2017 Indian Art Market 3rd Place Winner, Nelson Begay

The Natural History Museum of Utah awarded Nelson Begay third place honors in the 2017 Indian Art Market.

Begay attended Indian Art Market in 2015, and travels all over the country to showcase his work. Begay works with silver and other metals in the traditional Navajo style. Begay gains inspiration for his work from his late brother and mentor, Stephen Begay.

Distinct from traditional Hopi styles of metal work, Begay notes that he incorporates symbols of the Earth like clouds, lightning, and mountains into his work. “Traditional Hopi overlays use a lot of figures like bears, bear claws, and people,” Begay says.

Begay notes that NHMU’s Indian Art Market is growing and is increasingly popular in artist communities.

“All the great artists are here,” Begay says. “That’s what I like about it. It’s a unique event.”