Rufina Vigil facts for kids

Women Gathering Guaco, a painting by Rufina Vigil from 1935.

Rufina Vigil, also known as Sah Wa, was a talented Native American artist. She was from the Tesuque Pueblo tribe, which is part of the Eight Northern Pueblos in New Mexico.

Rufina Vigil was active in the 1930s. She learned painting from Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School. For a time, she also worked as a drafter in Los Alamos, New Mexico. A drafter is someone who makes detailed drawings or plans.

Who Was Rufina Vigil?

Rufina Vigil was a genre painter. This means she painted scenes from everyday life. Her artworks show what life was like in the Tesuque Pueblo community. She often painted women gathering plants like guaco or making pottery.

Her paintings are special because they show the roles of women in her community during the 1930s. Dorothy Dunn, her teacher, said that Rufina Vigil was very patient with small details. She was also good at arranging things in her paintings.

Her Famous Painting: Mass at the Fiesta

One of Rufina Vigil's most important paintings is Mass at the Fiesta. She created it in 1936. This painting is one of the first times a Native American artist showed Catholic Church rituals in their art.

Mass at the Fiesta was shown at the National Gallery of Art in 1953. It was part of an exhibition called Contemporary American Indian Painting. This art show later traveled to different places in Europe.

The painting shows women wearing long, colorful prayer shawls. They also wear traditional leggings made of white deerskin. The men in the painting have their hair tied in traditional Pueblo knots. They also wear silver concha belts around their waists.

Where You Can See Her Art

Rufina Vigil's artwork is kept in important collections. You can find her paintings in the Anne Forbes Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. Her work is also part of the Museum of New Mexico.