Ancestral Rich Treasures of Zuni (ARTZ) Cooperative opens August 10, 2019
Ancestral Rich Treasures of Zuni Cooperative – ARTZ Coop- is Zuni Pueblo’s first and only multi-artist owned and managed business. Its gallery opens August 10th, formerly known as the Old Post Office, Zuni’s prime retail location near the Middle Village. Zuni Pueblo ArtWalk will also use the space as a starting point for its Artist Studio Tour.
“We’re finally at that threshold of opening our doors to the community,” said ARTZ President Keith Edaakie, “so people can see the tremendous skills that our artists have in this community.” “ARTZ is completely owned and run by artists from the Zuni community. This distinguishes us from other galleries in our community. Being a member, you have that sense of ownership. Our main goal is for artists to succeed,” said Edaakie.
Zuni artistic expression is so often imitated, from locally in New Mexico to China and the Philippines, that ARTZ was conceived in part as a solution to the longstanding challenge faced by Zuni artists to prove the authenticity of their work and thereby neutralize fraudulent markets.
The ARTZ Coop Gallery will provide Zuni artists, the community at large, visitors and art collectors, with a central place to display and market certified authentic Zuni art, including pottery, textiles, paintings, carved fetishes, and Zuni’s unique style of silver inlay known worldwide.
In addition to retail sales, ARTZ Coop will provide a wide range of projects and workshops, to educate visitors about the differences between authentic and inauthentic Zuni art. Also available to any artists the use of the ARTZ professional photography services. ARTZ Coop will provide workshops on financial management, social media, and customer services.
For the ARTZ Coop’s annual membership fee, members secure retail space along Zuni’s main thoroughfare, as well as internet access to global markets with their own websites and many other benefits.
Artist will be available in the ARTZ gallery, where visitors can purchase directly through ARTZ Coop members while learning far more about any piece. ARTZ Coop will be opened Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 am-6:00 pm, and Sunday 12:00 -5:00 pm, with some exceptions for ceremonial activities and off-site art markets. Visitors should contact the ARTZ Coop Gallery at (505) 782-0640/ artzcooperative@gmail.com to confirm hours.
ARTZ Coop is founded in partnership with A:shiwi College and Career Readiness Center, Zuni Main Street, and The Cooperative Catalyst of New Mexico and supported by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation NM and the Chamiza Foundation of Santa Fe, NM. Majority of ARTZ Coop members are the Zuni Pueblo ArtWalk Artists. Zuni Pueblo Artwalk is the popular Zuni Artist Studio tour that enables visitors to meet with and purchase directly from Zuni artists while visiting their homes, studios and galleries.
The ARTZ launch also can be supported at https://www.gofundme.com/home-for-ancestral-rich-treasures-of-zuni and found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Ancestral-Rich-Treasures-of-Zuni-Cooperative-2318866865024894/.