Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1982, Wayne Nez Gaussoin is the youngest of three sons' of jeweler Connie Tsosie Gaussoin. Following a family tradition, Wayne Nez has been taught silversmithing by his mother and brother, David. Wayne Nez graduated from UNM with his MFA and IAIA with his BFA. Wayne Nez also attended art related studies at the Art Institute of Chicago. Wayne Nez’s interest in art not only focuses on jewelry; but also includes media such as photography, music, and land arts.

Wayne Nez’ style is a mix of traditional Native American applications with a contemporary flair. The materials he chooses to work with are mostly silver and gold with various exotic stones and shells. He has also experimented with non-traditional items in a moving progressive sense of design. Wayne Nez’s experience of traveling throughout Western Europe and Ecuador has inclined his artistic thought. Wayne has conducted lectures at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, and Wheelwright Museum. He has also shared his art form at the Heard Museum through an Artist-in-Residency program; as well as, teaching tufa casting at Idyllwild School of Arts in Idllywild, CA.

Wayne Nez has participated in many juried art shows and has won several awards at Santa Fe Indian Market, the Heard Museum, the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos show, and others. Wayne Nez was also selected for the “Collectors Choice Award” for permanent collection at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe NM. He was also chosen for “Metal Works” exhibition, at the Heard Museum North. One thing, amongst many others, Wayne is the assistant Curator at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Wayne Nez continues to show in various juried art shows and pursues’ plans of furthering his interests in Art through school and perhaps even studying abroad.

Shop online now for Wayne Nez's current work!!

Awards:

  SWAIA, Southwestern Association for Indian Arts: Indian Market
   – 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 Key Dazzler, "Cruzin Around the Rez", SWAIA/IAIA Art Auction.
  ENIPC, Eight Northern Pueblos Council Annual Summer Show
   – 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2000
  Heard Museum, Heard Museum Youth Market, Phoenix, Arizona
   – 1998, and 2000
  Wheelwright Museum, Wheelwright Museum Youth Market, Santa Fe, New Mexico
   – 1998, and 2000
  Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, New Mexico
   – 2002:  " Collectors Choice Award"

Permanent Collections:

  Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  Museum of Man, San Diego, California
  Museum of Indian Arts and Culture,Santa Fe, New Mexico         

Gallery Affiliations:

  Wheelwright Museum, Case Trading Post, Santa Fe, NM
   IAIA, Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, Santa Fe, NM
  Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY
  Heard Museum, Heard Museum Gift Shop, Phoenix, AZ

  Case Trading Post, Santa Fe, NM   

Recent Publications:

  Contemporary Southwestern Jewelry, Diana F. Pardue with the Heard Museum, 2007

  A New Era in Jewelry: Forging a Future, Diana Pardue, Ornament Magazine, Vol. 31 No. 2, 2007  

  Artists Tackle New Genre for Mayo Clinic, Dottie Indyke, El Palacio,Vol.111/No3, 2006
  Native Artists Collaborate on Bench Project in Mayo Clinic’s Healing Garden, Heard Museum

  Journal, 2006
  FASHIONATION, Native Designers Step it up, Susan Heard, Native Peoples Magazine, 2006

  American Indian Jewelry I, 200 Artist Biographies, Gregory Schaaf, CIAC Press; American 

  Indian  Art Series: Volume 5. 2003
  The World of Digital Camera:  PHOTO GALLERY, Takatoshi Sato, World Photo Press (Japan),

  2000
  Indian Jewelry, World Photo Press (Japan), Spring 2000
  Gaussoin Tradition, Southwest Art Magazine, August 1999
  PUEBLO ARTISTS; Portraits, photographs by Toba Tucker and essays by Alfred Bush, Rita

  Swentiell, and Lonnie Vigil, August 1998
  PUEBLO PEOPLE Ancient Traditions, Modern Lives: Marcia Keegan

Artist in Residence/ Instructing:

  Poeh Arts Center, Pojoaque, NM, 2010, 2011

  Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona; November 2001
  Idyllwild Arts, Idyllwild, California; July7-11 2003 & 2004

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