From the Artist - Rose B. Simpson:
Rose’s room is a prayer. Each portrait on the three walls is creating a space of blessing, guidance and protection. The west wall features a self-portrait, surrounded by clouds that represent the rain that brings nurturing and nourishment. The north wall is a portrait of Razelle Benally, of Lakota and Navajo descent. She is surveying the room with concern, care and safeguarding. The south wall is a portrait of Yolanda Smith, of Naragansett/Wampanoag descent. Yolanda is bringing forth a tributary of stars- focal points of orientation, guiding the route to follow our highest paths. Receiving these three elements, make your way to the balcony.
Standing upon the four directions, take a moment to identify your path. You are protected, supported, passionate, and blessed in your commitment.
About Rose B. Simpson:
Rose B. Simpson (b. 1983) is the daughter of clay sculptor Roxanne Swentzell and Patrick Simpson, a wood and metal contemporary artist. Rose has experienced art throughout her life in Santa Fe and on the Santa Clara Pueblo Reservation. Being from both Indigenous and European descent, with art and philosophy primary in both families, she applies her abilities in ceramic and mixed media sculpture, installation, drawing, aerosol painting, writing, music and performance to further her exploration and dedication to finding the relationship between aesthetic expression and life. After studying at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM, she received a BFA in Studio Arts in 2007, and an Honors MFA in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2011. Simpson has participated in many exhibitions, including “Relations; Indigenous Dialogue” at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe, NM, in 2006, which was featured in “Art in America” magazine. She was chosen as part of a collaborative art team chosen to participate in the 2008 SITE Santa Fe Biennial, a global invitational exhibit. In the summer of 2010, she kicked off the Institute of American Indian Arts “Visions” project with “Matterings” a solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Native Art. Her work is in several museum collections including the Heard Museum, National Museum of the American Indian, the Clay Art Center, and most recently the collection of the Denver Art Museum, coinciding with a Native Arts Residency and performance. In the Fall of 2012, Simpson was awarded the honor of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Fellowship. Her international exposure includes foreign study, resulting in a group show of work in Kashihara-Jingumae, Kansai Prefecture, Japan. In the spring of 2012, she participated in “Emnowaangosjig/Coming Out; The Shifting and Multiple Self,” a group invitational at the Toronto Free Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada, and in 2014 she attended Kokiri Putahi, a gathering of artists in Kaikohe, New Zealand, also resulting in an exhibition. She is currently represented by Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art in Santa Fe, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Flowering Tree Permaculture Institute, a 501(c)3 organization located at the Santa Clara Pueblo. Living and working in Santa Clara, she is a caretaker of one of the Institute’s sites, a classroom space and future model for sustainable living systems, while attending Northern New Mexico College pursuing a certificate in Automotive Science.