Judy Tuwaletstiwa b. 1941
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Overview
Judy Tuwaletstiwa's memories and personal experiences create a complex web of inspiration that invites materials to find an unexpected voice in her art. Materials (from Latin, mater, mother) become keepers of a collective truth passed down through generations or through encounters with strangers such as a homeless man. With deep empathy, Tuwaletstiwa reflects to us the joy and pain of our human condition. Object and subject are transformed within her work to emanate a palpable healing force.
Tuwaletstiwa’s work has been described as elemental. She uses a broad range of materials including kiln fired glass, fiber, clay, handmade paper, quills, and wood sticks. Each artwork is a conversation between carefully selected textures and evocative forms: an intuitive and profound act of storytelling.
An artist, writer and teacher, Judy Tuwaletstiwa received her BA in English Literature from UC, Berkeley in 1962, and her MAT in Medieval Literature from Harvard University in 1963. A celebrated artist with a long career of residencies, exhibitions, and collections to her name, she was the recipient of the New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2023. Her art lives in private, public, and museum collections. Special editions of her three books, including her 2016 book, Glass, published with Radius Books, reside in libraries such as the Corning Museum of Glass’ Rakow Library and Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
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Art has taught me that walls and doorways are the same thing.
Art has taught me that an image can be a transformative gift of healing.
Art has taught me that what we see is only a fraction of what is there.
Art has taught me that the longer I make art, the greater the mystery.
- Judy Tuwaletstiwa
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Exhibitions
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Judy Tuwaletstiwa
Fracti.Totum 30 Aug - 4 Oct 2025Join us for a significant exhibition presenting new works by acclaimed artist Judy Tuwaletstiwa alongside a selection of paintings from her iconic Chaco series, courtesy of Tia Collection. This comprehensive...Read more -
Momentum
7 Contemporary Artists 14 Jun - 19 Jul 2025In celebration of the 12th SITE SANTA FE International, Pie Projects will showcase the work of 7 exceptional artists, including Florence Miller Pierce and Daisy Quezada Ureña who were selected...Read more -
Govinda Sah 'Azad' + Judy Tuwaletstiwa
Boundless 20 Jul - 17 Aug 2024London-based Nepalese painter Govinda Sah 'Azad' joins New Mexico acclaimed artist Judy Tuwaletstiwa in this exhibition of sublime imagery and awe-inspiring abstractions. Glass, paint, and mixed media compositions appear to...Read more -
Judy Tuwaletstiwa
Once Upon a Dream 8 Jul - 5 Aug 2023Santa Fe's beloved artist Judy Tuwaletstiwa returns to Pie Projects for a solo exhibition. She sees her art as an act of reparation. This show will feature new works, including...Read more -
Distilled Presence
D. Newmann, Signe Stuart, J. Tuwaletstiwa 2 - 30 Jul 2022FEATURING THE WORKS OF THREE SANTA FE WOMEN ARTISTS: DANA NEWMANN, SIGNE STUART, AND JUDY TULWALETSITWA. Throughout their career, the three artists have pursued a path of human connections, expressing...Read more -
Judy Tuwaletstiwa
Source Process Transformation 11 Dec 2021 - 5 Feb 2022Source, Process, Transformation explores how Judy Tuwaletstiwa's memories and personal experiences create a complex web of inspiration that invites materials to find an unexpected voice in her art. Materials (from...Read more
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Works
Judy Tuwaletstiwa b. 1941
Fracti.Text 1, 2024kiln fired glass, thread, paper, acrylic on canvastriptych 30 x 60 in. (30 x 20 in. each)Copyright The Artist
