Arthur C. Begay (December 15, 1932 – 2010) was a

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

born in

Newcomb, New Mexico Newcomb ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 387 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Farmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is on the Trails of the Ancients Byway, ...

. Begay has exhibited his work across the country and is known for his colorful, flat style paintings. Some of his works are in the permanent collection of institutions including the

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers. The museum has three ...

. Begay's work included depictions of everyday life, often with scenic backgrounds including

Monument Valley Monument Valley ( nv, Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, , meaning ''valley of the rocks'') is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of sandstone buttes, the largest reaching above the valley floor. It is located on the Utah-Arizona s ...

and

Shiprock Shiprock ( nv, , "rock with wings" or "winged rock") is a monadnock rising nearly above the high-desert plain of the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, New Mexico, San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. Its peak elevation is above sea le ...

. After winning a fellowship, Begay worked for a year in the 1950s studying with illustrator

Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...

at his workshop in

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, along the Long Island Sound within Connecticut's Gold Coast. It is northeast of New York City. The town had a population of 27,141 according to the 2020 U.S. Census. History ...

. Begay's work often shows this influence. Begay attended Phoenix High School. He lived much of his life in

Shiprock, New Mexico Shiprock ( nv, ) is a unincorporated community on the Navajo Nation, Navajo reservation in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 7,718 people in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. For statistical purposes, the Un ...

. In addition to exhibiting at galleries and fairs, his work was sold in local trading posts.

External links

Arthur C. Begay works at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

References

2010 deaths 20th-century American painters 20th-century indigenous painters of the Americas Navajo painters Navajo artists Painters from New Mexico 21st-century Native American artists 1932 births {{NorthAm-native-bio-stub