John Nieto (1936–2018) was an American

contemporary art Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic com ...

ist who concentrated on Native American themes including Native American tribal representatives as well as

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

wildlife. He was a longtime resident of Santa Fe,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

Biography

John Wesley Nieto was the 3rd oldest of 14 children born to Natalia Venegas Nieto, who was of

Mescalero Apache Mescalero or Mescalero Apache ( apm, Naa'dahéńdé) is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan–speaking Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, located in south-cen ...

and Hispanic descent in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. His father Simon Nieto worked for the U.S. Office of Censorship during WW II, later became a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

minister. Nieto's roots can be traced back over 300 years and his work reflects his Hispanic and American Indian ancestry. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , prov ...

in 1959.

Work and recognition

Nieto presented his painting “Delegate to the White House” to

President Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

in the

Oval Office The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval-shaped room ...

of the White House. which hung during the President’s term in office and later included in the presidential library. In 2002 his painting ''Buffalo Dancer'' was installed in the

Albuquerque International Sunport Albuquerque International Sunport is the primary international airport serving the U.S. state of New Mexico, the Albuquerque metropolitan area, and the larger Albuquerque– Santa Fe–Las Vegas combined statistical area. It handles around 5. ...

’s Great Hall. In 1994 Nieto received the New Mexico Governor's Award for Achievement in the Arts. He served on the Advisory Boards for both the

Wheelwright Museum The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian is a museum devoted to Native American arts. It is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico and was founded in 1937 by Mary Cabot Wheelwright, who came from Boston, and Hastiin Klah, a Navajo singer and medic ...

and the

Native American Preparatory School The Native American Preparatory School Inc. (NAPS) was a residential university preparatory school located in unincorporated San Miguel County, New Mexico, in proximity to South San Ysidro. The school had a Rowe PO Box. The school's website also li ...

. Nieto is represented in the

New Mexico Museum of Fine Arts The New Mexico Museum of Art is an art museum in Santa Fe governed by the state of New Mexico. It is one of four state-run museums in Santa Fe that are part of the Museum of New Mexico. It is located at 107 West Palace Avenue, one block off the ...

in Santa Fe.

Public collections

*New Mexico Museum of Fine Art Santa Fe, NM *Permanent collection, Marine Corp Museum Washington, DC *The Heard Museum Phoenix, AZ *Capital Art Foundation Santa Fe, NM

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nieto, John American contemporary painters 2018 deaths American male painters 1936 births Southern Methodist University alumni Native American male artists Mescalero Apache Native American painters