In celebration of National Native American Heritage Month, a new art exhibit has gone up on the walls of the Aptos Branch Library.
Aptos artist Becky Olvera Schultz, who is part of the Kickapoo/Shawnee tribe, is sharing the exhibit with fellow artist Karen Whitaker. The show runs through Dec. 31 with 22 works by Olvera Schultz and 16 by Whitaker.
“I derive immense satisfaction from putting life into the materials I work with. My art is an extension of my spirit, a piece of my personal vision and a constant source of comfort and healing for me,” Olvera Schultz says.
She explains that after the loss of her brother, a friend suggested taking a Native American drum making class as a distraction. The class reawakened earlier interests in art and working with her hands. That led to working with clay and sculpting faces and masks.
“I believe my own indigenous bloodline, natural talent, research and travel experiences have all contributed to my specific style of art,” she says.
Whitaker said that she is “strongly moved by the ocean, clouds and ambient landscapes as well as figurative work.” Experimenting with new techniques and color, she says, “offers me a wide realm of possibilities in exploring ideas.
“My work has been described as having a subtlety of subject because it bridges the gap between pure abstraction and representational art,” she continues. “Inspiration comes from various sources, but I am most affected by atmospheric Native American and ambient music as it allows me to enter into areas of introspection and emotion.”
