Loloma
In 1954, Charles Loloma opened a pottery shop in Scottsdale, Arizona and produced Lolomaware, his own line of pottery. His pottery did well as he was skilled in pottery as well as painting however he also began jewelry making. His jewelry work was not as well liked initially because it did not focus on the Native American look that other jewelers of the time and place were focused on. In fact Loloma’s work was rejected from the Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial three times. Loloma used unconventional materials like sugilite, lapis, ivory, gold, pearls, diamonds, and even exotic woods instead of the traditional turquoise initially. Even still his jewelry began to sell and Charles Loloma was featured in the first Heard Museum Fair in 1961. In 1962, Lloyd Kiva New became the director of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe and recruited Charles and Otellie Loloma as an instructor. Here Charles became the director of the plastic-arts department. He worked at the school before returning to Hotevilla. Once back, he set up his own studio selling his jewelry in the Heard Museum Shop as well as several galleries he got into. This is when he began working with inlay gems and inner gems. His works sold well and he received much publicity for his work including on national TV as well as at international exhibitions. Charles passed away in 1991.
