Estella Loretto
King Fellow 2001
"When I start a piece of artwork, I am caught up
in the sacred process of inspiration and emotion, never knowing exactly
where or what it will lead to," writes Estella Loretto, SAR's
first Rollin and Mary Ella King Native American Artist Fellow.
An innate passion for life and its experiences
governs Loretto's joy of artistic expression. Her passion for life
originated at home in Jemez Pueblo where her grandmother and mother
were important role models, both participating in the gentle yet demanding
tasks of raising a young girl to womanhood. At home Estella found
love and respect intermingled with learning the important lessons
of a Pueblo woman's life. These sensibilities guide Estella today
in her relationships, and with her daughter, Fawn.
"When I start a piece of artwork, I
am caught up in the sacred process of inspiration and emotion, never
knowing where or what it will lead to. I am committed to the passion
of creative expression. Art is a process that has its own lifeforce
and power. I am very moved by the challenge and dedicate my life to
it," says Loretto describing her artistic process.
This commitment to art was nurtured by her
attendance at the Institute for American Indian Arts from 1970-1972.
She studied under legendary artist Allan Houser, who generously offered
to guide the direction of her work. The most important lesson she
learned from him was that "an artist shouldn't work to make money.
What you do is about making art." Following Houser's teachings
and modeling his creative energy—but not his artistic style—Loretto
achieved her own, hardwon identity as a first-rate sculptress. As
a female sculptor, she persevered to overcome the hurdles of working
in a previously male-dominated field.
Loretto's first sculpture, completed in 1993,
is 8 feet tall and stands serenely in front of the New Mexico State
Capitol Building in Santa Fe. Estella comments on this piece, "She's
very special to me. She represents woman, the Earth Mother walking
on this earth with harmony and balance. She is doing a prayer for
all of us in this lifetime, that we may live in harmony. She has love
in her heart." With similar feeling, American Indian Business
wrote in 1994, "Meeting Estella Loretto is like coming face to
face with the all but forgotten peace and harmony within oneself."
Loretto's travels, including an American
Field Service Scholarship to Antwerp and Bruges, Belgium; attendance
at the University of Benito 
Juarez, in Oaxaca, Mexico; and a foreign study grant from the All
Indian Pueblo Council to visit India and Nepal, contributed to the
portrayal of environmental themes in her work. Estella reflects, "I
would like to create pieces that speak for positive environmental
change through art. As a Native person, I believe that we have the
opportunity to impact the global human family by conveying subliminally
the sacred messages from the ancient teaching of our people."
Loretto's work reflects her high energy,
her great ambition, and her transmission of a deep spiritual faith.
The daily presence of her Jemez roots contributes to a serenity and
vitality that governs her daily life. She says, "I take my time
and try to enjoy every day with the process as if it were my last."
The Indian Art Research Center welcomes Estella
Loretto to the School for Advanced Research and is pleased to award
her the Rollin and Mary Ella King Native American Artist Fellowship.
Loretto will be in residency at SAR from September 1 to December 4,
2001, during which time she will create a special project for the
School.
Images: (Left)
Pottery- "The Corn Pollen Blessing," copyright, Estella
Loretto, 2001
(Bottom, right) Sculpture- "Enchanted Encounter," copyright,
Estella Loretto, 2001
