Be careful what you buy, said Andy Abeita, an American-Indian arts advocate, Thursday night at Evanston’s Mitchell Museum of the American Indian.
Abeita, who has been selling stone artwork for the past 20 years, estimated that 50 percent of the Indian-themed art advertised as authentic in shops and galleries in the United States is actually fake. Many of the art pieces have been crafted from casts in the Philippines and Mexico, but manufacturers claim they have an American-Indian origin to raise their selling prices.
In many cases, these manufacturers replace semi-precious stones with plastic, he said. But Abeita concedes there are some consumers who do not care if the piece is real, as long as it looks authentic.
“I am worried about the people who care about the culture and want to support the culture,” Abeita said.
Abeita also described his artwork for the crowd of about 30 people. Born in Chicago and raised in Canada, he moved to the Isleta Pueblo reserve in New Mexico when he was 8 years old. Soon after, he took an interest in replicating American-Indian art that has paid off. Some of Abeita’s works have sold for more than $30,000.
In order to transform stone into a work of art, Abeita said he usually begins by selecting a stone the size of a loaf of bread. As he cuts the stone, he pays special attention to how it cracks.
Based on these cracks, Abeita decides how to shape the stone into an animal form. He uses sand paper and sponges to mold the stone into the final product.
“Each rock takes shape on its own,” Abeita said.
Abeita uses semi-precious stones, minerals and shells to create small figures of animals known as fetishes, he said. The Pueblo believe these figures have the power to assist people with problems.
Whenever purchasing a piece that is being advertised as American-Indian art, Abeita advises the consumer to find out as much information as possible. Ask who made it, what tribe the artist belongs to, what materials were used and if it is handmade, he said.
“Get it in writing,” Abeita advised the crowd.
Another option to ensure the origin of the work is to buy American-Indian art from one of the more than 700 stores in the United States endorsed by the Indian Arts and Crafts Association.
The Mitchell Museum also distributes pamphlets with tips for consumers interested in buying American-Indian art. The museum instructs consumers to look for silver marked as sterling, stones that are natural rather than stabilized and guarantees that the piece is handmade.
Mike Mullin, an attorney who represents American-Indian artists, explained that Congress passed a federal law that prohibits a manufacturer from even suggesting that a piece of art is authentic if it is not. Enforcement of this law is difficult, however.
Mullin has filed a class action suit on behalf of American-Indian artists and said he plans to take his first case to trial before the end of the year.
“The hope is that there will be a movement to enforce the law,” Mullin said. “Unfortunately, the people who will have to enforce it is the artisans themselves.”