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...

This summer when you’re planning of things to do and visit, be sure to mark down and experience, “The Gallup Summer Nightly Indian Dances.” Nestled in the heart of Gallup, New Mexico, this deeply rooted cultural experience is a must to see.

Sponsored by the City of Gallup and the Gallup Chamber of Commerce, the GSNID has been a tradition that draws crowds from all over the world. Making this year its Thirty-first year tradition, the GSNID offers you traditional Native American dances from various Native American tribes from around the area.

Tribes include: Zuni Pueblo, Navajo Dine Nation, Lakota Sioux, San Juan Pueblo, and others. Gallup is considered to be the, “Indian...

According to Nitasha Manning, Arts Crawl Coordinator, the monthly festival is more than an event, it is a great way to build community and relationships. The June 13 event is all about exploring cultures through visual and performing arts.

“It’s a great outlet for alleviating stress,” Manning said. She encourages everyone to come downtown and hang out for an hour or two. She says you’ll be surprised, you might just paint the street with your feet while listening to the bands.

There will be seven live artists working on the streets including Vanessa Wild from Albuquerque and Greg Ballinger.

Ballinger attended Rehoboth High School, Idyllwild Arts Academy in California and will...

Norman Brown is not afraid of challenges and that is probably why he’s taken on the gargantuan task of returning the Navajo Nation government to the people.

And Brown knows that he’s not the first one to try.

But he knows that he needs to succeed where the others have failed because he truly believes that the Navajo Nation is running out of time.

Brown, who is originally from Chinle, Ariz., said he feels like he really had to choice in pushing for the restructuring of the Navajo government.

He lets out a long sigh, looks down at the floor for about a minute and then he looks intensely at the Gallup Sun reporter for about half a minute before speaking and carefully choosing his...