Otis Polelonema (1902–1981), was a Hopi painter, illustrator, weaver, song composer, and educator. He lived in Shongopovi most of his life. He also worked as a WPA artist in the mural division. His native name in the Hopi language is Lomadamocvia which translates to "springtime".

Biography

Otis Polelonema was born on February 21, 1902, the Hopi Reservation in Shongopovi ( Hopi: ''Songòopavi''),

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. He learned to weave from his father and uncles, as it is tradition in Hopi culture for the men to be weavers. Polelonema worked as a sheep farmer in his early life and again in later life. In 1914, he attended the

Santa Fe Indian School The Federal Government established the Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS) in 1890 to educate Native American children from tribes throughout the Southwestern United States. The purpose of creating SFIS was an attempt to assimilate the Native American c ...

, under the supervision of John DeHuff. Polelonema took after-school art instruction classes at Elizabeth Willis DeHuff's house, studying alongside Fred Kabotie,

Velino Shije Herrera Velino Shije Herrera (October 22, 1902 – January 1973),"Velino Shije Herrera." ''St. James Guide to Native North American Artists.'' Gale, 1998. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 4 Oct. 2011.Arthur Silberman. "Herrera, Velino." Grove Art Onl ...

, Awa Tsireh, and others. He remained in Santa Fe until 1920, then returned to his hometown. In 1925, Polelonema married Jessie Salaftoche, and together they had 6 children. His son Tyler Polelonema is a noted artist. Polelonema stopped painting in the 1970s, and started to focus on Hopi traditions and Hopi cultural arts. In late life, he worked as a song composer of Hopi ceremonial dances, including songs of the Gray Flute society. He taught Hopi weaving in 1971 at Mary Pendleton's Pendleton Fabric Craft School in

Sedona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Fo ...

, Arizona.

Death and legacy

Otis died on December 27, 1981, at Shungopovi, during the Solstice Ceremony. However sometimes 1972 is attributed as his year of death. Polelonema's artwork can be found in museum collections, including at the

Heard Museum The Heard Museum is a private, not-for-profit museum in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, dedicated to the advancement of American Indian art. It presents the stories of American Indian people from a first-person perspective, as well as exhibitio ...

Gilcrease Museum Gilcrease Museum, also known as the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, is a museum northwest of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma housing the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art of the American West, as well as a gro ...

McNay Art Museum The McNay Art Museum, founded in 1954 in San Antonio, is the first modern art museum in the U.S. state of Texas. The museum was created by Marion Koogler McNay's original bequest of most of her fortune, her important art collection and her 24-room ...

New Mexico Museum of Art 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 ...

(formerly Museum of New Mexico Art Gallery),

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 ...

, and the

Detroit Institute of Arts The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, has one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it covers with a major renovation and expansion project comple ...

museum. His work is also part of the Elizabeth Willis DeHuff Collection of American Indian Art at

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library () is the rare book library and literary archive of the Yale University Library in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated to rare books and manuscripts. Es ...

, Yale University.

Publications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polelonema, Otis 1902 births 1981 deaths Hopi people Artists from Arizona Native American painters People from Navajo County, Arizona Pueblo artists Native American people from Arizona 20th-century American painters 20th-century Native Americans 20th-century American male artists Native American songwriters