All Kiva Artists
Kiva Fine Art
El Centro de Santa Fe
102 East Water Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501505-820-7413
505-820-7414 (fax)
info@kivaindianart.com
Ben Nelson
Ben has been one of the best selling Native American artists in his lifetime. He has been selling his art professionally since 1989, when he first entered the Youth Division of the Santa Fe Indian Market at the age of seven and won third place. Working in gouache, pen and ink with some airbrushing and added mica flakes, Ben’s paintings of teepee villages, hunts, canoeing and battles of the Plains Indians are distinguished by their resemblance to old hide and ledger paintings.
In 1994, when Ben was eleven, he won the best of Division; First Place, Second Place and Third Place Awards; Best of Show and the Patrick Swazo-Hinds Award for Excellence in Painting, one of the most prestigious awards presented at the Santa Fe Indian Market. Ben also appeared on the cover of the winter 1996 issue of Indian Artist magazine with a six-page article devoted to Ben and his family, including his father Yellowman. Ben was thirteen when he met President Bill Clinton and presented one of his paintings to the President. His paintings are now shown in The Smithsonian, state and local museums, and other national and international collections.
Ben Nelson has truly been blessed with his talent and success. He continues to set new goals for himself and his art, as well as his education. Now in his twenties and with a degree in law, Ben aspires to accomplish many things as an artist and in his chosen career field.