My life began in Toronto, Canada where I grew up in an art gallery that was owned by my mother. In the 1970's I moved to Los Angeles, California, the land of palm trees and endless summers full of opportunities. It was there that I opened my store Decent Exposure, where with my partner, I custom designed and made clothing for "Rock Stars" and the like.

 

When I first came to Santa Fe NM for a visit in 1978, I knew I would be moving there and made it my mission. The more I visited the more my passion grew for the art, jewelry and culture of the Southwest. In 1994 the Northridge earthquake ended my life in Southern California. Packing up everything that was not broken I moved to my heart's desire, Santa Fe. It was there that my love of the culture and art of the Southwest was honed into my new path in life. I took a job at Packard's on The Plaza and under the tutelage of the owner, Richard Canon, I learned about jewelry making techniques, turquoise and the best jewelers in the Southwest.

 

It was at the gallery that I met Gibson Nez, who is considered to be one of the foremost Native American silversmiths.  He stole my heart and we were married. It was through that union with Gibson that the world of Native American jewelers and art opened to me. It was a whirlwind, crisscrossing the country doing shows in New York, Phoenix, Jackson Hole, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and many other cities, collecting ribbons and awards for his work along the way.  When Gibson went to meet his creator, I inherited a passion for the creativity of the artists that hand fabricate their works of art.

 

After years of collecting and studying my desire is to share the beauty of Native American art jewelry with others. I hand pick all the pieces I show from the Best in the Southwest one piece at a time. From vintage pieces which have history, to contemporary wearable works of art, each one is a special creation deserving of being shared and appreciated. My mission is to pass along these timeless original designs by Native American artists.