Indian Symbols

Above the doorway to the Indian Arts and Crafts Shop, Navajo artist Gerald Nailor painted a graphic composition titled Indian Symbols. Nailor frequently drew upon tribal narratives as inspiration for his murals, and he based this design on traditional Navajo symbols. Above the shop’s entrance, the adornment adds further ornamentation to a richly embellished interior. Since it opened in 1938, the shop has sold art and crafts by Native American artists. The room still retains much of its original interior, including five tin sconces with flint-glass mirrors and long rustic wood beams on the ceiling.

In addition to Indian Symbols, Nailor painted a narrative scene titled Deer Stalking along one wall of the shop, and his fellow artist, Chiricahua Apache painter Allan Houser, contributed two murals on the opposing wall titled Buffalo Hunt and Breaking Camp During Wartime. Both artists trained at the Santa Fe Indian School in New Mexico and learned a style of painting characterized by flat, delicate colors and precise outlines inspired by Plains hide painting and Pueblo pottery and mural designs. This resulting “Studio Style” is evident in each mural, as is the distinctive approach taken by each artist. Houser often painted scenes with dynamic movement and included elements of humor, while Nailor frequently painted in a softer palette and infused his scenes with quiet tension. To create each composition, both artists drew upon their respective Chiricahua Apache and Navajo traditions and narratives for inspiration.