Gallup is filled with many talented artisans who showcase their talent by means of silversmith, rug weaving and painting. As this area is an unique diversity of culture and art, many artisans come out of this spectrum making their mark in the art world, one of those is, Ric Sarracino, talented painter.

Sarracino first discovered his talent at a very young age.

“I started to paint and found my niche, oh about when I was a small child in my kindergarten class.,” he said.

Throughout his school days, he discovered that painting was his outlet.

“In elementary school I was recognized as a great artist,” he said. “I was so disruptive. I lacked discipline and this helped me keep in check. I always escaped in drawing, I found solace and peace.”

Later on in high school, he was given the privilege to design the cover of his high school yearbook.

“I’ve been given a God given talent,” he said. “I found I was naturally talented, I’ve had no schooling, I’ve been self-taught. I do have my influences, these were of course the masters: Rembrandt, Picasso and Monet. As well as, post-impressionist like Modigliani, a painter from the 1900’s.

Sarracino’s talent led him to do commercial painting around Gallup. His father was a contractor and he would help him paint. His first commercial job entailed painting a Christmas scene on a the window of a business. This led to signs, murals and portraits.

He’s created commercial signage for businesses such as Richardsons Trading, Gurley Motor Co., Ellis Tanner, First American Traders, Auto Glass, and more.

Currently, Sarracino has been working on beautifying Gallup by painting on city trash can, primarily in the downtown area, about 80 in all.

“I’m painting a series of pictures on these as I display phases of creativeness,” he said. “I experiment with different styles that have been in the past, like cubism,” he said. “I stretch my boundaries. I sometimes become stagnate and I want to reach a pinnacle of where I want to be.”

He’s also created  a number of murals around town such as the Hispanic mural, Gallup Community Life Mural, and the Japanese mural honoring Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi Miyamura. Just recently, he received approval to paint a mural at the Gallup Chamber of Commerce.

Aside from commercial painting, Sarracino also puts his talent to work on canvas.

“It’s hard to break away from commercialism, but I love to paint what I feel on canvas,” he said. “I feel every child is born an artist, and every child is connected to that. I want to reconnect with that child each time I paint.”

He also said that when he paints, he feels more complete. It brings out a sense of satisfaction and spurs his self-confidence. Sarracino explained that New Mexico has greatly influenced his paintings with its bright and illuminating colors of both the territory and its people.

“The landscape helps me, the Navajo tradition, the jewelry, the culture – all has become an inspiration to me,” he said. “Art is more than just a thought process, I’ll go over an idea and go over it and then produce it. The actual work is a progress and it takes time to do it from that thought that pops in my head.”

He’ll also take peoples suggestions and utilize  experiences from past years. He admitted that he’s influenced by other artists and will explore images from the southwest and make them his own.

“I don’t copy them, but take their idea and make it my own,” he said.

Sarracino not only has been commissioned by the city to paint murals, he’s showcased his solo projects in Gallup and galleries. He has been featured on television newscasts, received awards and recognition in articles. He recently sold a painting for $2,000.

“I just sell locally. I haven’t tried to sell my paintings nationally because its a lot of work, it takes a lot of time,” he said. “It’s hard sometimes, and I’m glad I have my family’s support and encouragement. I could be making high dollar with my construction, but I sacrifice all that to do what I want to do, to sell a Ric Sarracino painting.

We were all created in the image of God and that creation is in all of us. When I create a work of beauty, I’ll just feel content and satisfied until I do my next painting. It’s most satisfying to create,” he added.

So, what advice does Sarracino have for young, aspiring artists?

“Study the masters, learn art history, if you’re young enough go to school ... learn art history, contemporary work, because knowledge is power.”

For more information, contact Ric Sarracino: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Part II of III

In spite of the rough-and-tumble early existence of mining and the railroad, Gallup has mostly always been an artful community.  It took a few years, of course, to replace the male-dominated life with the gentler wants and needs of the distaff side who seemed to appear from everywhere and succeeded, as well as they could, in calming and taming the hardy, rough-hewn pioneers that dug and scraped and built this area with their sweat and muscles.

Even the construction of houses became an art form. Some women were not willing to accept four plain walls and a dirt floor, and the best of them insisted on a finer quality than men would have needed. As the town grew into a small city, women directed the advance without officially holding office of any kind. Instead, they used the ultimate power they had to convince or coerce their men into wanting what they did, what we call quality-of-life today.

It may have started with a white-washed exterior wall or two, or imported paint from Albuquerque – a two or three day trip by train. Or, with the use of well-laid bricks manufactured right here in town; perhaps a picket fence here and there, a favorite plant or plants nurtured in the Gallup sun, and a long list of other accoutrements to lend at least a touch of individuality to home or business, artfully.

And there were always the art of the Native Americans, who had discovered early in their history how to weave rugs on very primitive (relative to today) looms and how to used the native soil to create pottery in traditional ways. Encouraged by white traders on the reservations and other businessmen, the knowledge and ability increased gradually as economy demanded.

At some point, pencil or charcoal drawings by other Native Americans melded into painting and an aptitude and talent for detail began to shine through into more art. And there were also: sand paintings glued to wood or other material, beadwork, traditional and modern jewelry and a variety of other products, including leather, which added to the economy.

By the time of the first Ceremonial, these arts and crafts had developed into a burgeoning business that kept many families fed and clothed and the upward curve seemed as if it would never quit. Boom times in art, especially that of the Navajo and Zuni, rose with the demand created, and even in the largest American cities one could see examples of the different kinds of art produced in this area.

The only thing really lacking was a single organization that could semi-control and promote these arts to the fullest extent, but business was good anyway. Not too many people were concerned with what tomorrow could bring, at least not in Gallup. Other New Mexico cities saw the opportunities though.

Santa Fe and Albuquerque both benefitted from the work of “our” Native Americans, buying at low prices and selling at very high ones. Gallup became somewhat reduced to providing raw materials for these artists as the finished product flowed out of town with the money it could have generated.

Art, though, is always in a constant flux and eventually the artists discovered that there was more income to be had from selling their own goods rather than shipping it to another destination. That philosophy extended to those involved in higher valued pieces of work and the trend slowly revolved back to where it had begun.

Gallup now has listed in the yellow pages two ceramic manufacturers, over 30 retailers of Native American goods with another dozen or so in close proximity to the town, and over 20 manufacturers of Native goods, wholesale (some who are also retailers).

The number of home-operated producers are unknown, but adding in that unknown variable, and one can easily see the impact that these forms of art have on a small town of just over 22,000.

And that is just a short list of that specific art. Throw in the many murals that decorate buildings, the awards granted to the Octavia Fellin Public Library, the restoration of the almost 100-year old El Morro Theater, several dance studios, the Community Concert Association, Land of Enchantment Opera, and many other organizations that have art as their main focus and you quickly become aware of just how important art is to Gallup.

And never forget that it is not only the larger programs that determine importance, but the smaller ones as depicted in the photos taken at Earl’s Restaurant, where many street vendors push their wares at the hungry visitors, whether local or from out-of-town.

The importance of art to Gallup simply cannot be overstated!

Part III, Different Approaches to Art, will be covered in the August 7 issue of The Gallup Sun.

Part-time hobby develops into full-time passion

On the second Saturday evening each month, during the downtown Arts Crawl, you can find Marla Chavez and her standout jewelry collection at Coal Street Pub.

Elegantly displayed on a round table draped with white fabric, plastic forms showcase her earring and necklace collections.

On the wrist of translucent replicas of human hands hold a bracelet or two, and a few pair of iridescent, highly textured dichroic glass earrings lay directly on the table.

Chavez sets up a professional display, and each completed necklace, pair of earrings or bracelet starts out as a silver strand – a canvas to create her one-of-a-kind pieces utilizing natural gemstones, Swarovski crystals and beads.

Chavez, the owner of Designs By “Marla D,” actually moonlights as a jeweler. She works for the city as an executive assistant in the mayor’s and city manager’s office. Instead of resorting to the couch with remote in hand after a long day at the office, she elects to get crafty.

While humble about her gift of creating whimsical and elegant pieces, she said getting things straight and symmetrical has taken years of practice.

And she caught the jewelry-making bug by happenstance. The bead seed was planted after she witness some relatives crafting jewels.

“I have cousins that do beadwork,” she said. “It wasn’t really the medium as it was what they were making.”

Looking for new stones and beads has become second nature. When she travels with her husband Ramon Chavez, she is often fortunate enough to strike up a conversation with small town locals to get some great deals on jewelry supplies.

On a recent trip to Silver City, NM, locals led her to the home of a prolific bead collector. Upon entering the house, there were few signs of a collection. But stashed away in the cabinets and niches were a hidden treasure trove of gemstones and beads. More stuff to add to her growing collection.

Locally, she has her eyes out for supplies as well. Getting deals on gemstones is a priority so she can pass the savings onto her customers. For instance, pricing for a butterfly necklace and matching earrings starts in the $40 range.

“I try to keep prices low,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to afford to buy them.”

Chavez credits University of New Mexico-Gallup and Thunderbird Supply Co. for classes that have taught her a thing or two about her craft.

She has learned that working with silver allows little wriggle room for error, so she emphasized that patience is essential to creating optimum pieces.

“It’s silver wire … so there’s not a lot of room for error,” she said.

And no two pieces are the same, for the most part. She limits the re-creation of a particular set of earrings and necklace to three times.

Chavez, who hails from California, moved to Gallup when she was a teenager and has been here ever since.

“The town and people kind of grab you, “ she said.

But, her love for life in Gallup and natural enthusiasm were almost cut short when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer more than a year ago.  The mother and stepmother with a combined family of six children and three grandchildren didn’t back down from the challenge.

“It took a lot of surgeries,” adding that she has been in remission since July 2014.

Additionally, recovering from a close call has drawn her closer to family.

“You really do appreciate things more,” she said.

This of course, goes for designing jewelry. Chavez is currently in the process of building a new website and “Designs By Marla D” has a Facebook like page and Pinterest account set up so customers can view her wearable art.

To contact Marla, send her an email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For about three decades, Angeline Touchine stood along side her jeweler husband Ben, watching him mold silver and join precious stones together to create beautiful bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces and more.

She would soon join in the business, helping him to polish and clean one-of-a-kind pieces, which give a contemporary feel to traditional Navajo jewelry.

More than a decade ago, that apprenticeship soon lead to Touchine crafting her own pieces. And she would be completely on her own when Ben passed away in 2013.

“I was there everyday from 1970,” she said.

However, breaking out on her own actually began when Ben’s health started to decline, giving her the opportunity to work on refining her craft, shaping the signature pieces that he taught her to make.

“He always encouraged me,” she said.

It wasn’t easy finding her way after spending 47 years with her beloved partner. With her rich jewelry collection sprawled across the table atop black velvet, she addressed a heavy silver bracelet with a gold overlay. She pointed to a slight flaw on the inside of the bracelet, saying that she had “burnt” the piece.

“If you’re not patient or you hurry it’s going to ruin it,” she said.

So, a slow, careful hand and persistence helps her to stay focused while sitting at the crafting table.

While she works with different color stones, from emerald valley turquoise to opal, when it comes to working with blue turquoise, she prefers the bright Sleeping Beauty-mined stone to craft her squash blossom-style pieces.

And she’s not alone in her passion for designing jewelry. Her daughter Vangie assists Touchine and even makes boutique pieces of her own.

“She’s the one the does the shining, the cleaning,” Touchine said. “She’s the finisher-upper.”

Vangie is honing her skills, perfecting the geometric shapes that are part of the Touchine signature style.

“I work four days out of the week, and on Thursday and Friday I help my mom,” she said.

Together, both of them take on the challenge of multiple orders. Most pieces, especially the larger orders are hand-delivered directly to customers. This sometimes entails a road trip to Arizona, and in some cases to California, to drop off handmade treasures.

“I like to do that,” she said. “They need to know their artist.”

And just how does a jeweler continue to find inspiration?

For Angeline, who lives in Churchrock, it’s about the challenge each piece presents to her along with continuing the tradition of her late husband.

“To me, I am amazing myself,” she said. “But all along I have been sitting by the master, who kicked it into my brain. He always encouraged me.”

While many artists of this caliber showcase their pieces to local traders, both mother and daughter frequent the Gallup flea mart on Saturday and get other business by word of mouth.

Touchine shunned the idea of building a website, worried that she may get bombarded with orders that she’ll be unable to fill.

Vangie, on the other hand, is looking to spread her wings and to try selling her pieces in Santa Fe.

Touchine said that if Gallup wants to help grow tourism they need to embrace local artisans and have booths set up in Courthouse Square, especially during the Nightly Indian Dance season.

“I wish they would think about the artists and have a place,” she said.

But for now, she is flush with new and repeat business. While this may be the case, Touchine is not one to take any kind of shortcut, using only the finest gems and silver jewelry that’s heavy enough to stand the test of time.

“You have to stand behind your pieces as quality and we have people coming back all the time,” she said.

To contact Angeline and daughter Vangie, call (505) 905-0644 or (505) 879-6331.