Fall represents a time of transition for Mother Earth, as the crops mature and are harvested, as the trees prepare for the long winter ahead, and as her forest creatures plan and brace for the cold and snow. Earlier this week, we received a lovely welcome to Santa Fe, with a foot of snow deposited on us over a 36-hour period. Just a reminder from Mother Earth that we are now living at over 7200 feet in altitude, where the weather can and does change quickly.
The Rabbit has made the transition, moving from its Dallas/Fort Worth home of the past 40 years to a new home in Santa Fe. It is a fitting transition as we close that chapter on our first 40 years of The Dancing Rabbit Gallery and begin a new chapter. Many heartfelt thanks go out to all of you for your patience and support while we packed the Gallery – those precious items you acquired from us are now on their way and you should be receiving them shortly.
As we unpack the Gallery and begin putting the items back on their shelves, we’ve had a chance to reflect on what the first 40 years of the Gallery meant to us, and how we might use this new chapter to be even more responsive to your interests. When my parents started the Gallery in 1980, they were reflecting a life-long love of Native American art from the American Southwest, and also reflecting the deep relationships they built and sustained with their artist friends and their families.
When my parents passed and I took over the Gallery, the transition was made far easier because I had grown up surrounded by Native American art and culture, and had developed my own love and appreciation for the art and the artists that I knew. When Michael and I took the Gallery online only in 2012, that was a big step for us, as internet shopping was just evolving to a stable and reliable platform. What seemed to carry us forward was the trust and respect we had been given by our collectors and our artists.
This year, 2020, seems to be a year of transition for all of us around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are learning new ways of working from home, new ways of being educated, new ways of shopping for both necessities and luxuries, and new ways of building and sustaining relationships with each other. Social distancing has entered everyone’s vocabulary, and combined with online communication, has placed a significant burden on staying close.
I miss the big hugs I get from artists at markets and feast days. Not going to Santa Fe Indian Market and other similar markets this year was really tough. We tried to keep in touch with phone and Zoom, but it is just not the same. Not being able to visit artists in their homes because of quarantine restrictions was hard for us.
Our goal for 2021, with the long-promised coronavirus vaccine on the horizon, is to work harder than ever nurturing our relationships. We continue to support our artists as best we can, and thank each of you for doing the same.
In 2021, we are going to use more video, more webinars, more online exhibitions, and more interactive platforms to help give each of you a richer Gallery experience. We welcome you into our virtual Gallery home, and ask that you make yourself comfortable and stay to chat for a while. We will work to bring the voices of the artists closer to you, so you can also explore and understand the messages being crafted by these amazing artists with their spectacular artistry. Your thoughts and suggestions are always welcome as we continue our transition to the high-altitude Santa Fe lifestyle.
Our prayers are with each of you that you come through this time of transition safe and healthy. Transition represents opportunity, the opportunity to make 2021 and beyond the best times of our lives. It is time to move past the year that wasn’t, and seize the opportunity that the transition has given each of us. So let’s get this party started, everyone!