This is a collaborative piece by Jason Garcia (Santa Clara) and Vicente Telles.  Vicente Telles is an award-winning Santero retablo painter of saints and a highly talented portrait painter from the South Valley of Albuquerque. He is one of a few U.S.  Latino artists chosen to participate in the La MalincheExhibit created at the Denver Art Museum and traveled to the San Antonio Art Museum. His religious santos watercolor and foraged pigments in paintings are currently in shows in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Jason Garcia is from Santa Clara Pueblo and known for his clay tiles and telling the story of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 in his “Tewa Tales of Suspense” series.

This piece is entitled, “Our Lady of Guadalupe – Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe – December 12 – Fiest de Guadalupe de P’osuwaheh Owingeh/Pojoaque Pueblo”.  The piece is made from basswood by Vicente.  There is the wood frame and the inset is wood.  The piece is gessoed and then painted with foraged and commercial watercolor pigments.  One side is painted by Jason and the other side by Vicente.

The side painted by Jason is one of his more traditional style paintings. There is the Buffalo Dance of Pojoaque Pueblo during the December 12 Feast Day.  In the background are the mountains and the Pueblo.  The top of the piece has a tablita shape with Jason’s signature clouds painted in the center.  The sides have rainclouds carved and painted and there are roses (for Santa Clara Pueblo) in the area below the main panel.

The opposite side was painted by Vicente.  It is “Our Lady of Guadalupe” or the Virgin of Guadalupe.  The short story of the Virgin of Guadalupe is that the Virgin Mary appeared to a man named Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531.  Juan Diego asked for a sign to bring back for the bishop. The Blessed Mother instructed Juan Diego to climb to the top of Tepeyac Hill where he would find flowers to pick and place in his tilma (cloak).  He was to keep them hidden until he saw the bishop. Juan Diego gathered the dark pink roses into his cloak with the help of the Blessed Mother.  “She is used as a symbol of justice,” Mora said, “because she holds an appeal to the poor, to marginalized people. In the modern day, we can see her as representing people standing against oppression, declaring their independence.”.  Vicente has painted her in a classic style.  Around the edge of the piece, and below the figure, are the roses.  The piece is amazingly detailed in the carving and the design!