Lorencita Atencio Bird (October 22, 1918 – May 4, 1995), also called T'o Pove ("Flowering Piñon"),[2] was a Pueblo-American painter and textile artist from the Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan) Pueblo.[3] She studied at the Santa Fe Indian School under Dorothy Dunn[4] and exhibited her artwork across the country and in Europe.[5] In particular, she is known for her embroidery designs, utilizing symbolic colors and motifs such as diamonds, butterflies, and the color gold.[5] Her artworks can be found in private collections including the Margretta S. Dietrich Collection and in museums including the Heard Museum, the Gilcrease Museum,[6] the Philbrook Museum of Art, and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.[7][8][5]

Lorencita Atencio Bird
T'o Pove
Born(1918-10-22)October 22, 1918
DiedMay 4, 1995(1995-05-04) (aged 76)
NationalityAmerican, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo
Alma materSanta Fe Indian School
Occupation(s)painter and textile artist
"Matachines Dance," 1937, depicts an intricate dance popular in Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo.[1]

Atencio was born on October 22, 1918, the daughter of Juan Bautista and Luteria Trujillo Atencio.[9] She was an active watercolor painter and embroidery artist through the 1930s and 1940s, selling her work and earning a living.[5] Some of her paintings depicted subjects going about daily tasks, such as gathering water.[7] In the 1950s, she became the mother of several children and stopped painting as prolifically.[3][7] She continued to work on weaving and embroidery throughout her life, creating sashes, ceremonial regalia, and wedding attire.[5] Atencio also worked as a crafts instructor at the Santa Fe Indian School and at the U. S. Albuquerque Indian School.[3][10]

Atencio died on May 4, 1995.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Bernstein, Bruce (1995). Modern by tradition : American Indian painting in the studio style. Santa Fe, N.M.: Museum of New Mexico Press. ISBN 978-0-89013-286-9.
  2. ^ Broder, Patricia Janis (2013-12-10). Earth Songs, Moon Dreams: Paintings by American Indian Women. Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-4668-5972-2.
  3. ^ a b c King, Jeanne Snodgrass (1968). American Indian painters; a biographical directory. Smithsonian Libraries. New York : Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation.
  4. ^ McLerran, Jennifer (2009). A New Deal for Native Art: Indian Arts and Federal Policy, 1933-1943. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 978-0-8165-2766-3.
  5. ^ a b c d e f St. James guide to native North American artists. Detroit: St. James Press. 1998. ISBN 978-1-55862-221-0.
  6. ^ "Lorencita Atencio - Gilcrease Museum". collections.gilcrease.org. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  7. ^ a b c Vaillant, George Clapp (1973). Indian arts in North America. -. New York: Cooper Square Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8154-0469-9.
  8. ^ United States Information Service (1900). Contemporary American Indian paintings from the Margretta S. Dietrich collection. Smithsonian Libraries. S.l. United States Information Service.
  9. ^ "Lorencita A. Bird (obituary)". The Santa Fe New Mexican. 1995-05-06. p. 10. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  10. ^ Schaaf, Gregory (2001). American Indian Textiles: 2,000 Artist Biographies, C. 1800-present : with Value/price Guide Featuring Over 20 Years of Auction Records. CIAC Press. ISBN 978-0-9666948-4-0.