Cliff Fragua (born 1955) is a

Jemez Pueblo Jemez Pueblo (/ˈhɛmɛz/; tow, Walatowa, nv, Mąʼii Deeshgiizh) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,788 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statis ...

sculptor and stone carver. He is the only Native American sculptor to have a work installed in Statuary Hall of the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...

; it is the second of works representing New Mexico and the 100th and last of these works to be added. The sculpture is of Popé, a great Pueblo Leader during the late 1600s who united the Pueblo people and defeated the Spaniards in what is now New Mexico. Fragua traveled to Blount County, Tennessee to hand select his Tennessee Pink Marble block from the quarry owned and operated by the Tennessee Marble Company.

Early life and education

Born and raised on

Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico Jemez Pueblo (/ˈhɛmɛz/; tow, Walatowa, nv, Mąʼii Deeshgiizh) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,788 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statis ...

, Fragua is an enrolled member of the tribe. He began studying sculpture at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. He transferred to the

San Francisco Art Institute San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) was a private college of contemporary art in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1871, SFAI was one of the oldest art schools in the United States and the oldest west of the Mississippi River. Approximately ...

. Following this, he attended the Pietrasanta Stone Workshop in Pietrasanta, Italy, where he studied stone carving.

Career

Fragua is a sculptor and stone carver. His work has been described as "based in Native American themes" and "shows pride for his culture and a deep understanding of the inherent spirituality of the stone."Sando, Joe S., ''Nee Hamish: A History of Jemez Pueblo'', Clear Light Publishing, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2008 p. 184 He was commissioned by the state of New Mexico to make a

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

of Po'pay, leader of the successful

Pueblo Revolt The Pueblo Revolt of 1680, also known as Popé's Rebellion or Popay's Rebellion, was an uprising of most of the indigenous Pueblo people against the Spanish colonizers in the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, larger than present-day New Mex ...

in 1680 against the Spanish colonists. In 2005, his 10-foot-tall

Tennessee marble Tennessee marble is a type of crystalline limestone found only in East Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Long esteemed by architects and builders for its pinkish-gray color and the ease with which it is polished, this stone has been u ...

statue was installed in the

National Statuary Hall The National Statuary Hall is a chamber in the United States Capitol devoted to sculptures of prominent Americans. The hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is a large, two-story, semicircular room with a second story gallery along th ...

in the Capitol Building in Washington D.C., the second representing New Mexico and the 100th and last to be added. He is the only Native American sculptor to have a work in the hall. Fragua owns and operates Singing Stone Studio in Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico.

References

External links

Singing Stone Studio
, artist's portfolio {{DEFAULTSORT:Fragua, Cliff Native American sculptors Contemporary sculptors Pueblo artists Sculptors from New Mexico People from Sandoval County, New Mexico Institute of American Indian Arts alumni San Francisco Art Institute alumni Living people 21st-century Native Americans 1955 births