Lecture, Venancio Aragon, Navajo weaver and “Prisms & Paradigms”

Lecture, Venancio Aragon, Navajo weaver and “Prisms & Paradigms” exhibiting artist. Venancio Aragón is a Diné textile artist and holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees: one in Cultural Anthropology from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and the other in Native American Studies from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Prior to becoming a full-time artist, Venancio worked for the National Park Service as an interpretive ranger in various parks and monuments throughout the Southwest. His interest in archaeology, anthropology, and art has led him on a journey of researching and reviving portions of the Diné weaving repertoire that are in danger of being lost. Venancio was the 2020 Rollin and Mary Ella King Native Artist Fellow at the School for Advanced Research (SAR) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His work at SAR centered on documenting and recreating lesser known and uncommon Diné weaving techniques. He lives and works in of Farmington, New Mexico, where he continues to educate and promote Diné weaving as a form of decolonial expression. Venancio’s textiles were part of the exhibitions Color Riot! How Color Changed Navajo Textiles and COLOR: The Beauty and Science of Color.