The Fair - by Erick Begay
A client came into the gallery the other day. He is 93 years old, was married 66 years, and has been collecting Native Art for 70 years. He is a retired engineer, lived in the southwest most of his life and worked in and around the Navajo reservation. I met him a few years ago and he always has a story about collecting Native American art.
He said: "I bought this bolo tie in 1956. We would attend The Fair in Winslow each year. At the fair, Natives would travel
in their wagons, and some had jewelry and wares to sell. I had always wanted a bolo tie and saw this one. It was the first time I saw a mixture of styles: Hopi-style overlay and Navajo. It is very contemporary and unique. I bought it for $12, my budget was $20. We loved going to The Fair each year."
I then showed him a photograph that circulates in our family. It is a photograph of my maternal grandparents in 1955 at "Indian Days" that took place each year at the La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Az
He got excited and said, "That is it! That is The Fair". I could see memories flood his mind as he looked at the photograph. A tear welled-up in the corner of his eye. He touched the gold band on his finger and said "Gosh that brings back so many memories. We loved going to The Fair in Winslow."
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The Fair - by Erick Begay