, NM.Aug.
Year 2014
2014 First Place Award in Sculpture, Southwest Indian Art Fair, Juried Show, Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, Feb.
Year 2013
2013 First Place Award in Sculpture, Southwest Indian Art Fair, Juried Show, Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, February.
Year 2004 - 2008
2008 Bahti Indian Arts Award of Excellence in Figurative Clay, Southwest Indian Art Fair,
Juried Show, Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, February
2007 Second Place Award in Clay Sculpture Division, 86th Annual Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe, New Mexico. August 17.
2007 Third Place Award in Figurative Clay Storyteller Division, 86th Annual Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA. Santa Fe, New Mexico. August 17.
2005 Bahti Indian Arts Award of Excellence in Figurative Clay, Southwest Indian Art Fair, Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson. February.
2004 Third Place in Figurative Clay Storyteller Division, Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, Inc. 83rd Annual Santa Fe Indian Market, Santa Fe, New Mexico, August.
Year 1996
1996 Best of Division, Black and White Photography, Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe, NM. Aug.
1996 Best of Classification, Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe, NM. Aug.
1996 First Place Award, Black and White Photography, Santa Fe Indian Market/SWAIA, Santa Fe, NM. Aug.
Gallery & Other Exhibitions
Upcoming Exhibition Spring 2021 to March 2022
Museum of Indian Art and Culture “Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass” Santa Fe, New Mexico. Curated by Letitia Chambers & Kathy Short. Book will accompany the exhibit and will be available in August, 2020.
Permanent Collection
Carl Gorman Museum, UC Davis, Davis, California
Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino, Pojoaque, New Mexico
SWAIA
Juried art show exhibitor participating in the SWAIA shows off and on over the past 23 years.
SWAIA Awards
SWAIA awards as listed above.
Presentations:
2020 “Women in Glass: On Fire!”, Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Organizations:
2019-current, Glass Alliance New Mexico
2018-current, Santa Fe Opera Pueblo Opera Program