Peaceful Warrior's Prayer Completed St. Francis Cathedral Adds Indian Woman Statue Workshop & Guest Appearances Professional Exhibitions Education Recent Public Collections Recent Private and Corporate Collections				As a Native American artist from the Pueblo of Jemez I am constantly balancing my strong traditional pueblo philosophies into an evolving contemporary world. This challenges and inspires me to continue to explore new forms of creative expression in various mediums. I love to play with new colors, shapes, textures and materials to innovate new and exciting pieces of art. It was at an early age that I left my pueblo environment to travel. The experience of interacting and living with other tribal peoples throughout the world has broadened my artistic and cultural appreciation which continues to inspire me daily. For more information please check out the following upcoming articles in: Santa Fe Trend 2005 New Mexico Traveler 2005
Estella Loretto is a gifted and accomplished artist. Sometimes she is drawn to create massive works of art in order to facilitate and promote healing environments. Estella is the only Native American woman sculpting monumental work in bronze. Estella left her native New Mexican home at the Pueblo of Jemez at age 15 and traveled the world for eight years, studying under a number of remarkable artists and teachers here in American as well as Europe, the Far East and Mexico. She is a painter, a sculptress, a creator of extraordinary art and a designer of finesse and style. Allan Houser's last student before his death in 1994, she now works from her own studio-gallery in Santa Fe, where she is recognized as an international renowned artist is her own right. Estella's work has always reflected her highly internalized spiritual vision of the world, an intimate legacy of her Pueblo background. That tradition is manifested in her artistic creations, allowing her to "work from the inside out," to blend beauty, compassion and spirituality within all her creations. Her creative representations are instinctive and inherent symbols of peacefulness and serenity. Estella with Allan Houser Estalla & Daughter Fawn

Workshop & Guest Appearances

2007-06	Elder Hostel
1999	Home & Garden Magazine Worshop Gentle Spirit Studio Santa Fe, New Mexico
1997-98	Las Campañas de Santa Fe Guest Artist
1998	I.A.I.A. Board of Trustees Santa Fe, New Mexico Guest Speaker
1993	National Multiple Sclerosis Society Albuquerque, New Mexico Artist and Presenter of the "Hope Award"
1992	National Conference on Indian Education Albuquerque, New Mexico Guest Panelist, "Breaking the Barriers".
1992	University of New Mexico Native American Studied Program Guest Speaker, "Leading Native American Women Role Models".
1992	National Conference on Ceramic Education Mesa, Arizona Guest Artist and Panelist
Professional Exhibitions
2007-1999	Gentle Spirit Gallery Annual Show
2007-1999	Santa Fe Indian Market
2007-1999	Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ
1999	Summer Solstice w/ "The Morning Prayer" Gentle Spirit Studio, Santa Fe, NM
1998	The "Re-Awakening of the Inner Healing" Gentle Spirit Studio, Santa Fe, NM
1996-98	Masters of Indian Art Cast Iron Gallery New York, NY
1995	Spirit of the Pueblo People Honolulu, Hawaii
1995	First State Bank of Santa Fe Feature Artist Santa Fe, New Mexico
1993	Allan Houser Sculpture Park 1st Annual Monumental Sculpture Exhibition "Signals in Sculpture" I.A.I.A. Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico
1993	First Peoples Gallery Minneapolis, Minnesota "From the Earth We Form" #1
1991-present	Opened Gentle Spirit Gallery Santa Fe, New Mexico
1991	Gertrude Zachery Albuquerque, New Mexico
1990	Turquoise Tortois Sedona, Arizona
1989	Toh-ah-tin Gallery Durango, Colorado
1988	Earth, Hands, Life Special Exhibition Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona
1987	Charles Russel Museum Great Falls, Montana
1987	Women of Spirit and Creativity Seattle, Washington
1987	Museum of Native American Cultures Spokane, Washington, Honored with "The Most Distinguished Artists" Award
1986	Museum of Native American Cultures Spokane, Washington. Guest of Honor "Western Artists of the Northwest
1985	The Evelyn Siegal Gallery, Fort Worth, Texas "Enchanted Images of the Southwest"
1984	The 18th Street Gallery Los Angeles, California "Art of the Contemporary Southwest"
1984	The Sacred Circle Gallery Seattle, Washington American Indian Ceramic Art: "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow"
1981	Fenn Galleries, Santa Fe, New Mexico (major exhibition as main participant for Indian Market, 1981)
1981	The Squash Blossom, Highland Park, Illinois
1981	The Turtle Museum, Niagra Falls, New York The Native American Center for the Living Arts (invited as one of the three major artists for the premiere showing of "American Indian Artists of the 80's")
1980	Susan Brown Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona American Women in the Arts"
1980	The Fenn Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
1980	All Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Museum Albuquerque, New Mexico
1978	Emabashi Gallery, Osaka, Japan
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Education
1996	Personal Apprenticeship w/ Jewelry Design & Casting w/ Ray Tracey
1991-94	Solo Apprenticeship w/Master Sculptor Allan Houser
1994	Printmaking w/ Master Painter/Artist Frank Howell
1994	Monoprintig Rick Jimenez Cerro Graphics, Los Lunas, New Mexico
1992-1994	Exclusive Apprenticeship With Allan Houser-Monumental Sculpture Alan Houser Studio, Santa Fe, New Mexico
1989	Women's Expression in Clay Teaching Workshop Sprague, Washington
1987	Ralph Esposito - Experimenting With Raku Spokane Art School, Spokane, Washington
1985	Personal Studies in Fine Art Rome, Venice and Florence, Italy
1984	Print making & embossing Issaquah, Washington Master Printer - Arlene Mickelsen
1982	Studies in the South Pacific Islands - Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand, Austalia; Music - dance - woodcarving; Personal and Cultural Studies
1981	Raku Workshop "Discovering the Spirit of Clay" with Robert Piepenburg - Bodhi Mandala, Jemez Springs
1978-1980	Apprenticeship in Jemez Pueblo with Albenita Loretto (mother) and other masters of traditional pottery techniques. "From these masters, I have learned how to distinguish the clay substances of the earth; different clay colors, making natural dyes and glazes and traditional firing techniques. My development as a clay sculptor and potter continues to be inspired daily."
1978	Oomotoo School of Traditional Japanese Art Kameoka, Japan Intensive study in Traditional Japanese Art; Noh Tea Ceremony, Pottery, Sumie, Martial Arts, Music, Fellowship Awarded by the Royal Family of Iran, the Prince Sharam Palavia Nia
1978	The Tekisui Museum of Traditional Japanese Pottery, Ashiya, Japan Fellowship from the Tekisui Museum, Ashiya, Japan
1975	B.A., Social Sciences and Ethnic Art Studies, Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado
1974	Foreign Study Grant from the All Indian Pueblo Council. India and Nepal. Studies in Indian and Nepalese ceremonial art. Cultural studies in the social and religious structures
1973	University of Benito Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico Studies of the Spanish Language and regional art. Exchange student living in local villages, experiencing and being a part of their natural life styles
1972	American Field Service Scholarship, Antwerp & Brugge, Belgium A.F.S. Cultural Exchange Student
1970-1972	The Institute of American Indian Art Santa Fe, New Mexico
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Recent Private and Corporate Collections
Dee Maloof Collection Sabra Minkus Collection Randy Travis Senator Pete Dominici Bill Richardson Senator Bill Nighthorse RC Gorman Usebelli Coalmines, Alaska Dennis Langley, Kansas City Pipeline Arrigo Construction, Pueblo Colorado
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Recent Public Collections
Sandia Casino Resort Bernalillo, New Mexico Santa Fe Indian School Santa Fe, New Mexico Northern New Mexico Community College, Santa Fe, New Mexico New Campus IAIA Santa Fe, New Mexico State Capital Art Foundation The State Capital, Santa Fe, New Mexico Albuquerque Museum Albuquerque, New Mexico All Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Museum Albuquerque, New Mexico Institute of American Indian Arts Museum Santa Fe, New Mexico Northern New Mexico Community College Santa Fe, New Mexico First State Bank Santa Fe, New Mexico The Heard Museum Phoenix, Arizona Tekesui Museum of Pottery Ashiya, Japan Turtle Center Museum Niagara Falls, New York Fort Lewis College Durango, Colorado top of page