I exit my thoughts through the Corn Maiden pendants
that I create, to all emerging jewelers and all artists, who
want to stretch their limits by bringing out their creative thoughts and to use any materials available.
Connie Tsosie Gaussoin, of Picuris Pueblo and
Navajo heritage, is the matriarch of an extraordinarily talented
family of artists that includes Col. Jerry E. Gaussoin Jr, David Gaussoin, Wayne
Nez Gaussoin, and Tazbah Gaussoin all of whom are nationally respected for their
skills as jewelers and artists. An experienced educator, Connie has won major
awards for the quality of her work and is included in the collections
of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the School of American Research, the Milicent Rodgers Museum, and the San Diego Museum
of Us (formally Man). She comes from a family of silversmiths, painters, rug
weavers, singers, sculptors, and other artists. This, along with
her personal experiences, including worldwide travels, has shaped
her opportunities to view and interact with people of other cultures
and artistic abilities. Her family and clan heritage provides
a basis for the design and development of her jewelry. Connie's
jewelry is a personal statement about her abilities and interests
at the time of its creation. It reflects her Navajo heritage,
Pueblo traditions, and the development of new inspirations.
The traditional and contemporary jewelry Connie designs and
creates represents her interpretations of her diverse background.
In her extensive career, starting in 1971, she
has continued to expand her self-taught jewelry artistic abilities
through attendance at specialized classes at the Institute of
American Indian Arts and Pueblo V Design Institute. She also has
maintained an interest in painting and sculpting. She has
shared her jewelry abilities by teaching adult students from the
Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council vocational program, the
Pojoaque Poeh Arts Center, children educational programs at the
Wheelwright Museum, and many lectures and colloquiums throughout
the country. Many of her students have advanced to become accomplished
artists and award-winners. Connie has been a jewelry judge for
the SWAIA Indian Market, the New Mexico State Fair; a juror for
the SWAIA Fellowship Program, a judge for the Selection Committee,
and a grant recipient in Business Administration from the College
of Santa Fe. She has been a New Mexico State Fair Commissioner;
a Regent for the Museums of NM, a Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA board member), the 2005 SWAIA Gala Chair, the Santa Fe Opera Board, the New Mexico Film
Museum Board, the White Buffalo Board, Picuris Pueblo Enterprise/Hotel Santa
Fe Partnership, and the IAIA Foundation Board.
Connie has exhibited at major Native American
museums and galleries throughout the country, and has received
awards for her jewelry at many juried art exhibitions such as
the Southwestern Association for
Indian Arts (SWAIA) Santa Fe Indian Market, the Heard Museum
Indian Fair, and the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos. Her honors
include the Joe H. Quintana Memorial Award for Excellence in Traditional
Jewelry at the Santa Fe Indian Market and the Museum of Indian
Arts and Culture "Collectors' Choice" award. Her jewelry
is included in permanent collections of the Museum of Man in San
Diego, CA; the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, NM;
the School of American Research in Santa Fe, NM; and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, NM.
The family tradition continues through the award
winning talents of her three sons, Jerry Jr., David, and
Wayne Nez. Her daughter Tazbah, enjoys
carving Tufa stone and painting. Connie, David, and Wayne Nez
occasionally collaborate on special projects.
Awards & Honors
2008 Living Treasure Award, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Santa Fe, NM
2006 King Fellowship, School of American Research. Santa Fe, NM
2005 City of Santa Fe Mayor Award for Arts Education
Santa Fe New Mexican's Award "10 Who Make a Difference"
2002 Collectors Choice Award, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Santa Fe, NM
1994 Joe H. Quintana Memorial Award for Excellence in Traditional Jewelry.
SWAIA, Southwestern Association of Indian
Arts, Indian Market
– Award winner: 1973, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1998,
1999, 2003
2002 Key Dazzler, "Crusen Around the Rez",
SWAIA/IAIA Art Auction,
ENIPC, Eight
Northern Indian Pueblos Council Annual Summer Show
– Award winner:
1975, 1979, 1988, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001
The Governor's of the Eight
Northern Indian Pueblo Council Recognition-
"Outstanding Native American Artist for her achievements representing
Native American Women."
Heard Museum, Heard Museum Indian Fair, Phoenix,
Arizona
– Award winner: 1998, 2000, 2001 Artist-in-Residence
Idyllwild
Arts Academy, Idyllwild, CA: Guest Instructor, Summer Indian Arts Program
IAIA, Institute
of American Indian Arts/Kellogg Foundation: Washington, D.C. panelists
Selected Invitational Exhibitions
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture; "Native Couture I & II: A History of Santa Fe Style", NM
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture; "Here, Now, & Always", NM
Museum of Contemporary Native Arts; "Opulence", NM
Heard Museum; "Norman Sandfield's Seed Pot Collection"
Santa Fe Community Gallery, "Generations"
Navajo Nation Museum; "2002 Invitational Art Exhibition"
New Mexico Women in the Arts: "2002
Invitational"
Heard Museum, Heard Museum North, Scottsdale, AZ., "2003
Container's Exhibit"
Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ, "2002-2003
Invitational"
Permanent Collections:
School of American Research, Santa Fe, New Mexico
San Diego Museum of Man, San Diego, California
Millicent Rogers
Museum, Taos, New Mexico
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa
Fe, New Mexico
University
of San Diego, San Diego,
CA: David W. May Gallery, "Art
Collection"
Special Projects:
"Healing Garden", A collaboration with other artists on 10 benches for the Heard Museum/Mayo
Hospital
Gallery Affiliations:
Smithsonian, Smithsonian Institute Gift Shops, Washington, DC and New York
Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona
IAIA, Institute of American
Indian Arts Museum Gift Shop, Santa Fe, NM
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Recent Publications:
Passing the Torch,, RoseMary Diaz, Metalsmith Magazine, Vol. 42 No. 2 2022
Creating with Metal, Dr .Gregory Schaaf, Native Peoples Magazine, Sept/Oct 2007
Artists Tackle New Genre for Mayo Clinic, Dottie Indyke, El Palacio,Vol.111/No3, 2006
Native Artists Collaborate on Bench Project in Mayo Clinic’s Healing Garden, Heard Museum
Journal, 2006
FASHIONATION, Native Designers Step it up, Susan Heard, Native Peoples Magazine, 2006
Turquoise Jewelry, 2nd Edition, Nancy N Schiffer, 2005
PRECIOUS, Native Jewelry by 20 Living Masters, Dr. Gregory Schaaf, Native Peoples Magazine,
Sept/Oct 2004
PUEBLO ARTISTS, Portraits by Toba Tucker, 1998
Artistic Tastes, Barbara
Harjo, 1998
Indian Jewelry, World Photo Press (Japan, Spring
2000)
American Indian
Jewelry Artist Biographies, Gregory Schaaf (2003)
Connie with cousin RC Gorman (1970's) Back to top
Tsosie-Gaussoin Studio ©
All Rights Reserved.
All jewelry, fashion, and design property of Tsosie-Gaussoin Studio. Use, duplication or reproduction of images and design prohibited without the express permission of Tsosie-Gaussoin Studio.
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