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Weaving an Artistically Southwest Collection
- The sleek lines of the DeJong residence fit snugly into the desert landscape. Designed in , it was awarded the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Santa Fe Design Excellence Award.
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Approaching the home of Susan and Conrad DeJong, one is immediately struck by its sleek, fluid lines, which echo the surrounding desert mountain terrain.
The dynamic interior spaces are equally striking; inviting an interplay of shadow and light against a variety of surface textures.
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This setting is the perfect complement to the museum-quality Navajo textiles that fill the house; their geometric motifs and timeless designs in perfect harmony with their environment.
The DeJongs’ collection is unique for its broad range of blankets and rugs from the s to the present, with recent interest focusing on blankets and serapes—the former having greater width and the latter greater height.
Each example has been carefully selected for its pattern, colors, rarity, and aesthetic merit, resulting in a collection considered by many to be one of the best of its type in private hands. Aware that great design spans time and cultures, the DeJongs have combined their textiles with contemporary art; juxtaposing them throughout the house, both in their casual spaces and in their formal gallery designed to capture optimal natural light.
- A pair of drawings by (–) offer a visual contrast with the contemporary dining area and view to the portal and hills beyond.
A Zuni pot signed by Josephine Nahohai and decorated with symbolic creatures rests on the counter. A Laguna pot is placed on an ebonized oak table with lattice and glass central inset; the table and chairs are from Berman Rosetti, Los Angeles, California.
- The combination of antique textiles, baskets, pottery, glass, and contemporary art and sculpture creates a relaxed, comfortable setting.
While creative in their own right, the DeJongs were assisted with the placement of art and choice of furnishings by interior designer Ron Scolman of Santa Fe and Minneapolis.
Resting on the far left end of the sofa is a sand painting weaving, circa , by Gladys Manuelito. Woven with the intent to preserve ceremonial imagery, such blankets are rare because of their sensitive subject matter.This example depicts part of the “Night Way Chant” with Yei figures and sacred plants. On the wall behind is a late classic-period child’s blanket. On the table in the foreground is a contemporary flute by Native American Ira Funmaker. The larger of the two pots is a circa Santo Domingo Pueblo pot from the Walkir Art Collection.
An early twentieth-century Sunday (fancy) saddle blanket (below) and a wedge-type design blanket by Julia Upshaw (right) are on the sofa. The dining room with its suspended treble clef lighting device is seen beyond.
The seeds of this collection were planted over thirty years ago, when Minneapolis-based concert flutist Susan DeJong began playing for the Santa Fe Opera in In her spare time, she traveled throughout the panoramic Southwest, exploring the back rooms of trading posts such as Teec Nos Pos in the Four Corners area and Toadlena in New Mexico.
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This profile was gathered from multiple public and government sources. See Who's Searching for You. Sunamita's current home is located at Santa Fe, NM. James Bradley , and many others are family members and associates of Sunamita. Check all background information that MyLife has gathered.While she purchased fine basketry and small pots, her first love was for exquisitely handcrafted contemporary weavings from the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico and Arizona. As she learned more about Navajo textiles, Susan began to turn her attention to weavings of the nineteenth century, purchasing only “the very finest” she could afford.
Her resulting collection extends across the early historical period to transitional and modern pieces.
As Susan explains, blankets have always been central to Native American life; as a protective layer from the elements, as trade items, and as signifiers of traditional culture. The earliest surviving Navajo blanket is a fragment dating to ; its decorative elements consist of horizontal striping.
Perhaps the most recognized blankets with this design motif are the Chief Blankets, woven for Navajo tribe leaders and also highly prized as trade items among other tribes. Though crafted throughout the history of Navajo weaving, the finest extant examples were made in the s to s during what is referred to as the “classic period,” of which there are three phases.
Blankets from the first phase (–) have simple broad horizontal bands and stripes of natural brown and white wool with the addition of indigo. Red was introduced into the designs of the second phase (–) in the form of stripes or rectangular blocks. In the third phase (–s), diamond designs, with quarter, half, and full form, were introduced, often with serrated or stepped edges.
At this stage, additional natural colors, such as yellow and green, were added to the palette.
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By the s, the first federally licensed trading posts were established, providing an outlet for the Navajo to trade their goods for supplies.
The railroads followed in the s, giving greater access to outside goods such as brilliant dyes for homespun wools, and vibrant synthetic yarns produced in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Increased trading opportunities also provided the Navajo with exposure to the jagged-edged patterns of Saltillos serape blankets worn by the Mexican caballeros. These two influences resulted in what came to be known as Navajo “eye dazzlers” or “Germantown” blankets, terms used that describe the explosive palette of colors in elaborate, jazzy designs, often with saw-toothed elements.
The nature of weaving also changed once traders began to sell factory-made Pendleton blankets (named for the major commercial producer, Pendleton Mills) in the s.
With the need to produce their own textiles now diminished, the Navajo focused on making blankets and rugs for a growing tourist trade. Traders had disdained what they considered the gaudy dyes of the eye dazzlers, and so colors were simplified for market demand. Rugs made during this “trading post era” are also recognized by the distinctive geometric designs associated with each post, some with patterns influenced by Oriental rugs.
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Because of her passion for collecting, Susan amassed more blankets and rugs than she could display.
As part of the solution, in , she started Southwest Accents and began to buy and sell Navajo textiles for a private clientele and to participate in select shows. In , she assembled over forty of her finest textiles and arranged for them to tour museums in the upper Midwest. The exhibition, A Century of Navajo Weaving, documented the history of Navajo weaving from to the present.
She subsequently put together a smaller version that traveled to schools in Minnesota under the auspices of Young Audiences, a program that brings music and art to children. This show not only displayed the artistry and culture of the Navajo, but enabled students to try their hand at weaving and designing their own textiles.
Susan says that it gave her great joy to share her collection and to have it used as an educational resource.
Because they want their collection to be shown to its best advantage, Susan and Conrad believe the style and design of their home is important. When they decided in to plan a future move to Santa Fe, they contacted twenty architects before selecting local architect Pedro Márquez (right).
“Pedro gave us more than we ever expected,” say the DeJongs. Completed in , a year later the house won an American Institute of Architects (AIA) Santa Fe Design Excellence Award.
In addition to creating a structure that complemented the collection, Márquez paid tribute to the couple’s musicianship (Conrad was a professor of theory and composition for thirty-one years at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls), symbolized in part by the treble clef lighting fixture above the dining table.
He also incorporated a space for performances. Fittingly, Márquez, an accomplished composer-crooner of cowboy ballads, together with Susan, gave the first recital at the house dedication in June The DeJong residence is now known not only as a place where some of the finest Navajo textiles may be found, but it has become an intimate setting for arts fundraisers and musical soirees.
This article was originally published in the Summer issue of Antiques & Fine Art magazine (established ), which is affiliated with (launched in ).